What to know as you head back to school for 2025-26

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 2025-26 school year.

Assess

For information about WIDA ACCESS, WIDA MODEL and WIDA Screener, check out the What to know: WIDA assessments in the 2025-26 school year article.

Teach

Utilize these valuable tools as you continue to implement the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework, 2020 Edition, and the Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE) in your classroom:

• ELD Standards Framework Implementation Guide and Administrator Supplement
• ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition Digital Explorer
• Administrator Resource for the Implementation of the Marco DALE
• Marco DALE Digital Explorer

As you head back to school this fall, brush up on strategies to support multilingual learners by exploring these helpful articles:

• Engaging multilingual learners in social studies classrooms
• Integrating classroom assessment to enhance language development
• Choose play for multilingual children: Bring joyful learning into your PreK-3 classroom
• Five strategies to welcome newcomers into your classroom

We’ve been busy updating our website! Visit the revamped Reading With Multilingual Learners and Engaging Families and Communities webpages. We're also making improvements to our Standards in Action page and creating a new Multilingual Learners With Disabilities webpage later this fall.

Set up your classroom for success with WIDA Key Language Uses posters that are a student-friendly focal point for language development for all K-12 students. Visit the WIDA store to get yours today.

Grow

Attend #WIDA2025 virtually to experience a sampling of the WIDA Annual Conference. This year’s virtual track includes

• One full day of live sessions on October 27
• An exclusive virtual keynote presentation
• A choice of five sessions during each session block
• Post-conference access to recordings of the virtual track sessions
• A virtual event platform created specifically for virtual attendees

Learn more and register for the #WIDA2025 virtual track.

Three WIDA Webinars are scheduled for the first semester of the year. WIDA Webinars are free virtual learning opportunities that offer insights and resources on a variety of topics relevant to educators of multilingual learners. View the upcoming webinars and register on the WIDA Webinars webpage.

WIDA’s Self-Paced Workshops offer professional learning when you want, where you want — and at your pace! Make sure to check out the 12 workshops available to participating WIDA Consortium members for free. The variety of topics offered allows multilingual learner educators to dive into relevant, practical content. Discover the offerings available on the WIDA Self-Paced Workshops webpage.

Research-Based Resources

A new WIDA Snapshot provides guidance on how to use the WIDA Language Charts to collaborate and plan instruction.

This Family Questions flyer suggests questions you can use in your ongoing conversations with multilingual families to help build trust and collaborative relationships. It’s available in multiple languages.

The Tell Us About Your Child Survey is a questionnaire that educators can give to families or caregivers of multilingual learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities to better understand a student's language and communication needs.

Stay Connected

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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.