Resources/Recursos

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

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

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

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

This study examines oral language development of 14 dual language learners ages 2.5 to 5.5 years in preschools in the Midwestern United States. They engaged in five key language uses: argue, explain, heuristic, recount, and request. Preschoolers 2.5 to 3.5 years only made simple requests or argued to meet their needs; the older cohort demonstrated a wider range of key language uses.

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

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

Many literacy programs were not designed to effectively use multilingual students’ knowledge, skills, and strengths. This Snapshot is the third in a five-part series that provides insights from relevant research and suggests ways to engage the significant strengths that multilingual learners bring to their literacy development. 

Across the country, educators are working to improve students' reading, but many of the programs and approaches in use were not designed to take into account the unique needs and assets of multilingual learners. This Focus Bulletin shares classroom-ready resources, as well as examples and video from classrooms where educators are working to expand reading instruction to make it more inclusive and more effective for multilingual students.

Use este folleto en los centros de ingreso o durante las conferencias con padres para explicar el proceso de evaluación de estudiantes e identificación como ELL (por sus siglas en inglés). Este folleto explica en español cómo se identifican a los estudiantes ELL y qué significa esa clasificación para ellos. Úselo para ayudar a los padres a comprender el propósito de evaluar el nivel lingüístico.

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

Este documento ayuda a los padres y a las familias a comprender la prueba de WIDA ACCESS for ELLs y sus componentes.

Alternate ACCESS es una evaluación de dominio del idioma inglés para los estudiantes en los grados 1-12. La prueba se administra todos los años para ayudar a los distritos escolares a monitorear el desarrollo del idioma inglés de los estudiantes identificados como estudiantes del idioma inglés que tienen discapacidades cognitivas significativas.

Many literacy programs were not designed to effectively use multilingual students’ knowledge, skills, and strengths. This Snapshot is the fifth in a five-part series that provides insights from relevant research and suggests ways to engage the significant strengths that multilingual learners bring to their literacy development. 

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

General advice to teachers who want to help prepare their students to take ACCESS for ELLs Paper.

This WIDA Webinar explores five critical, research-based aspects or “guideposts” of reading instruction for multilingual learners. An overview of the current research, strategies and tips for how it translates to classroom instruction are included for each guidepost.

These guiding principles of language development and learning exemplify WIDA’s overarching foundational beliefs and ever-present Can Do Philosophy. The guide includes research citations and defines WIDA's use of the term multilingual learner.

This guide, available in multiple languages, can be used as a resource for educators to share with parents and families.

​​Complete list of references cited in the WIDA Guiding Principles of Language Development.

This illustrated booklet, available in multiple languages, brings each of the 10 WIDA Guiding Principles of Language Development to life and can be used by educators with parents, families and community members.