Join the WIDA Consortium

We support students, families, educators and administrators with research-based tools and resources dedicated to language development for K-12 multilingual learners.

We believe that the best way to support multilingual learners’ success is to support the entire system: Not only do we design standards and assessments, but we also create teaching tools and offer instructional support to make language development and learning more effective.

We do all of this with the support of the top-ranked School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Benefit from assessments, teaching tools and professional learning for all

As a consortium member, you get to use the research-based tools and resources that make WIDA’s comprehensive system the best it can be:

• Assess: research-based assessments to measure language proficiency
• Teach: resources and instructional tools to support multilingual learners
• Grow: professional learning opportunities aimed at empowering educators
• Research: projects and publications that inform and progress the field of teaching and learning of multilingual learners
• Standards: English language development standards for multilingual learners – the core of everything we do

Learn more about the specific assessment, instruction and professional learning resources and tools that come with membership:

Get the member benefits flyer

Leverage support from WIDA experts

At WIDA, we have the staff expertise to support your state-specific needs and challenges. This includes helping you meet state and federal Title I and Title III requirements.

As a consortium member, you can expect to be supported in the following ways:

• An assigned State Relations Specialist will help you optimize your WIDA Consortium member benefits and serve as a thought partner in helping you meet federal requirements and state goals for multilingual learners.
• WIDA technical assistance experts will support your state-specific research and policy needs tied to assessment, standards and English learner programming.
• WIDA materials and resources will help you meet your English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment peer-review submission across multiple critical elements including standards correspondence.
• The WIDA Client Services Center will be available to help educators in your state by email and phone.
• WIDA’s easy-to-navigate web-based platforms will be available 24/7. Platforms include the WIDA website, WIDA Secure Portal for educators, SEA Secure Portal for state-level resources and an assessment management system.
• A team of professional learning experts will help you plan your WIDA-provided professional learning opportunities that best match the needs of educators in your state.

Take part in a vibrant community

The WIDA Consortium is made up of 42 states, territories and federal agencies (SEAs). As a consortium member, you get to collaborate with other SEA experts and give input on WIDA products and services throughout the year.

SEA participation opportunities include

• WIDA Annual Meeting (in-person event)
• Virtual subcommittee meetings and an in-person collaboration meeting
• Quarterly virtual meetings on key topics for SEAs
• Informational webinars with WIDA experts
• Community groups just for SEAs

Local Education Agency (LEA) participation opportunities include

• Assessment test development events
• Focus groups on relevant WIDA products or services
• Professional learning offering pilots
• WIDA Fellows cohorts

Discover what the WIDA Consortium has accomplished:

Browse our annual reports