Minnesota
Member of the WIDA Consortium since 2010.
Assessments
Minnesota uses the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, and WIDA Screener (for second semester of grade 1 through grade 12) to identify multilingual learners for English learner (EL) status.
ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA Alternate ACCESS must be administered to all ELs in grades K-12 during the annual testing window, which typically takes place from late January to late March.
Testing Dates
| 10/22/24 | WIDA Alternate ACCESS reports and data files available - online in WIDA AMS |
|---|---|
| 10/22/24 | WIDA Alternate ACCESS reports available in districts - printed |
| 11/25/24 - 12/13/24 | Indicate the number of online testers for grades 1-12 and order test materials during Materials Ordering in WIDA AMS |
| 12/12/24 | Deadline for updating student enrollment data for EL students |
| 1/6/25 - 3/21/25 | Test administration tasks available in WIDA AMS |
| 1/17/25 - 1/21/25 | Receive paper test materials and student labels |
| 1/17/25 - 3/14/25 | Order additional paper test materials in WIDA AMS |
| 1/27/25 - 3/21/25 | Testing window |
| 3/28/25 | Deadline to ship paper test materials to DRC |
| 5/19/25 - 6/6/25 | Posttest Editing in Test WES for all statewide assessments |
| 5/19/25 | Start retrieving early student-level results in Test WES |
| TBD | ACCESS reports and data files available - online in WIDA AMS |
| TBD | ACCESS reports available in districts - printed |
Resources and Requirements
See below for state specific information and resource documents, including your state’s ACCESS for ELLs Checklist, where you can find each step in the ACCESS testing process from beginning to end.
ACCESS for ELLs Checklist Identification and Placement Guidance
- State Testing Requirements
English Language Proficiency Screener Testing Information
- Minnesota Standardized English Learner Procedures: Identifying Students as English Learners Using the WIDA Online or Paper Screener
- Use an ELP screener when the Minnesota Language Survey (MNLS) indicates that the student speaks or understands a language other than English.
- If the student is transferring from a Minnesota district or a WIDA state, then only use a screener if the student does not have an ACCESS score from the previous year.
- ACCESS test results for students that were tested in Minnesota are available in MDE Secure Reports using the Student Assessment History Report.
WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
- Use listening and speaking domains in 1st semester of Kindergarten and if using with 4-year-olds.
- Use all four domains in 2nd semester of Kindergarten and in 1st semester of Grade 1.
- Accommodations are available as required by a student’s IEP or 504 plan.
WIDA Online and Paper Screener
- Use second semester of grade 1 through grade 12.
- Accommodations are available as required by a student’s IEP or 504 plan.
ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS
The ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS are used to measure progress towards proficiency as described by the WIDA English Language Development Standards. Test administration and test security policies are detailed in the Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Statewide Assessments. Refer to Test Administration Considerations for ACCESS in Chapter 8 for administration details specific to Minnesota.
- Test Preparation and Training
Each year, Test Administrators are required to be trained before administering the ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS. The MDE training requirements for each test are detailed in Chapter 7 of the Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Statewide Assessments in the section "Training". For quick reference, view Training Requirements for ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS.
- WIDA training courses for grades 1–12 ACCESS, Kindergarten ACCESS, and WIDA Alternate ACCESS are available in the WIDA Secure Portal.
- MDE trainings for test security and active monitoring are posted in the Learning Management System.
Requirements for Selecting ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS Test Administrators
Minnesota guidance on selecting test administrators for the ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS is described in Chapter 7 of the Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Statewide Assessments in the section “Selecting Test Administrators and Test Monitors.” For quick reference, view Test Administrators for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS.
For information related to continued EL instruction during the testing window, refer to the MDE English Learner website, which contains Guidance on English Learner Instruction during ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS Testing.
- Manuals, Guides and Test Materials
- Contains state-specific guidance on identification and placement of ELs in Minnesota, including information about the use of Kindergarten W-APT, WIDA MODEL (for Kindergarten), and WIDA Screener.
Procedures Manual for Minnesota Statewide Assessments
- This manual is Minnesota's main resource for statewide testing policies and procedures, containing information on test administration, test security, and use of results. District Assessment Coordinators are the primary audience but chapters or sections may be referenced and used by any staff involved in testing.
ACCESS/WIDA Alternate ACCESS Irregularities 2023-24
- This document outlines some situations or mis-administrations that may occur during ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS testing and require action by the district, MDE, or DRC.
Maintaining Rater Reliability in Scoring ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Paper Speaking Test
- A guidance document that explains what rater reliability is, why it is important, and how it can be achieved.
Rater Reliability Calculator - ACCESS Paper Speaking
- A tool to report rater reliability statistics for raters who administer and score the ACCESS Paper Speaking test.
Using the Rater Reliability Calculator
- A how-to-guide that explains the use of the rater reliability calculator.
Standards and Instructional Support
Minnesota Standards Alignment Report (PDF)
- Presents the results of an alignment study conducted in 2011 to examine the relationship between the Model Performance Indicators (MPIs) contained in the WIDA English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards 2007 Edition, and the Minnesota Academic Standards in Math and Science.
English Language Development Standards Implementation (PDF)
- Provides guidance and support to educators as they implement the WIDA ELD Standards.
Professional Learning
How MN District Staff Can Access WIDA Self-Paced Workshops
- This document explains how teachers and other staff can request WIDA eLearning access from their District Coordinator for WIDA eLearning. Instructions are also provided to help districts and charter schools identify and set up district-wide accounts for new eLearning coordinators so they can generate accounts for any staff member with a district or charter school e-mail address.
- An overview of the self-paced workshops that will be available in 2024-25.
Leadership Self-Paced Workshop Package
- An overview of the self-paced workshops available for school and district leaders in 2024-25.