Assess
Helping educators understand multilingual learners’ development
WIDA's comprehensive suite of assessments is built on a foundation of strong research and grounded in the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework. This suite of tools – WIDA ACCESS, WIDA Screener, WIDA MODEL – developed in collaboration with education thought leaders and partners such as the Center for Applied Linguistics, are used across the nation and around the world.
For more information about the assessments offered within your state, territory or agency, visit your member/state page.
- More than 2 million students complete ACCESS testing each year
- WIDA is the leader in assessing English language learners with disabilities
- WIDA offers multimodal assessment delivery options
Assessments That Meet Your Needs
As an educator, you know it’s imperative to check in on your students’ language development – early on and as they progress. Understanding their progress helps inform your instruction in ways that meet their needs. Testing measures student learning against a standard or goal. In the case of WIDA assessments, test results describe student performance in terms of Proficiency Level Descriptors.
WIDA assessments can be categorized into four purposes: identification, placement, progress and achievement. Some can serve more than one purpose.
Assessment Purposes
Identification
Test scores can support decisions about whether a student is an English learner (EL) and would benefit from English language support services. Identification assessments are typically given at the start of the school year or to new students.
Placement
Test scores can support decisions about placing students into appropriate classes for instruction. Scores that inform these placement decisions can come from assessments designed primarily for other purposes. Placement assessments are typically given prior to a period of instruction at any point within a school year.
Progress
Test scores can support decisions about instructional planning and show the progress students have made. In some cases, progress tests can be predictive of summative test results. Progress assessments are typically given at a set point in the school year or at the end of a period of instruction.
Achievement
Test scores can be used for accountability purposes and as benchmarks against which educators can measure future performance. Scores can also be used as one of multiple measures to make reclassification decisions about whether a student can exit English language support services. Student achievement is often measured with a summative assessment that is typically given at a set point in the school year, or at the end of a period of instruction.
WIDA Assessments That Deliver Results
WIDA Screener
This suite of assessments is designed to help educators decide whether an incoming student in kindergarten through grade 12 would benefit from language support services.
Purposes: Identification, Placement
- WIDA Screener Online
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit) - WIDA Screener Paper
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit), any other U.S. state/district/school or international school (for purchase) - WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit) - WIDA Alternate Screener
WIDA MODEL
This suite of flexible, on-demand English language proficiency assessments can be used to identify and monitor the progress of English learners. Scores from WIDA MODEL can be used to predict student performance on ACCESS.
Purposes: Identification, Placement, Progress
- WIDA MODEL Online, WIDA MODEL Paper
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member discount), any other U.S. state/district/school or international school (for purchase) - WIDA MODEL for Kindergarten
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member discount), any other U.S. state/district/school or international school (for purchase)
WIDA ACCESS
This widely used suite of English language proficiency assessments is given to English learners in grades K-12 to monitor their achievement and measure their progress in English language development.
Purposes: Placement, Progress, Achievement
- ACCESS Online, ACCESS Paper
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit) - ACCESS for Kindergarten
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit) - Alternate ACCESS
Availability: WIDA Consortium (member benefit), any U.S. state (for purchase)