What to know: WIDA assessments in the 2026-2027 school year

Before we talk about what’s new with WIDA assessments, we recognize that sometimes you just need a simple question answered, and you don’t always have time to find a WIDA resource or manual. We want to remind you that 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 their families.

Back to what’s new! In this article, we guide you through a list of what’s new with WIDA ACCESS (ACCESS), WIDA MODEL (MODEL) and WIDA Screener (Screener) in the 2026-2027 school year (topics appear in alphabetical order). In each “In Case You Missed It” section, we highlight something you may have missed.

Pro Tip: Attend the Welcome Back: What’s New in 2026-2027? webinar on September 1 at 1:00 p.m. CT to get the following information in webinar format. Find more info on this webinar and all other assessment webinars in the WIDA Secure Portal on the Webinars page.

Accessibility and accommodations

One of our priorities at WIDA is to improve the accessibility of our assessments for all students. As part of our efforts to do that and meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), we added two new accommodations and several accessibility features to WIDA Screener Online and WIDA ACCESS Online for the 2026-2027 school year.

The following list highlights the new and updated accommodations:

• Assistive Technology (AT) is a new accommodation that allows students with hearing, visual, cognitive or physical disabilities to use specific external devices or third-party software to access and interact with test content.
• Speech-to-text (STT) is a new accommodation. It is third-party software that uses voice recognition to convert speech into written text in applications and text boxes.
• Manual Control of Item Audio (MC) is now only applicable to WIDA ACCESS Paper and WIDA Screener Paper. New this school year: All students taking WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA Screener Online will select the Play button on each screen to begin playing audio. The audio will no longer play automatically.

We also made accessibility updates that affect the overall testing experience for students. Some of these updates include improving color contrast in test items, replacing drag-and-drop response methods and giving the Speaking domain a new user interface for the microphone check and the recording buttons.

In Case You Missed It

Get all the details on the accessibility updates and new accommodations in the WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS Get Accessibility Updates for 2026-2027 news article.

ACCESS

Changes to the ‘look and feel’ of Individual Student Reports

We’re making changes to the look and feel of the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Individual Student Reports (ISRs) in 2027. Changes to the ISRs include the following:

• We’re making the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS ISRs look similar so that it’s clearer to students and families that both ISRs are part of the ACCESS suite of assessments.
• We’re removing unnecessary color from the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS ISRs. And increasing the font sizes when possible. Both changes should make for a better photocopying experience!
• We’re adding an “Important Terms” box to the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS ISRs.
• We’re adding a second page to the ACCESS ISR that houses the “new” 2020 Edition-based Proficiency Level Descriptors (they are grade-level cluster specific) and a link to the ACCESS Scores and Reports webpage.

Post-ACCESS Standard Setting 2026 resources

If you administered ACCESS (K-12) last school year, you used an updated version of the assessment that was newly based on the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework, 2020 Edition – it used to be based on the 2012 version of the ELD Standards.

Because we updated ACCESS to incorporate the 2020 Edition – and fully redesigned Kindergarten ACCESS to boot – we had to conduct a standard setting event this summer to make sure that student scores still give an accurate picture of a student’s English language development.

The standard setting analysis process wraps up in early fall. After that, we can start publishing resources that help you understand and share the impact of standard setting on 2027 ACCESS scores.

In fall 2026, we’ll release a communications toolkit that has information messages about standard setting and its impact on ACCESS. You can use it to prepare yourself and your colleagues for spring 2027 ACCESS scores.

In spring 2027, we’ll release the following:

• A more robust version of the communications toolkit that goes into greater detail about the impact of standard setting on 2027 ACCESS scores. This version will have more to share with students, families, school and district leaders and communities.
• Memos that explain the standard setting process and outcome that you can share with local interest holders and leaders.
• A version of the WIDA ACCESS: Understanding Your Child’s Scores flyer for families that has an extra page. The new page will explain the impact of standard setting.

Reminder: We updated WIDA Alternate ACCESS (K-12) in 2023-2024 and held a standard setting event for that assessment in July 2024.

In Case You Missed It

Want more info on the standard setting event and how it relates to ACCESS scores? Explore the Learn About ACCESS Standard Setting 2026 webpage and make the connection between standard setting and scores.

Assessment training courses

New ACCESS Braille training course

The brand-new WIDA ACCESS Braille: Administration training course has guidance on using braille materials, including tactile graphics and specialized manipulatives that are unique to braille testing. It also explains how to use braille-specific testing procedures and how to adapt general testing procedures. The course does not have information on ordering and managing test materials, assigning accommodations and preparing students for testing.

All ACCESS Braille test administrators should complete the new course and pass the certification quiz prior to administering the braille test. WIDA recommends these same test administrators also complete the following training courses:

• WIDA ACCESS Paper: Administration
• Speaking Scoring for Grades 1-5 for ACCESS Braille
• Speaking Scoring for Grades 6-12 for ACCESS Braille

Refer to your state’s WIDA ACCESS Checklist for more information about assessment training in 2026-2027. The WIDA ACCESS Braille and WIDA ACCESS Paper Speaking scoring training courses will continue to be separate courses for now. They will remain that way until ACCESS Braille has been updated to incorporate the 2020 Edition.

In Case You Missed It

Is a colleague trying to figure out what WIDA assessment training they need to complete? Share the Assessment Training webpage with them.

MODEL

We made significant enhancements to WIDA MODEL Online in July. The updates were designed to increase flexibility, reduce testing time and deliver real-time insights, all while maintaining the research-backed reliability that sets WIDA apart.

WIDA updates the MODEL platform on a rolling basis, with this year's most significant enhancements coming in July to align with the new academic year.

In Case You Missed It

Read the WIDA MODEL Online Introduces Major Enhancements for 2026-2027 news article to learn about all the changes to WIDA MODEL.

Screener

You can purchase large print versions of the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten and WIDA Screener Paper test materials through the WIDA Store. The large-print materials are typically printed on 14x18 inch paper, use a larger font and significantly magnify text and images.

Consult the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual before you order large print materials to make sure it’s the right choice for a student.

In Case You Missed It

The WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual (check out the link in the paragraph above this one) is the best place to find information on selecting and using accessibility supports and accommodations for WIDA Screener (K-12) testing.

WIDA AMS and DRC INSIGHT enhancements

No need to hunt around for a CD player for ACCESS Paper test audio anymore! By default, all Listening and Speaking test audio for ACCESS Paper will be streamed through WIDA AMS. Contact your test coordinator if you’re administering this assessment to make sure you have the correct permissions on your WIDA AMS account. (Don’t worry – CDs can still be ordered during your state’s additional materials ordering window, if necessary.)

WIDA ACCESS Braille test audio will continue to be provided via the CD included in your braille kit.

In Case You Missed It

Learn about this year’s changes by viewing the WIDA AMS and DRC Technical Enhancements for 2026-2027 webinar recording.