Missouri

Requirements and Resources

See below for state-specific information and resources related to ELL assessment, including your state’s ACCESS for ELLs Checklist, where you can find each step in the ACCESS testing process from beginning to end.

ACCESS for ELLs Checklist Identification and Placement Guidance

State Testing Requirements

Screener
LEAs have 30 calendar days from the beginning of the school year/enrollment to identify the student. If your LEA receives a new student from another LEA or state that is part of the Consortium AND the student has a WIDA Screener or ACCESS for ELLs score report, they will not need to be re-screened.

ACCESS
Students in grades 1-12 will take the online version of ACCESS. Kindergarten ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS remain paper-based assessments. Students in grades 1-3 will view the Writing domain prompts and write their responses in a physical response booklet. Students in grades 4-12 will complete all domains on the computer. Schools may administer the paper-based version to students when required by an IEP or 504 Plan or if the district decides that the level of exposure to technology will have an impact on student performance.

Test Preparation and Training

Screener Training
Individual test administrators must be trained in its administration and have agreed to maintain the security of test questions. Test administrators are required to go through training if they have not previously done so. Your district testing coordinator or EL coordinator will be tracking electronically who has completed the screener training. Districts then set their own rules on how often test examiners should go through training again. DESE recommends that examiners look through the training each year as a refresher, even if they are not required to re-train. To participate in training, log into the WIDA Secure Portal, select Assessment Training, and locate the appropriate screener training course. Click on Course Details. Click the button to enroll in the course to enter and complete the training.

ACCESS Training
There are six training courses available in the WIDA Secure Portal. Test examiners are only required to take the training course for the assessments that they are giving. Test examiners are required to complete the training courses each year. District Test Coordinators or EL Coordinators should be sure to track the training status of all test examiners. This can be done on the Certification Report screen.

NOTE: It is not required to take the Paper-Based training if you have students in grades 1-3 that will take the writing domain on paper and the rest of the assessment online.

Manuals, Guides and Test Materials

WIDA Manuals
The following manuals are available in the WIDA Secure Portal (login required):

• WIDA AMS User Guide
• WIDA AMS User Guide Supplement - Submit Incomplete Domain
• District and School Test Coordinator Manual
• Test Administrator Manual

WIDA Guides/Resources
The following guides are available on the WIDA website or in the WIDA Secure Portal (login required):

• Accessibility and Accommodations Manual
• Technology User Guide
• Technology Troubleshooting and Issue Report Form

WIDA Test Materials
WIDA Screener for Kindergarten test materials and Writing Test Booklets for handwritten response for grades 1-3 for the WIDA Screener Online can be downloaded from the WIDA Secure Portal (login required). All physical testing materials for ACCESS testing must be ordered through WIDA AMS - with the exception of the initial order of writing booklets for grades 1-3, which are shipped according to student counts from the pre-code file submitted.

Additional Resources

• DESE Assessment – Contains links to Manuals and Resources for Test Coordinators, Test Examiners and IT staff all in one location. Some links provided may require a login to the WIDA Secure Portal.

These resources include:

• ACCESS testing guide
• Accessibility and Accommodations - Missouri Supplement
• EL Language Codes
• EL Newcomer Kit
• Quick Reference Guides
• Screener Guide
• Speaking Test Resources
• Technology Troubleshooting Guides
• Additional EL Resources