Focus on WIDA ACCESS for Grades 1-12

In this edition of WIDA in New York, learn more about the online and paper formats of WIDA ACCESS, WIDA’s summative assessment for English learners. English learners in WIDA Consortium states take WIDA ACCESS annually until they meet their state’s exit criteria.

WIDA ACCESS is a standards-referenced test, meaning students are not ranked against each other or against the expected performance of monolingual English speakers. It assesses four language domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.

Note: Kindergarten students take WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten, and students in grades K-12 with the most significant cognitive disabilities take WIDA Alternate ACCESS. We’ll share more about these two assessments in future editions of this newsletter.

WIDA ACCESS Online

The vast majority of WIDA Consortium students in grades 1-12 take the online version of WIDA ACCESS. ACCESS Online is an adaptive test administered via a secure browser.

ACCESS Online Test Administration

• All four domains are administered in separate test sessions. Listening, Reading, and Speaking are administered on the computer. Writing for grades 1-3 is administered using paper materials, while Writing for grades 4-12 is administered using computers.
• ACCESS Online can be administered in groups of up to 15 for the Listening, Reading, and Writing domains; in groups of up to five for the Speaking domain; or individually, based on student needs. If testing groups are larger than the recommended group sizes, consider scheduling an additional trained proctor to help monitor student progress and ensure test security. Students can be grouped across grade-level clusters if needed.
• Students begin by completing the adaptive Listening and Reading tests. On each of these tests, students respond to easier or more challenging content based on their performance on previous items.
• After the Listening and Reading tests, students will complete the Speaking and Writing tests. Students are assigned and automatically placed into a specific tier form for these domains based on their performance on the Listening and Reading tests. This allows students to respond to items that are appropriately challenging but not overly frustrating or tiring.
• During the Speaking test, students will record their answers to test prompts on the computer in a secure test browser. A headset with a microphone is required.
• The testing platform has built-in accessibility features and accommodations to support individual student needs.

Scoring for ACCESS Online

The Listening and Reading domains are scored by the test platform, and the Speaking and Writing domains are scored by trained raters at Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). DRC contracts with WIDA to provide the online test platform used by students and the assessment management website used by test administrators and coordinators. DRC is also responsible for printing, distributing, scoring and reporting for the ACCESS assessments.

WIDA ACCESS Paper

WIDA also offers a paper version of WIDA ACCESS for grades 1-12. ACCESS Paper is typically used for situations where a student is unable to test online due to learning support needs outlined in an Individualized Education Program or 504 Plan.

ACCESS Paper Test Administration

• Before or during materials ordering, districts identify the appropriate tier for each student taking ACCESS Paper. Students in the early stages of English language development may take the Tier A form, while students in the middle to upper stages of English language development may be assigned a Tier B/C form. You’ll receive more guidance on how to make this determination later this fall.
• All four domains are administered in separate test sessions, and students are grouped by grade-level cluster and tier for Listening, Reading, and Writing. WIDA recommends groups be kept to approximately 15 students or fewer. Consider having an additional trained test administrator if testing groups are larger than 15 students. These domains may also be administered individually based on student needs. Domain tests may be administered in any order.
• The Speaking domain is administered individually. Students listen to test items via an audio recording and respond aloud to the test administrator, who listens and scores.
• There are a variety of accessibility supports and available accommodations for ACCESS Paper, including large print and braille forms.

Scoring for ACCESS Paper

After testing, districts return test booklets to DRC to be scanned. DRC calculates the scores for the Listening and Reading domains, and trained raters score the Writing domain. The Speaking domain is scored by the test administrator during the test, and that score is captured by DRC for reporting.

Coming Up Next

In future emails, we’ll provide an overview of WIDA’s accessibility supports and accommodations, WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten and WIDA Alternate ACCESS, our summative assessment for English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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Reach out to the experts at the WIDA Client Services Center with questions you have about WIDA resources, products and services. Find contact information and hours of operation on the Contact Us page.

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The New York State Education Department will also continue to share WIDA information as updates become available. For  assessment-related questions, please contact the Office of State Assessment (OSA) at emscassessinfo@nysed.gov or 518-474-5902. For inquiries about state policy guidance, reach out to the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) at OBEWL@nysed.gov or 518-474-8775.