ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) is the collective name for WIDA's suite of summative English language proficiency assessments. ACCESS is taken annually by English language learners in Kindergarten through Grade 12 in WIDA Consortium member states.
WIDA provides many training resources to help educators prepare for ACCESS for ELLs.
It is important for your students to understand, in age-appropriate ways, why they are taking this test. They also benefit from participating in conversations about their own language development, education, and their own ideas about how they can perform their best on the test.
Some essential information to share with colleagues, students, and families:
The test provides information about students’ English language abilities in school. Educators use this information to make decisions about students’ education.
ACCESS measures what students know and can do in English in the domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Students do not need to study for the test but rather, focus on demonstrating their language abilities.