Partners
Collaborating with WIDA to support you
WIDA works with multiple organizations that provide contracted development and support services to WIDA and its consortium members.
WIDA’s organizational home is in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. WCER is one of the oldest, largest and most productive university-based education research and development centers in the world. The research conducted at WCER has influenced policy and practice from preschool through doctoral programs.
Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS)
ATLAS collaborates with WIDA on alternate assessment content. Experts at ATLAS develop new test items for WIDA Alternate ACCESS and WIDA Alternate Screener.
Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
CAL collaborates with WIDA in its work to provide standards-based assessments for English learners. CAL's work is divided into three main areas:
- Developing and field testing new test items to refresh ACCESS for ELLs every year
- Conducting research, exploring ways to revise aspects of the testing system, and improving the delivery of test administration training
- Providing technical and psychometric expertise and documentation to WIDA
Data Recognition Corporation (DRC)
DRC provides:
- The online test platform for ACCESS for ELLs Online and WIDA Screener Online
- Annual printing, distribution, scoring, and reporting for the ACCESS for ELLs assessments
- A secure, web-based ordering system and administrative portal (WIDA AMS) backed up by customer service
MetriTech
MetriTech works with WIDA and WCEPS to provide WIDA Screener Paper and to deliver the WIDA MODEL Online and WIDA MODEL Paper assessments.
Multilingual Learning Research Center (MLRC)
MLRC advances educational outcomes for multilingual learners through innovative and socially conscious research and research–practice partnerships. The MLRC includes the MLRC School Network which grew out of the WIDA International School Consortium. MLRC School Network members engage in dialogue and collaborative research to explore common problems of practice in teaching multilingual learners. The MLRC School Network provides access to the WIDA Virtual Institute and a WIDA Toolkit to support the use of WIDA assessments and resources.
PLACE
PLACE works with WIDA to provide conference and event planning development, management and support.
Wisconsin Center for Education Products and Services (WCEPS)
WCEPS manages the products and services available to educators in the online WIDA Store, including:
- Managing sales of WIDA Screener Paper and the WIDA MODEL suite of assessments
- Delivering select WIDA-developed workshops
- Managing and distributing the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL), which served as the foundation for the WIDA School Improvement System (WIDA SIS)