Resources/Recursos

The Alternate Proficiency Level Descriptors (Alternate PLDs) are an extension of the PLDs found in the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards, 2020 Edition, and describe the continuum of language development for ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Alternate PLDs are organized into five levels of English language proficiency for two communication modes: interpretive and expressive. Refer to the Glossary and Text Examples section for definitions of terms and examples of student responses. WIDA, with the help of classroom educators, created these proficiency levels to be unique to WIDA Alternate ACCESS.

Released August 2023

The Are We Ready? Educators Collaboration Guide is for PreK-3 educators to use for reflection and planning connected to promoting and providing equitable transitions for multilingual children and their families. Use the Are We Ready? Educators Notetaker to write down your own ideas and transition plans.

See the Teaching in PreK-3 page for context.

Released August 2023

The Are We Ready? Schools and Programs Collaboration Guide is for PreK-3 school and program leaders to use for reflection and planning connected to leading equitable transitions for multilingual children and their families. Use the Are We Ready? Schools and Programs Notetaker to write down your own ideas and transition plans.

See the Teaching in PreK-3 page for context.

Released August 2023

The Are We Ready? Districts and Programs Collaboration Guide is for PreK-3 district and program leaders to use for reflection and planning connected to leading equitable transitions for multilingual children and their families. Use the Are We Ready? Districts and Programs Notetaker to write down your own ideas and transition plans.

See the Teaching in PreK-3 page for context.

Released August 2023

This guide helps IEP teams determine if a student should take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS assessment, or the ACCESS for ELLs (Online or Paper) assessment with accommodations.

Released August 2023

This accessibility manual was developed to guide the selection and administration of Test Administration Considerations, Universal Tools, and Accommodations for individual English Language Learners (ELLs) in order to produce valid assessment results.

Released August 2023

Checklist for IEP teams to prepare for administration of WIDA Alternate ACCESS.

Released June 2023

A checklist for tracking the accommodations a student receives for WIDA ACCESS Paper.

Released June 2023

A checklist for tracking the accommodations a student receives on WIDA ACCESS Online.

Released June 2023

Checklist for IEP teams to prepare for administering WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten.

Released June 2023

What should PreK educators consider as they adopt a language-focused approach to planning equitable learning opportunities for multilingual children? Use this Annotated Guide to explore guiding questions designed to help you use the Language-Focused Planning Tool.

Released June 2023

The WIDA Guiding Principles of Early Language Development provide practitioners with a broad perspective on key concepts related to the language development of young children learning multiple languages. To further clarify the guiding principles, these research highlights provide practitioners with research-based descriptions and examples of effective practices.

Released June 2023

The Administrator Supplement is a companion piece to the Implementation Guide. Whereas the Implementation Guide explores ways to apply the ELD Standards Framework into curriculum and instruction at the classroom level, this Administrator Supplement focuses on strategic and programmatic aspects of standards implementation. Its audiences are superintendents, principals, directors, coordinators, coaches and those with similar responsibilities and roles.

Released June 2023

This guide offers practical ways to apply the ELD Standards Framework into curriculum and instruction at the classroom level. Its primary audiences are content and language teachers, specialists, coaches and instructional leaders. This guide is accompanied by the Administrator Supplement that focuses on programmatic aspects of standards implementation.

Released June 2023

This guide provides a set of actions PreK-3 educators, administrators and staff can take to support a language-focused approach to family and community engagement, and teaching and learning practices.

Released June 2023

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

Released May 2023

The WIDA Early Language Development Standards, available for English and Spanish language development, are designed for use with children ages 2.5–5.5 years old and correspond to five domains of children’s development and learning: approaches to learning, language and communication development, cognition and general knowledge, physical well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development.

Released April 2023

Envíe este volante a los hogares con los estudiantes, junto con el Informe individual del estudiante de Alternate ACCESS. Este folleto provee información sobre cada aspecto de la puntuación incluida en el informe. Utilice esta guía en español para ayudar a los padres a comprender qué significan las puntuaciones y cómo se utilizan.

Released April 2023

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

Released April 2023

This report describes how different student ability restrictions may affect item characteristics in the ACCESS multistage adaptive testing, and presents options for item administration in field testing.

Released April 2023