About ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is a secure large-scale English language proficiency assessment administered to Kindergarten through 12th grade students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). It is given annually in WIDA Consortium member states to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is only available to Consortium member states.
In 2015-2016, the WIDA Consortium will begin administration of the new summative assessment from grades 1–12. An online assessment will replace the earlier paper-based assessment, ACCESS for ELLs, although a paper-based assessment will continue to be available according to each state's guidelines. For more information regarding a specific state’s guidelines, please visit the WIDA member states' pages. The Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessments will not change from previous years and remain paper-based.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Purpose and Use of ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
Helps students and families understand students’ current level of English language proficiency along the developmental continuum.
Serves as one of multiple measures used to determine whether students are prepared to exit English language support programs.
Generates information that assists in determining whether ELLs have attained the language proficiency needed to participate meaningfully in content area classrooms without program support.
Provides teachers with information they can subsequently use to enhance instruction and learning in programs for their English language learners.
Provides districts with information that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their ESL/bilingual programs.
Meets, and exceeds, federal requirements for the monitoring and reporting of ELLs' progress toward English language proficiency.
Features
The tasks on the new summative assessment will continue to assess the language students need to process or produce in various school contexts. Each assessment item and task will target at least one of the five WIDA ELD Standards:
Social and Instructional Language
Language of Language Arts
Language of Mathematics
Language of Science
Language of Social Studies
For detailed information on the test items and design, please see the WIDA Consortium Test and Item Design Plan for the Annual Summative and On-Demand Screener.
Sample Items
WIDA and project partners have created ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 sample items to show educators, students, parents/guardians, and the general public the test content and language demands that may be found on the actual ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test.
Link to Interactive Sample Items
User Guide ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Grades 1–12 Online Test Interactive Sample Items