Research Publications

Featured Research Publications

Examining English Learner Testing, Proficiency and Growth: Continued Trends Since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examination of the Current Implementation Status of WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
Supporting Multilingual Learners Language Growth Through Language Development Portfolios

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Annual Technical Report for ACCESS for ELLs Online English Language Proficiency Test Series 601, 2022–2023 Administration

ACCESS for ELLs Online technical reports provide evidence for validity and reliability of ACCESS for ELLs Online and support intended uses, interpretations, and decision made with the test. This is the redacted report for the 2022-2023 administration of ACCESS for ELLs Online without item information.

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Annual Technical Report for ACCESS for ELLs Paper English Language Proficiency Test Series 601, 2022–2023 Administration

ACCESS for ELLs Paper technical reports provide evidence for validity and reliability of ACCESS for ELLs Paper and support intended uses, interpretations, and decision made with the test. This is the redacted report for the 2022-2023 administration of ACCESS for ELLs Paper without item information.

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Annual Technical Report for Alternate ACCESS for ELLs English Language Proficiency Test, Series 601, 2022-2023 Administration

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs technical reports provide evidence for validity and reliability of Alternate ACCESS for ELLs and support intended uses, interpretations and decisions made with the test.

This is the redacted report for the 2022-2023 administration of Alternate ACCESS for ELLs. Item information is removed from the report.

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Collaborating with States on Professional Development Planning

This study investigated a coaching process in which state educational representatives (SEAs) and WIDA staff engaged during 2012. The purpose was to enhance the quality of the professional development offered by states to their educators.

Published May 2013 
Authors: Daniella Molle, Christie Reveles

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Collaborative Learning for English Language Learners

This research brief reports preliminary results from a study of teachers’ successful experiences engaging ELLs in collaborative learning with peers.

Published May 2014

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Detection of Multiple Group Differential Item Functioning for Students with Disabilities of the Alternate ACCESS Field Tests in 2023

This report describe how WIDA applied Differential Item Functioning analysis among multiple disability groups of our Alternate ACCESS Field Test items in 2023.

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Development of a New WIDA Writing Scoring Rubric for Grades 1-12

This report details the development of a new scoring rubric grounded in the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. This new rubric will be used for scoring responses to the writing tasks on WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA ACCESS Paper in 2025-26, and the future revised WIDA Screener Online and WIDA Screener Paper.

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District Level Analysis of ELL Growth

This research project explored the patterns of district-level ELL “growth” for the 2007-2011 time period and identified the existence of “high-flying” and “low-cruising” districts within ACCESS for ELLs in terms of ELL growth.

Published May 2013
Author: Narek Sahakyan

 

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Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness Using ACCESS for ELLs

Regardless of the growth model, aggregate test-score-based models of student growth require large and longitudinally connected samples of student data. When sample sizes are small it becomes impossible to reliably estimate and disentangle district, school and teacher effects from student growth data.

Published June 2015 
Author: Narek Sahakyan

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Examination of the Current Implementation Status of WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition

This report shares findings from the Standards Implementation Study (Sep 2022-Feb 2024). The report explores the current status of the implementation of the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition across layers of the educational system, primarily through the perceptions of teachers, administrators, and policy makers. It identifies key educator and systems-level practices that support or hinder successful implementation; and identifies potentials and needs areas for additional resource development and continued research.

Published: May 2024
Author: Hannah Park

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Examining District-Level Growth Using ACCESS for ELLs

This research report provides a description of a study examining school districts in the WIDA Consortium whose English language learners (ELLs) exhibit consistently high growth on the ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) assessment.

Published August 2014 
Authors: Narek Sahakyan, H. Gary Cook

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Examining English Learner Testing, Proficiency and Growth: Before and Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report examines English learners’ (EL) testing, proficiency and growth in the academic years of 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21, using population-level data from ACCESS for ELLs Online, administered across the WIDA Consortium to students identified as ELs. The objective of the report is to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ELs’ educational outcomes.

October 2021 
Authors: Narek Sahakyan, H. Gary Cook

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Examining English Learner Testing, Proficiency, and Growth: Before, During, and “After” the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report ​examines English learner testing, proficiency, and growth in the years surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This research builds on an October 2021 report on the impact of the pandemic, and includes data from the 2021-22 ACCESS for ELLs test administration. Findings indicate that in some grades and language domains EL's average proficiency and growth have returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, for most grades and language domains the evidence points to a continuing impact of COVID-19 on English learners’ English language development.

Published April 2023
Author: Narek Sahakyan, Glenn Poole

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Examining English Learner Testing, Proficiency, and Growth: Continued Trends since the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report examines English learners’ testing, proficiency, and growth during the six most recent academic years (2018-2023) to shed light on the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on English learners’ educational outcomes. It provides descriptive evidence on disparities in outcomes within WIDA's English learner population, with substantial average differences in outcomes between English learners identified as Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic ELs. Findings show that these disparities are persistent and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published April 2024
Authors: Glenn Poole, Narek Sahakyan

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Examining Growth at the Intersection of IEP and (Long-Term) EL Status

Motivated by findings of a 2018 WIDA report pointing to large overlap between ELs with Individualized Education Program (IEP) designations and those ELs who could be identified as LTELs, this study further focuses on these dual-identified students. Grouping ELs by ever-IEP (i.e., being assigned an IEP at any point in the longitudinal record) and never-IEP status, we compare these two subgroups’ English language growth trajectories across time. Our findings show consistent trends of differential growth and reclassification rates for these two subgroups.

Published November 2021 
Authors: Narek Sahakyan, Glenn Poole

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Examining How To Establish English Proficiency Using Alternate Composite Scores

The goal of the analyses presented here is to identify a procedure for creating alternate composite scores on English language proficiency assessments without using all four domain test scores (i.e., listening, speaking, reading and writing).

Published April 2013 
Author: H. Gary Cook

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Examining Relationships Between Alternate Access and State Alternate Assessments

This report examines how Alternate ACCESS for ELLs serves as a tool that identifies English proficiency attainment for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities.

Published December 2014 
Author: H. Gary Cook

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Examining the Relationship Between the WIDA Screener and ACCESS for ELLs Assessments

This report describes a study that examined to what extent scores on WIDA Screener predict scores on ACCESS for ELLs. Researchers found that Screener scores are strongly predictive of ACCESS scores, even when a variety of individual factors are accounted for.

Published February 2020 
Authors: David MacGregor, Narek Sarakyan

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Exploring the Long-term English Learner Population Across 15 WIDA States

This research report summarizes findings from a recent WIDA study exploring the potential long-term English learner (LTEL) population across 15 geographically-representative WIDA member states during the period 2009-10 through 2014-15. The findings highlight a continuing need for research that rejects an overly simplistic understanding of the LTEL designation. Additionally, future research should more carefully examine how educational systems, practices, and policies structure the experiences and diverse trajectories of students identified as LTELs.

Published October 2018 
Authors: Narek Sarakyan and Sarah Ryan

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Generating Imputed Overall Composite Scale Scores for English Learners with Disabilities Who Are Missing Domain Scores in the ACCESS for ELLs Assessment

This technical report aids WIDA Consortium members and stakeholders in producing imputed overall composite scale scores and proficiency levels for students who are missing scores in one or two domains due to a disability. 

Published September 2020 
Author: Narek Sahakyan

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