Research Publications

This CCSSO publication provides reclassification guidance on classroom tools. In this working session, participants agreed that EL reclassification policies and practices can and should be strengthened, made more coherent, and standardized within states in ways that enable local educators—those closest to EL students—to meaningfully participate in reclassification decision-making.

Released January 2016

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

Released June 2015

This book explores academic literacy and how its development can be assessed in adolescent multilingual students. The contributing authors provide divergent definitions of academic literacies and use dissimilar theoretical and methodological approaches to study literacy development. Nevertheless, all chapters reflect a shared conceptual framework for examining academic literacies as situated, overlapping, meaning-making practices.

Released January 2015

This book provides practical strategies to implement a unique process for formative assessment. This book, which is a result of work completed during the Carnegie Corportation grant FLARE project, demonstrates what good language assessment for formative purposes is, explains the cycle of formative language assessment, and shows how it unfolds stage-by-stage in a school setting. 

Released January 2015

This report summarizes and further develops ideas discussed at a national working session held in 2014 to examine issues and options associated with initially classifying English learners (ELs). It is the third in a series of guidance papers intended to support states in large-scale assessment consortia that are expected to move toward a common definition of English learner as part of their assessment grant requirements.

Released January 2015

This report summarizes and further develops ideas discussed at a national working session held in 2014 to examine issues and options associated with reclassifying English learners (ELs) to fluent English proficient (R-FEP) status. Participants agreed that EL reclassification policies and practices can and should be strengthened, made more coherent, and standardized within states.

Released January 2015

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

Released December 2014

This WIDA Focus Bulletin addresses how English Language Learners engage with technology within the classroom.

Published October 2014 
Authors: Meagan Rothschild, Julia Cortada

Released September 2014

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

Released August 2014

This 2012 report describes the development, validity and reliability of the WIDA MODEL assessment for Grades 6-8 and 9-12.

Released July 2014

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

Released May 2014

This report describes key components of high quality professional development for educators of English language learners.

Published May 2014 
Author: Daniella Molle

Released May 2014

This WIDA Focus Bulletin explores the integral connection between language and culture for American Indian English Language Learners.

Published May 2014 
Authors: Rosalie Grant, Paula White, Julia Cortada, Sookweon Min

Released May 2014

This paper finds that many educators see the WIDA English language proficiency standards as a tool that can guide them in differentiating instruction and supporting language development among English language learners.

Released November 2013

The purpose of this WIDA Focus Bulletin is to provide guidance to teachers of English language arts (ELA) who are implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and working to respond to the specific needs of ELLs. In their treatment of academic language (or the language of school), the CCSS represent a departure from existing content standards.

Published November 2013
Authors: Daniella Molle, Mariana Castro, Julia Cortada, Leslie Grimm

Released November 2013

This paper focuses on the creation of an instructional hyper textbook that serves as a personal environment for learning a less-commonly-taught language, Turkish in this case. It shows how digital personal environments can advance self-regulated language learning in tandem with more formal learning strategies.

Released July 2013

This study examined the ways in which educators across the WIDA Consortium use WIDA’s English language proficiency standards, and in particular the model performance indicators (MPIs).

Published May 2013 
Author: Daniella Molle

Released May 2013

This report addresses three primary questions:
1. How do you determine a meaningful English language performance standard?
2. How do you establish a realistic, empirically anchored time frame for attaining a given ELP performance standard?
3. How can states take into account English learners’ English language performance level when setting academic progress and proficiency expectations?

Published May 2013

Released May 2013

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

Released May 2013

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

Released April 2013