Department of War Education Activity

Member of the WIDA Consortium since 2018.

Assessments

Schools operated by the Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) use WIDA Screener for Kindergarten and WIDA Screener Online (for Grades 1-12) to identify Multilingual Learners (MLs). WIDA ACCESS is given as the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment to all MLs during the annual testing window to measure their progress towards acquisition of academic English. Please visit the DoWEA ESOL Assessment Page on the DoWEA website for more information.

Testing Dates

11/18/26 - 3/5/27WIDA AMS Test Setup Available for Registrations
11/20/26 - 12/10/26Districts Receive Test Materials
12/2/26 - 2/15/27Additional Test Material Ordering Window in WIDA AMS
1/10/27 - 2/26/27Test Window
3/5/27Deadline for DRC to Receive Test Materials to be included in Regular Reporting - Postmark date
5/11/27Districts Receive ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Reports and Data - Posted in WIDA AMS
6/11/27Updated ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Data - Posted in WIDA AMS for SEA and Schools

Requirements and Resources

See below for state-specific information and resources related to ELP assessments, including your state’s WIDA ACCESS Checklist, where you can find each step in the ACCESS testing process from beginning to end.

WIDA ACCESS Online Checklist

Professional Learning

WIDA Core Learning Collection

All educators in the WIDA Consortium have complete access to the self-paced workshops, on-demand videos and resources in the Core Learning Collection. Titles include:

Self-Paced Workshops

  • Desarollando el español: las expectativas del lenguaje 
  • Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
  • Engaging Multilingual Learners in Science: Making Sense of Phenomena
  • Evaluaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje a nivel de salón
  • Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions
  • Let’s Play! Multilingual Children’s Joyful Learning in PreK-3
  • Making Language Visible in the Classroom
  • Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice
  • Reading Comprehension Across Content Areas with Multilingual Learners
  • Reframing Education for Long-term English Learners
  • Supporting Multilingual Learners With Disabilities in Language and Communication
  • Teaching Multilingual Learners Social Studies through Multiple Perspectives
  • The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach

On-Demand Videos

  • Exploring WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten
  • Exploring WIDA ACCESS Online 1–12
  • Introduction to the Marco DALE
  • Introduction to the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework
  • Understanding WIDA ACCESS Score Reports for Instruction
  • Understanding WIDA Alternate ACCESS Score Reports
  • WIDA Standards Frameworks for Bilingual Educators

Find all the Core Learning Collection offerings in the WIDA Secure Portal. Contact the WIDA Client Services Center at help@wida.wisc.edu or (866) 276-7735 to create a new WIDA Secure Portal account.

Contacts

Lear Cook
Education Assessment Specialist
(571) 372-1906
lear.cook@dodea.edu

WIDA Client Services Center
Contact us for questions about training materials, test administration procedures, classroom resources, or for problems with your WIDA Secure Portal account.

help@wida.wisc.edu
(866) 276-7735
M-F 8am-5pm CT (Apr-Oct)
M-Th 7am-7pm CT, Fri 7am-5pm CT (Nov-Mar)

Logging In

WIDA Secure Portal
Use the WIDA Secure Portal to access test training manuals and resources, as well as online professional learning modules.

Please contact the following to obtain new WIDA Secure Portal accounts:

  • ESOL teachers should contact their District ESOL Instructional Systems Specialist.
  • School Test Coordinators should contact their District Assessment and Accountability Instructional Systems Specialists.
  • District ESOL Instructional Systems Specialists and District Assessment and Accountability Instructional Systems Specialists should contact Lear Cook at lear.cook@dodea.edu.

For assistance with your account, contact the WIDA Client Services Center at help@wida.wisc.edu or call (866) 276-7735.