Back to school for 2026-2027

By Hannah Haynes

Here’s a list of what you need to know about WIDA assessments, resources for the classroom and professional learning opportunities for the 2026-27 school year.

Assess

For more information about WIDA ACCESS, WIDA MODEL and WIDA Screener, check out the What to know: WIDA assessments in the 2026-2027 school year article.

We consolidated and refreshed the WIDA MODEL webpages in the Assess section of our website. In addition to key details about the assessment, this refreshed page includes resources on topics such as using MODEL to inform instructional planning.

We also published the brand-new Preparing for WIDA MODEL webpage, which includes the online platform components of the MODEL Online testing system and a quick start guide for the MODEL suite of assessments.

Teach

In the last year, we launched three new and improved webpages that offer more teaching resources, videos and other tools to help you better serve your multilingual students. Check out the updated webpages!

• Teaching in PreK-3
• Standards in Action
• Supporting Multilingual Learners With Disabilities

We also introduced new resources designed to support classroom instruction of the Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE), the Spanish language development standards framework from WIDA, including a new Implementation Guide and a Language Features Glossary.

• Reminder: brush up on the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework as you head back to school! Review the WIDA ELD Standards Framework webpage, which includes key resources and tips for implementing the framework in your classroom.

Finally, the beginning of every school year is the perfect time to connect with your students’ families. Head over to the Engaging Families and Communities webpage for ideas and guidance on how to center multilingual learners, families and communities in your teaching practice this fall.

Grow

There’s still time to attend #WIDA2026 virtually to experience a sampling of the WIDA Annual Conference. This year’s virtual track includes the following:

• One full day of live sessions on September 15, 2026, curated from the in-person conference and tailored to a virtual audience
• A choice of five sessions during each session block
• An exclusive virtual keynote presentation by Andrea Honigsfeld
• Access to recordings of the virtual track sessions after the event

Learn more and register for the virtual track.

View the WIDA Webinar recording “Strategies for Aligning Your Curriculums to the WIDA ELD Standards Framework” to explore a genre-based approach to analyzing and strengthening the integration of content and language in curricula across three criteria.

Educators in WIDA Consortium member states can access the new WIDA Core Learning Collection through the WIDA Secure Portal. The collection brings together WIDA Self-Paced Workshops, new On-Demand Videos and practical resources designed to help educators apply research-based practices that support multilingual learners. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, specialist or school leader, you’ll find flexible professional learning that fits your schedule and your students’ needs. For more information about the WIDA Core Learning Collection, check out the What to know: WIDA Core Learning Collection article.

Research-based resources

This new handout provides five actionable approaches for centering newcomers.

Check out our library of WIDA Focus Bulletins. These publications are focused on research-to-practice and provide resources and tools for educators of multilingual learners. Our most recent focus bulletin is about the language for reading.

Stay connected

Get the best of WIDA in your inbox. We offer several newsletters and informational emails on a variety of topics related to multilingual learners. Subscribe to receive messages from WIDA.

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If you need anything from WIDA, our client services specialists are just a phone call or email away. All of us at WIDA appreciate you and want to make sure you have what you need to best support students and families.