Washington
Member of the WIDA Consortium since 2021.
Assessments
Washington uses WIDA assessments for placement and annual testing. The WIDA Screener is used to identify students eligible for English Language Development (ELD) services, and the WIDA ACCESS is administered to all Multilingual Learners (MLs) during the annual testing window and is used to determine continued eligibility for ELD services.
Testing Dates
| 1/2/26 - 3/20/26 | WIDA AMS Test Setup Available for Registrations |
|---|---|
| 1/20/26 - 1/21/26 | Districts Receive Test Materials |
| 1/26/26 - 3/20/26 | Test Window |
| 1/20/26 - 3/13/26 | Additional Test Material Ordering Window in WIDA AMS |
| 3/27/26 | Deadline for Shipping Completed Test Materials to DRC - Postmark date |
| 4/22/26 - 4/30/26 | Pre-Reporting Data Validation – LEAs in WIDA AMS |
| 5/21/26 | Districts Receive ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Reports and Data - Posted in WIDA AMS |
| 6/12/26 - 6/15/26 | Districts Receive Printed Reports |
| 6/11/26 - 6/25/26 | Post-Reporting Data Validation – LEAs in WIDA AMS |
| 6/25/26 | ACCESS Late Return 2 File Available – Posted in WIDA AMS (if applicable) |
| 7/9/26 | Updated ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Data - Posted in WIDA AMS for SEA and Districts |
| 8/6/26 | ACCESS Data Corrections 1 File Available – Posted in WIDA AMS (if applicable) |
Resources and Requirements
See the sections below for state-specific information and resources related to EL 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 Identification and Placement Guidance
- State Testing Guidance
All students test on grade level in Washington. For placement assessments, the WIDA Screener utilized depends on grade level and student need. The WIDA Screener for Kindergarten is administered to kindergarten students with Listening and Reading administered through December 31 and all four domains administered from January 1 to the end of the school year. All other grade levels take the WIDA Screener Online unless there is a documented need for a different screener form. For the WIDA Screener Paper, students must have a paper accommodation documented in an IEP or 504, and the assessment must be requested from OSPI. For the WIDA Alternate Screener, students must have an IEP or 504 and already be identified for alternate assessment. State testing guidance for annual testing echoes placement assessments. All MLs must take the WIDA Kindergarten ACCESS (kindergarten only) and the WIDA ACCESS Online (grades 1-12) unless the student requires an accommodation that is met with the WIDA Alternate ACCESS, the WIDA ACCESS Paper, students in grades 4-12 who need to handwrite their responses, or other accommodated test forms. These accommodations must be documented in an IEP or 504 plan. Additional questions about accommodations can be sent to ELPAssessments@k12.wa.us.
- Test Preparation and Training
Guidance for test preparation and training in Washington can be found on OSPI’s English Language Proficiency Assessment Resources website. This includes user management, student management, materials management, test administration management, and records management.
Standards and Instructional Support
OSPI provides additional resources to support the implementation of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020. These resources can be found on OSPI’s WIDA Standards, Assessments, and Professional Learning website.
Professional Learning
The following self-paced WIDA Courses are available from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026, to support effective instruction and language development for multilingual learners. All learning opportunities have free clock hours and are available to K-12 public school educators currently employed with a Washington public school district. Private schools who opt into federal Title III services are eligible for these courses as well. Contact your school administrator for more information.
To earn free clock hours, participants must register through pdEnroller and complete the course in the WIDA Secure Portal. Contact WIDA Client Customer Services at help@wida.wisc.edu to request an account. You must provide your district email address when requesting a WIDA Secure Portal Account.
2025 – 2026 Courses pdEnroller links:
Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
Desarrollando el Español: las expectativas del lenguaje
Engaging Multilingual Learners in Science: Making Sense of Phenomena
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
Teaching Multilingual Learners Social Studies through Multiple Perspectives
The WIDA Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach
WIDA Español: Evaluaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje a nivel de salón
For questions, contact Virginia Morales at virginia.morales@k12.wa.us