Upcoming WIDA ACCESS Test

Dear Parent or Guardian,

You are receiving this newsletter because your child has been identified by the Novi Community School District as an English Learner and will soon take the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0.

Please read through this newsletter to learn more about the WIDA ACCESS 2.0 assessment.

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is an English language proficiency assessment for Grades K–12. The test is administered every year to help school districts monitor the English language development of students identified as English language learners.

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 measures students’ abilities to understand and produce English used within school settings. The four sections of the test are Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

Your child is identified by the Novi Community School District or by another district in the state of Michigan as an English language learner during enrollment.

The Michigan Department of Education requires all students who are identified as English Learners to take the WIDA ACCESS assessment every year until his/her scores meet the criteria to exit the language support program. Scores from the WIDA ACCESS assessments are used to determine eligibility for exit from the English Language Development (ESL) program.

The Novi Community School District must administer the WIDA ACCESS test to all English Learners following the guidelines provided to us by the Michigan Department of Education. The Novi Community School District will plan to test all English Learners enrolled in our program, even in cases in which parents do not want their child to take this test. Please contact your child's English Language Development (ESL) teacher with questions or concerns or if you believe your child was incorrectly identified as an English Learner.

Your child will take the WIDA ACCESS assessment between February 3rd and March 20th. Each building in the Novi Community School District schedules their testing days during this timeframe. Please contact your child's English Language Development (ESL) teacher for more details.

Scores from ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 can be used in many ways. Parents can use the scores to advocate for their child. Teachers use the scores to plan instruction and assessments. The Novi Community School District uses the scores to evaluate their language support programs, to monitor student progress in acquiring English, and to determine if a student is eligible to exit an English language support program. Scores are also used to meet federal and state accountability requirements.

The WIDA ACCESS 2.0 for ELLs and WIDA Alternate scores are sent to districts each year in July. We will be sending out communication about test scores in as the school year begins again in September.

Accommodations will be provided to students based on their IEP or 504 plans. For specific information, please contact your building's English Language Development (ESL) teacher.

Students in Kindergarten take a paper format of the test which engages students

with cards, books, and grade-appropriate test items. Students at this grade level take the test individually with a test administrator.

Your child does not need to study for this test, and instead can focus on showing their language abilities in English. Our English Language Development (ESL) teachers use videos of the online test, practice tests, and discussions to explain to students what they can expect when they take the assessment.

If you would like to see these resources with your child, please take a look at the following public test resources:

• The Test Demo is a series of videos that explain how students will take the online test and interact with the test platform.
• The Sample Items provide students, parents, and educators with a better understanding of the ACCESS for ELLs Online assessment that is based on the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards. These are not items that will appear on the test, but they provide an example of the items that students will see on the test. Please click the on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 button. To access and view the Sample Items, a Chrome browser must be used.
• The Test Practice items are designed to allow students to experience taking the assessment online and to experiment with the features available to them during the actual assessment. The above link provides access to the Test Practice items for ACCESS for ELLs Online and WIDA Screener Online. Please click the on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 button To access and view the Test Practice Items, a Chrome browser must be used.

If you have any questions not found in this newsletter, please contact your child's English Language Development (ESL) teacher or Mrs. Adva Ringle, the Supervisor of the English Language Program for the Novi Community School District. We are happy to hear from you and assist you in any way we can.