ASSESSMENTS

WIDA Screener: 

As a member of the WIDA Consortium, the Minnesota Department of Education uses WIDA language proficiency assessments to determine if a student should be classified as an ELL.  Kindergarten students are assessed using the Kindergarten WIDA Screener and students in grades 1 through 8 are assessed using the WIDA Screener.  

The WIDA Screener determine English Learner (EL) eligibility and provide a preliminary measure of a student’s English language proficiency in the four domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing based on the model performance indicators of WIDA's five English Language Development (ELD) standards:

•         Social and instructional language.

•         The language needed for success in the content area of Language Arts.

•         The language needed for success in the content area of Mathematics.

•         The language needed for success in the content area of Science.

•         The language needed for success in the content area of Social Studies.

WIDA ACCESS 2.0: 

As a member of the WIDA Consortium, the Minnesota Department of Education uses WIDA language proficiency assessments to monitor English Language Learners language development and proficiency. 

All EL students take the annual WIDA ACCESS 2.0 proficiency assessment in February. This assessment provides information on the students proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking with the English language. 

EXIT CRITERIA: 

Districts must wait until ACCESS test scores are available before beginning the exiting process. If a student’s ACCESS composite score is at least 4.5 and ALL four domain scores are at least 3.5, the student must be exited from the EL Program.

If a student’s ACCESS composite score is at least 4.5 but one domain score is below 3.5, the district must use Additional EL Exit Criteria to determine if a student should be exited from the EL Program or kept in the program for additional instruction.

If a student has not met the ACCESS proficiency score, the student must continue to receive instruction in the EL Program and may not exit.