We are excited to announce an important update regarding our website URL. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve functionality and increase internet security, we are changing our current URL from k12.wa.us to ospi.k12.wa.us. Read more about this change and its impact.
Join us Mondays at noon for Lunch with Leslie Zoom meetings, to discuss WIDA assessments and the testing processes. This is an opportunity for district staff involved with ELP assessments to collaborate and share information.
There will be no Lunch with Leslie on Monday, October 16th, November 20th and December 4th
Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to assess the English language proficiency of students receiving English language development (ELD) services at school. Washington state uses the WIDA consortium assessments to measure English proficiency for these students. WIDA assessments are based on WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. Washington state began administering the WIDA ACCESS as the annual assessment in the 2021-22 school year.
For additional information regarding the WIDA consortium please visit the consortium's website.
OSPI has created a WIDA Quick Start Guide to help districts better understand WIDA systems and assessments.
January 29 to March 22, 2024
The WIDA ACCESS assessment is an online annual assessment given to all students who qualify for English language development (ELD) services. The annual assessment measures students' English language proficiency, both knowledge and skills, in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Results from this test determine which students remain eligible to continue receiving ELD services.
The WIDA Screener is used to determine initial eligibility for ELD services. Like the WIDA ACCESS assessment, this is an online assessment that measures proficiency in the four language domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This test is typically administered to potential English learners upon initial enrollment in a Washington school.
The WIDA Kindergarten Screener is a paper-based assessment used to determine initial eligibility for ELD services for incoming kindergarten students. This test measures a student's English language proficiency across the four language domains for reading, speaking, writing, and listening. This test is typically administered to potential English learners upon initial enrollment in a Washington school.
The Alternate ACCESS is a paper-based annual assessment of English language proficiency for multilingual students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. IEP teams decide if ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS is the appropriate assessment path for a student. This assessment measures the four language domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students who are eligible for this test sit for the test annually.