Pennsylvania

Requirements and Resources

See below for state-specific information and resources related to EL 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 Online Checklist ACCESS for ELLs Paper Checklist

State Testing Requirements

• Pennsylvania students must take the ACCESS for ELLs Online. The paper-based version of ACCESS for ELLs for Grades 1-12 may be given only as an accommodation for students who require it. Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS remain paper-based.
• LEAs may order a paper-based ACCESS for ELLs test on a student-by-student basis during the ordering process. The decision must be based on the student’s individual needs.
• LEAs facing insurmountable challenges to online testing (e.g.., lack of technology infrastructure) should notify PDE by contacting Bob Measel or Julia Puza as soon as possible.
• Schoolwide administration of the paper test for any reason MUST be approved by the state prior to ordering tests.
• Students in grades 4-5 may complete the writing domain online or on paper. The default mode for the writing domain in 2024 is handwriting, but district may change the mode to keyboarding manually. Beginning in 2024-2025, the default writing domain mode for students in grades 4-5 will be set to online.
• Only students who are or are likely to be eligible for the state Alternate Assessment (PASA) are eligible for the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.
• Reclassification, Monitoring and Redesignation Guidance 

Test Preparation and Training

All personnel who will administer a WIDA assessment or screener MUST complete the full training and pass the relevant quizzes before their first administration. 

Any educators, including paraprofessionals, may administer the ACCESS test or Screener as long as they have completed the required training and passed all certification quizzes. Paraprofessionals must be employed by the district. In all cases in which it is possible, PDE recommends that paraprofessionals be monitored by a teacher while administering a test.

For the Alternate ACCESS, only a certified teacher who works regularly with the student may administer the test. Again, the test administrator must have completed the test administrator training and passed all quizzes.

For personnel administering the online ACCESS:

• Complete the full training only once. Annual recertification is not necessary.

For personnel administering PAPER ACCESS or WIDA 1-12 Screeners:

• Complete only the speaking training and pass the relevant quizzes annually after initial certification. 

For personnel administering the Kindergarten ACCESS:

• Pass the Kindergarten ACCESS certification quiz annually.

For personnel administering the Kindergarten Screener:

• Pass the oral language and the literacy certification quizzes annually. 

Full recertification will be required for test administrators who were involved in any test anomalies during the previous year (e.g., missing tests, student plagiarism, breach of test security, etc.). The local Test Coordinator or EL Coordinator is responsible for tracking test anomalies and ensuring compliance with this requirement.

Manuals, Guides and Test Materials

• Training and test materials for WIDA Screener can be found in the WIDA Secure Portal. Contact your District Test Coordinator or WIDA Client Services for assistance.
• Identification, reclassification, monitoring, and redesignation procedures are found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) website.
• Test Coordinators place ACCESS materials orders via WIDA AMS. DRC will send e-mail updates to District Test Coordinators pertaining to important testing activity dates. DTCs should review these e-mails carefully to ensure that all ACCESS-related tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• Pennsylvania-specific ACCESS for ELLs Administration Directions (2023-2024).