World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS Transition

Background

In 2026, the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS for Kindergarten tests will be updated to incorporate measurement of the 2020 English Language Development (ELD) standards. Previously, these tests assessed knowledge of World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA's 2012 English Language Development ELD standards. The core components, the measurement of listening, reading, writing and speaking domains, will continue to be assessed on the updated World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS tests.

The updates to the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS tests will not affect the 2026 school and district accountability targets for the English Learner EL progress indicator, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE will not adjust the accountability system for 2026.

What to Expect: World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS Tests and Results in Spring 2026

• World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS test administration processes will remain similar to previous years.
• Test administrators will need to be properly trained and certified to administer specific Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS tests (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS for Kindergarten and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS) as in past years.
• Schools will receive individual student-level results and district-level results in the regular reporting cycle:
  • Electronic results will be provided in World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA AMS on April 27, 2026, and paper results will arrive in schools between May 15 and 18, 2026.
  • The school and district Round 1 and Round 2 results will be available in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE's Security Portal DropBox in summer 2026.
• The range of scale scores (100–600) will remain the same, but the interpretation of scale scores will differ from prior years. Therefore, 2025–2026 Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS scale scores should not be compared with scale scores from previous years.
• Proficiency levels (1.0–6.0) reported in 2026 will be the same as in prior years (2016–2025). Proficiency level results can be used by schools to determine a student's progress, to determine if they met exit criteria, and for planning purposes.

Summer 2026 and Beyond

• World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA will conduct a standard setting in July 2026 to set new proficiency levels.
• Beginning in spring 2027, Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS scale scores and proficiency levels will be based on the cut scores that are established at the standard setting.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE's Offices of Language Acquisition and Data, District and School Accountability, and Student Assessment Services are collaborating to determine how World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA's incorporation of the 2020 English Language Development standards in 2026 will affect future reporting decisions. We will communicate updates as more information becomes available.

Schools and district leaders may choose to review World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA's information and materials on the 2026 World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS transition as an additional resource.

Impact on District and School Accountability Data

The updates to the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS assessment do not affect the 2026 school and district accountability targets for the English Learner (EL) progress indicator and do not require Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE to adjust the accountability system for the 2025–2026 school year. We will provide updates regarding any potential impact on the accountability system for 2027 and beyond when information becomes available.

Last Updated: December 23, 2025