Teams and Programs

Working together to support educators of multilingual learners
WIDA's dedicated staff ensure that our products and services are:
- Developed and maintained with the end user in mind
- Relevant, accessible and easy to understand
- Presented in a consistent way across all mediums and venues
- Connected with each other as a system
Assessment
The Assessment team oversees the development, delivery, scoring and reporting of the ACCESS for ELLs suite of assessments (Online, Paper, Kindergarten and Alternate). The team also
- Maintains the WIDA Screener and WIDA MODEL tests
- Drives innovation in test development and delivery
- Conducts validity research to ensure assessments accomplish their goals
- Conducts research to ensure assessment results are used correctly
- Provides technical assistance to member states regarding English language proficiency assessment policy, use and implementation
Communications and Market Expansion
The Communications and Market Expansion team oversees all communication about WIDA resources, products, services and events to educators of multilingual learners. Included in this team are
- Communications and Marketing, which creates and disseminates WIDA’s online and print communications
- Client Services Center, which provides support to everyone who contacts WIDA with their questions and feedback
- WIDA Early Years program, which serves members of the early care and education community who provide care and instruction to young multilingual children
- International Programs, which works to ensure that WIDA products and services meet the needs of educators of multilingual learners in schools around the world
Consortium and State Relations
The Consortium and State Relations team develops and maintains relationships with member state education agencies by
- Supporting and facilitating member agencies’ collaboration with each other and with WIDA
- Directing and supporting subcommittees, Executive Committee, Board Meeting and other Consortium-wide activities, communications and events
- Collaborating within WIDA to ensure that states’ feedback is part of Consortium products and services
- Supporting member agencies with resources, communications and answers to their questions
Educator Learning, Research and Practice (ELRP)
The ELRP team works to foster equitable educational opportunities for multilingual children and youth through research and the development of innovative educator resources, and meaningful and transformative online and face-to-face professional learning experiences.
Our aim is to build knowledge and support practice by carrying out rigorous, relevant research and developing high-quality instructional resources so that educators
- Understand and implement the WIDA Standards Framework at state, district, school and classroom levels of implementation
- Understand and implement WIDA Assessment resources and tools at all levels of implementation
- Gain pedagogical expertise and skills to implement culturally and linguistically responsive teaching approaches with multilingual learners
- Sharpen leadership skills to better serve multilingual learners and their families
Operations and Information Technology (IT)
Operations and IT encompasses those functions that support the entire organization, and also includes WIDA executive leadership. This team is made up of
- Executive Leadership – WIDA executive director, WIDA deputy director
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Finance and Contracts
- Project Management