About

Educators trust WIDA tools and resources to support their multilingual learners

At WIDA, we create more than just assessments. We support students, families, educators and administrators with high-quality, research-based tools and resources, dedicated to language development for multilingual learners.  

We strive to provide multilingual learners – of all ages and all levels of language development, in programs and classrooms around the world – with an equitable opportunity to obtain a quality education that reinforces learner assets.

We believe that the best way to support multilingual learners’ success is to support the entire system: not only do we design the standards and assessments, we also create teaching tools and offer instructional support to make language development and learning more effective. We provide opportunities for professional learning to empower educators. And we continually collaborate with educators, state and local educational agencies, researchers, policy-makers and thought-leaders worldwide to seek out even more ways to further language learning.

  • WIDA is part of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in the highly-ranked UW-Madison School of Education
  • WIDA tools and resources are used by educators and schools around the world
  • The WIDA Consortium includes 42 states, territories and federal agencies
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Featured Educator

"It sounds corny, but one of the most exciting times of my year is when the ACCESS scores come out, and I can see our students’ scores and where they show growth. It’s so rewarding for me to see our students making progress." 

Cathy Fox, ELL Teacher
Central Falls, RI

Wondering what WIDA is?

Watch this intro video!

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Transcript

Picture a classroom. Any classroom. Here at home or abroad, they're not so different.

They're made of books and bulletin boards. Homework assignments.

Teachers and students. And WIDA? We're there, too.

In thousands of classrooms around the world, helping multilingual children-and the educators

who teach them-to succeed.

We combine proven content learning strategies with the latest language development research and resources to ensure that young scientists and literary scholars, future mathematicians and budding historians aren't limited by language.

They're liberated by it. Our innovative tools and assessments help educators build on what multilingual learners can do already. Recognize what success looks like at every grade level. And see a look of excitement and growing confidence on a bright young face.

That's a thrill we want teachers to experience again and again. So we conduct groundbreaking research.

Offer eLearning opportunities and classroom resources. Set and share the industry's best practices.

And gather together at conferences and workshops around the globe. WIDA accelerates teachers' professional learning, and works with a consortium of national and international language development leaders to advocate for practices that move multilingual instruction forward.

Because when we picture a classroom-any classroom-we see lessons made richer by the diverse cultures included there. We see children who are valued and engaged. And teachers who feel empowered and eager to grow.

Around the world, class is about to begin. Let's see what we can do...together.

Related Pages

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Teams

Our teams are made up of passionate experts looking to serve a single vision.

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Leadership

Our leadership team is made up of thought leaders in education.

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Staff Directory

Looking for a specific staff member? Access our staff directory.

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Interested in a job at WIDA?

WIDA hires a variety of positions. Check out our current openings.