Idaho
Member of the WIDA Consortium since 2015.
Assessments
For a comprehensive overview of the Idaho English Language Proficiency Assessment, visit the English Language Proficiency Assessment webpage on the Idaho Department of Education website.
Idaho employs the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten to kindergarten and first-semester grade-one students, and the WIDA Screener to second semester grade 1-12 students as one part of Idaho’s English learner (EL) identification process. ACCESS for ELLs is given annually to all identified ELs who have an EL status of ‘L1’, ‘LE’, and ‘EW’ reflected within Idaho’s English Learner Management System (ELMS). The annual summative ELP test window typically opens in late January and runs through early March. WIDA Alternate ACCESS is given concurrently with the ACCESS for ELLs administration and is only administered to students who have met the Idaho Alternate Assessment Participation Criteria.
A comprehensive review of state-specific information and resources related to the annual English Language Proficiency Assessment and English learner identification can be found within the ELPA: Navigating WIDA Screener and ACCESS for ELLs Guidance Document. An at a glance review of Idaho’s EL Identification Process and a checklist for preparing for ACCESS for ELLs can be referenced by selecting the links listed below.
Testing Dates
| 11/21/2025 | SEA Loads Pre-ID/Student Import File into WIDA AMS |
|---|---|
| 12/19/25 - 3/6/26 | WIDA AMS Test Setup Available for Registrations |
| 1/6/26 - 1/8/26 | Districts Receive Test Materials |
| 1/19/26 - 3/6/26 | Test Window |
| 1/6/2026 - 2/27/26 | Additional Test Material Ordering Window in WIDA AMS |
| 3/13/2026 | Deadline for Shipping Completed Test Materials to DRC - Postmark date |
| 3/26/26 - 4/1/26 | Pre-Reporting Data Validation – LEAs in WIDA AMS |
| 5/6/2026 | Districts Receive ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Reports and Data - Posted in WIDA AMS |
| 5/21/26 - 5/26/26 | Printed ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Reports Received in Districts |
Requirements and Resources
A comprehensive review of state-specific information and resources related to the annual English language proficiency assessment and English learner identification can be found within the ELPA: Navigating WIDA Screener and ACCESS for ELLs Guidance Document. An at a glance review of Idaho’s EL Identification Process and a checklist for preparing for ACCESS for ELLs can be referenced by selecting the links listed below.
ACCESS for ELLs Checklist Identification and Placement Guidance
- State Testing Requirements
English Language Proficiency Assessment - Screener
- Districts are required to administer either WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, WIDA Screener (second-semester grade 1-12), or WIDA Alternate Screener* to potential EL students as to determine eligibility for English language support services. This must be completed within 30 calendar days of enrollment.
- Districts must log into ELMS to verify whether a student has previously been identified as an EL prior to administering a WIDA screener.
- Districts are required to submit screener scores from WIDA Screener for Kindergarten or WIDA Screener into ELMS following the completion of the screener assessment.
English Language Proficiency Assessment - Summative
- English learners in grades 1-12 are required to complete all sections of WIDA ACCESS annually.
- Kindergarten students identified as EL will complete the paper-based Kindergarten ACCESS.
- English learners in grades 1-12 who meet the Idaho Alternate Assessment Participation Criteria are required to complete the paper-based WIDA Alternate ACCESS annually.
- The WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual must be reviewed prior to administering an English language proficiency assessment as to ensure the appropriate supports and/or accommodations are provided.
- Districts are required to administer either WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, WIDA Screener (second-semester grade 1-12), or WIDA Alternate Screener* to potential EL students as to determine eligibility for English language support services. This must be completed within 30 calendar days of enrollment.
- Test Preparation and Training
English Language Proficiency Screener: WIDA Screener/ WIDA Screener for Kindergarten / WIDA Alternate Screener
- Test administrators (TAs) must become certified to proctor WIDA Screener for Kindergarten and/or WIDA Screener each year. Training and certification quizzes are accessible via the WIDA Secure Portal.
- Prior to administering a WIDA screener, districts must use Idaho’s English Learner Management System to verify that a child does not already have an EL status.
English Language Proficiency Assessment: WIDA ACCESS
- TAs are required to re-certify to administer WIDA ACCESS each year.
- TAs must complete all grade-level and domain specific WIDA ACCESS trainings and certification quizzes prior to proctoring: WIDA ACCESS, Kindergarten ACCESS, or WIDA Alternate ACCESS. TAs must attain a score of 80% or higher on each quiz to become certified.
Professional Learning
Beginning September 1, 2025, all Idaho K-12 educators will have free access to the following Self-Paced Workshops:
- The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach
- Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice
- Making Language Visible in the Classroom
- Reframing Education for Long-term English Learners
- Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
- Engaging Multilingual Learners in Science: Making Sense of Phenomena
- Desarollando el español: las expectativas del lenguaje
- Reading Comprehension Across Content Areas with Multilingual Learners
- Teaching Multilingual Learners Social Studies through Multiple Perspectives
- Let’s Play! Multilingual Children’s Joyful Learning in PreK-3
- Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions
- WIDA Español: Evaluaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje a nivel de salón - Classroom Assessment for Language Development
The Self-Paced Workshops are accessible via the WIDA Secure Portal. To obtain a WIDA Secure Portal account, contact your District Test Coordinator or contact WIDA Client Support Services directly at help@wida.us / (866) 276-7735.