Greetings and welcome back to teaching. Here are several important updates regarding WIDA and ACCESS for ELLs testing.
We are providing you with some preliminary information about 2021 ACCESS for ELLs testing and additional information and resources to assist you in preparing to administer the ACCESS tests in January/February 2021. The ACCESS for ELLs testing window has been extended by several weeks to allow schools to schedule in person testing in smaller groups over a longer time while adhering to safety guidelines regarding social distancing.
To the extent possible, schools should develop a plan that allows all eligible students to attend school for the purpose of taking scheduled tests. We will provide you with frequent updates during the school year to familiarize you and your staff with testing requirements and assist you in planning and scheduling the ACCESS tests.
Please ensure that the names and contact information for staff in the roles of EL Program Director (EL Director), ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator, and Principal have been updated by your district's Directory Administrator in the Department's School and District Profiles, if this information has changed since last year. These roles should also be updated in the WIDA Secure Portal and in WIDA AMS by the District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator.
Ensure that Educational Technology Coordinators have updated their contact information in the DESE School and District Profiles and in WIDA AMS for school year 2020-2021 if this information has changed since last year. District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinators are authorized to create new Educational Technology Coordinator accounts by following the instructions.
Educational Technology Directors and District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinators should also review the updates described in this email from DRC in preparation for ACCESS for ELLs testing in January/February 2021. Further information is provided in the Technology User Guide available in WIDA AMS under My Applications > General Information > Documents. Please contact DRC Customer Support with any questions at WIDA@DataRecognitionCorp.com or call 1-855-787-9615.
Two training webinars will be offered for returning ACCESS for ELLs test coordinators, and two webinars for new test coordinators later this fall. Please be sure you have taken all required WIDA online training modules for your role and grade level prior to attending the webinar.
Dates for the webinars are:
Registration information will be provided in the next EL Assessment Update.
Online training sessions for certification of test administrators are available on the WIDA Secure Portal (log-in through your WIDA account required) under the heading "ACCESS for ELLs Training Courses."
A WIDA personal account will be required to access the training materials and other resources available on the WIDA website. If you already have a WIDA personal account, then it is still valid for the 2020 2021 school year. Instructions for obtaining a WIDA personal account are available on the DESE web page.
Please update your WIDA AMS account if your contact information has changed. The WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) supports the administration of ACCESS for ELLs tests, including entering and editing student information, managing students taking ACCESS tests, and viewing ACCESS test results. Instructions for obtaining a WIDA AMS Account are found on the DESE web page.
Results of the 2020 ACCESS tests were provided to schools electronically last May in WIDA AMS.
2020 ACCESS printed reports were delivered to schools on September 29, 2020. Districts should have received a District Frequency Report. Schools should have received a shipment of the following ACCESS for ELLs printed reports:
Schools are expected to send a copy of the printed Individual Student Report (ISR) to the home of each student, unless the school already notified parents of their child's results last spring or summer. Schools and/or districts with a secure communication system, such as a password-protected "parent portal," may use it to send the reports electronically to parents; please provide paper copies of the reports to parents who do not have the ability to receive them electronically.
Student-level 2020 ACCESS for ELLs electronic results can be found in DropBox (ACCESS2020_R2_) and Edwin (EL627) in the Security Portal that include:
It is important that EL students are reported accurately in the district's October 2020 Student Information Management System (SIMS) and that this report includes removal of the "EL" designation if a student has recently exited EL status. Inform your District Directory Administrator of students who have exited EL status and should no longer be reported as EL.
The Department will pre-order test materials for every school this year based on students reported in October SIMS. Schools may order additional test materials beginning in early January once their initial shipment has arrived at the school. More details will be provided in the next EL Assessment Update.
Guidelines for identification of students with significant cognitive disabilities who should be considered for participation in the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs will be posted to the DESE ACCESS web page soon. Please refer to these guidelines when considering students for participation in the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs test this year.
On behalf of the Department, we appreciate all that you are doing to promote effective instruction for all students.
Please review and forward this and future EL Assessment Updates to your staff, as appropriate.
Contact Student Assessment Services with any questions about ACCESS for ELLs testing at access@mass.gov (note new address) or by phone at 781-338-3625.
Thank you for your attention to this important information.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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