WIDA in New York: Assigning accommodations for WIDA ACCESS

In this edition

• Get familiar with accessibility supports and accommodations available on WIDA ACCESS.
• Identify key resources to support local school and district staff as they make decisions about accommodations and student supports.
• Discover more about WIDA Alternate ACCESS and determine which students should take this assessment.
• Learn how to monitor test administrator training and certification.
• Mark your calendar with upcoming webinars and identify actions you can take this month.

What you need to know: accessibility supports and assigning accommodations

WIDA offers three categories of accessibility supports for WIDA ACCESS: administrative considerations, universal tools and accommodations. Read the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual for more information on all three.

• Administrative considerations are available to any student who might benefit from some personalization of standard test procedures. This might be a familiar test environment, physical access supports or adaptive furniture the student routinely uses at school, or an individual administration that allows them to focus. These are always provided by the test administrator.
• Universal tools are available to any student who might benefit from their use. These are tools that students may typically use in the classroom, like a highlighter, a line guide or a magnification device. Depending on the tool and on the testing mode, universal tools may be provided by the test administrator or embedded in the online test platform.
• Accommodations provide targeted support for students who have an identified and documented disability and who typically have an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 Plan. The WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual provides guidance on how to choose appropriate accommodations based on the student’s unique needs.

Some online accommodations must be enabled on the online testing platform before the test, while others are provided by the test administrator. WIDA also offers accommodations that require special materials to be ordered, including large print, low vision script (for WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten only), braille and in-person human reader (Note: This accommodation does not apply to the Reading domain).

Before assigning accommodations or ordering special materials, review the detailed descriptions in the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual, as well as New York state-specific guidance for addressing special circumstances that may affect test administration or the validity of assessment results.

All accommodations are documented on the student’s record in the WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA AMS). Accommodations can be included in a file upload in WIDA AMS Import Management or can be added by editing individual student records in WIDA AMS Student Management. If the student is tested with any paper test materials, accommodations can also be marked on the test booklet. Refer to the Assigning Accommodations page in Module 3 of the WIDA ACCESS Online: Administration training course for more information. In New York, test coordinators are responsible for adding all appropriate accommodations in WIDA AMS when the test setup window opens on January 4, 2027.

Administrative considerations and universal tools are not documented in WIDA AMS.

It’s important to always follow your state-specific accessibility and accommodation policies for WIDA ACCESS. Your state guidance and terminology may vary from WIDA manuals and recommendations.

Considerations for WIDA Alternate ACCESS

An English learner (EL) who is identified with the most significant cognitive disabilities and who is unable to take WIDA ACCESS, even with accommodations, may be eligible for participation in WIDA Alternate ACCESS. Refer to the WIDA Alternate ACCESS Participation Decision Tree for New York for more information and links to state-specific resources.

Keep in mind: While grounded in the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition, WIDA Alternate ACCESS is based on the Alternate Proficiency Level Descriptors (Alternate PLDs). The Alternate PLDs describe the continuum of language development specifically for ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Scores on WIDA Alternate ACCESS are not comparable with scores on WIDA ACCESS, and students typically do not transition from one test to the other.

New York will be implementing the use of the WIDA Alternate Proficiency Level Descriptors. Visit the Alternate PLDs on the WIDA website to learn more.

Key resources

• The WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual is updated annually and helps you determine appropriate student supports to ensure valid assessment results. In addition to information about administrative considerations, universal tools and accommodations, the manual also provides guidance on special circumstances that may affect assessment administration or student results.
• Committee of Special Education (CSE) teams may use the accommodation checklists (located in the appendixes of the Accessibility and Accommodations Manual or on the WIDA website) to prepare for and document the accommodations a student will receive on WIDA ACCESS. These are for local reference only and are not provided to WIDA, DRC or NYSED, or uploaded in WIDA AMS.
• The New York member/state page contains state-specific guidance on accessibility supports and accommodations, as well as contact information for the Office of State Assessment to support you with any state-specific questions.

Test coordinator corner

You can easily monitor test administrator training and certification in the WIDA Secure Portal. To look up certifications for an individual educator in your school or district, select Manage Users from the Manage menu in the Secure Portal. Search for the educator’s account, select View Certs and view the date an educator enrolled in a course, view the date they completed it and/or download their certificate if needed.

To view the overall certification status of your test administrators, select Certification Report from the Manage menu. Filter by enrollment date or certification date, select a school if necessary (if you’re a school test coordinator, your school will already be displayed) and select from the Package Assignments and Courses to find the appropriate course. View the results or export them to a CSV file.

Remember: You are responsible for ensuring all test administrators are certified for the test(s) they will administer. Review your state’s WIDA ACCESS Checklist (located on your state page) for additional state training requirements.

Upcoming webinars

WIDA Assessment Webinars provide an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about WIDA assessments. They are presented live through Zoom. All webinars are recorded and available in the WIDA Secure Portal approximately one week after the presentation. Visit the Webinars page in the WIDA Secure Portal to learn more and add webinars to your calendar. No registration is required.

New York state-specific assessment webinars

• WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten for New Test Administrators in New York – November 5
• WIDA Alternate ACCESS for New Test Administrators in New York – November 19

General assessment webinars

• WIDA ACCESS Technology Support and Online Preparedness – November 3
• Managing Student Information for WIDA ACCESS Testing – November 12

Take action

This month, here are some ways you can take action to prepare for WIDA ACCESS testing.

Test administrators

• Read the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual and consider what supports might be appropriate for students you will test.
• Visit the ACCESS Test Practice and Sample Items page. Use either the online test practice or online sample items to explore the online universal tools.

Test coordinators

• Submit your initial materials order in WIDA AMS by November 2, 2026. Refer to the WIDA AMS User Guide or contact DRC Customer Service for assistance with ordering.
• NYSED will upload the Pre-ID file into WIDA AMS in early November. Ensure all student enrollment information is updated in your local school management system by October 30.

Have questions? Let us help!

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 for WIDA Client Services and DRC Customer Service on the Contact Us page.

Spread the word! Share the WIDA in New York newsletter sign-up form with your New York educator colleagues. Visit the New York member/state page on the WIDA website for additional news and resources.