WIDA Screener Paper
WIDA Screener Paper is an English language proficiency assessment given to new students in Grades 1–12 to assist educators in identifying English language learners (ELLs). It is available to WIDA Consortium and WIDA International School Consortium members for purchase in the WIDA Store.
Preparing for and Administering WIDA Screener Paper
WIDA Consortium Members
If you are a first-time Test Administrator (TA) or District Test Coordinator (DTC), please visit your state’s member page for state-specific instructions on how to get your account set up. If you are a returning TA or DTC and you are having trouble signing in to the WIDA Secure Portal, please contact the WIDA Client Services Center (see below).
The WIDA Secure Portal contains a quick start guide for administering Screener Paper.
WIDA Screener Paper – Secure Portal Page
International Consortium Members
If you are a first-time Test Administrator (TA), please log in to the WIDA International Secure Portal for the WIDA Screener Paper Training Course. If you are having trouble signing in to the Secure Portal, please contact Fatima Rivera at international@wida.us.
The International Secure Portal contains a quick start guide for administering Screener Paper.
Test Administration Times*
Up to 5 minutes
Up to 15 minutes
Up to 25 minutes
Up to 40 minutes
85 minutes total test time
Scoring
Process
WIDA Screener is scored locally by trained raters. Listening and Speaking domains are media-delivered. Note the following important information:
- The Test Administrator must be a trained rater. To become a trained rater and score responses, you must complete the WIDA Screener Paper Training Course and pass the appropriate scoring quizzes.
- The Entry Task and the Speaking domain are both scored locally during test administration.
- After administration, the Test Administrator calculates the raw scores (number of items correct) for Listening and Reading, and also scores the Writing test.
- The raw scores for all four domains are entered into the Score Calculator, which generates a student score report.
Results
Students receive a Proficiency Level (PL) score for each of the following:
- Language domains (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing): WIDA Screener domain scores are reported as integers, with no decimals.
- Composite Scores (Oral Language, Literacy, Overall Language): Composite scores are derived from a combination of weighted domain scores and cannot be calculated if a domain score is missing. Composite scores are reported to the first decimal point at half of a level (i.e., 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0).
The Proficiency Level scores are interpretive scores. They help stakeholders understand what the score means in terms of the language skills of the student. They describe student performance in terms of the six WIDA English language proficiency levels:
Entering > Emerging > Developing > Expanding > Bridging > Reaching
For further explanation of Proficiency Levels, Scores and how they connect, refer to the WIDA Screener Interpretive Guide.
Resources for Educators
Get resources specific to your state
State-specific contact information and additional testing resources, including the ACCESS for ELLs Checklist, for WIDA Consortium members.