Introduction to WIDA

Welcome to WIDA!

We’re excited to welcome New York as the 42nd member of the WIDA Consortium! In this first edition of WIDA in New York, we invite you to learn more about WIDA and the WIDA Consortium.

WIDA, an educational services organization within the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education, advances language development and academic achievement for multilingual children.

The WIDA Consortium is made up of 42 states, U.S. territories and federal agencies. Members of the consortium administer WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS annually. Many educators also take advantage of our standards, instructional resources and professional learning to support their multilingual learners. WIDA collaborates with state education agency representatives and educators to improve our assessments and resources. Learn more on the WIDA Consortium page.

Assess

WIDA’s comprehensive suite of assessments is built on a foundation of strong research. Districts in WIDA Consortium member states use WIDA Screener and WIDA Alternate Screener to identify English learners. They use WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS to measure student progress across years, determine class placement and to make reclassification decisions (in accordance with their state’s exit criteria policy).

What you need to know: New York will begin testing with WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS in spring 2027. Learn more about the key features of these assessments on our WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS webpages.

Teach

New York educators will continue to follow the guidance of the New York State Academic and Linguistic Demands (ALDs), rather than adopt the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. The ALDs remain the foundation for instructional planning and alignment with New York’s content standards. However, because our assessments, instructional resources and professional learning opportunities are informed by the ELD Standards Framework, you will see references to this across WIDA materials.

What you need to know: While the assessment is changing, instruction for English language learners is not changing, only the tool measuring their progress. By continuing to use the ALDs, educators will maintain a consistent and state-specific approach to supporting multilingual learners, ensuring that linguistic expectations and instructional planning align with New York’s established policies and educational priorities.

Grow

WIDA strives to empower educators and advance the field of language development through our professional learning resources. We offer a variety of self-paced, virtual facilitated, hybrid, and in-person workshops through New York’s membership in the consortium. We also offer free WIDA Webinars on a variety of topics relevant to educators of multilingual learners.

What you need to know: Educators in New York can take advantage of WIDA Professional Learning in the fall of 2026. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the website to view the types of offerings that are available.

Research

WIDA research covers a variety of focus areas in multilingual learner education. From language development and inclusive teaching and learning to our work with indigenous languages, cultures and communities, our research supports innovative practices, products and services for those who support multilingual children and youth.

What you need to know: WIDA’s research drives the design, development, enhancement and innovation of our teaching tools and assessments. Find more information about our current projects, areas of focus and publications from WIDA researchers on the WIDA website.

Coming Up Next

In our next email, we’ll introduce you to the online and paper formats of WIDA ACCESS for grades 1-12, WIDA’s summative assessment for English learners. Future emails will also provide information about WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten and WIDA Alternate ACCESS.

Have Questions? Let Us Help!

Contact 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.

Spread the word!

Please share the WIDA in New York newsletter signup form with your New York educator colleagues.

New York will also continue to share WIDA information with the field 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.