1. Hawaii TAC Meeting WIDA Assessments
Karen Tohinaka
Assessment Section- Test Development Specialist

2. What is WIDA?
Consortium of 39 State, Territory, or Federal Educational entities
All sharing
Common ELD standards
Common ELD tests
Professional learning Services
Technical assistance services
Research services
A unit in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER)

3. English Learner National Policy/Requirements
Supporting English learners’ acquisition of English and access to rigorous academic content is a Constitutional Right
Lau v Nichols (1974) – ELs have a right to learn English and be provided access to content in a way they can understand
Castañeda v Pickard (1981) – EL programs must be a) based on sound theory, b) implemented effectively, and c) evaluated for effectiveness
English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards
Derived from the four recognized language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Align (correspond) to content standards

4. English Learner National Policy/Requirements
ELP Assessments
Provide an annual assessment of ELP for all ELs (K-12) in the state
Align to ELP standards
Provide multiple proficiency levels
Support the following purposes
Classify students as ELs
Monitor student progress
Establish English language proficiency
Support program improvement (accountability)

5. Steps in an English Learner’s Assessment Life
Home Language Survey
Identification
Classification
Progress
Proficiency
WIDA Screener
Identified as an
English Learner
ACCESS for ELLs
Alt ACCESS for ELLs
Potential
English Learner
English Learner making progress
Reclassified English Learner
Decisions

6. WIDA Standards Social Instructional Language Language of Language Arts
Language of Mathematics
Language of Science
Language of Social Studies

7. 4 Language Domains Listening Speaking Reading Writing
Process, understand, interpret and evaluate spoke language in a variety of situations
Speaking
Engage in oral communication in a variety of
situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Process, understand, interpret and evaluate written language, symbols and text with understanding and fluency
Reading
Writing
Engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences

8. WIDA’s Performance Definitions (i.e., ELP achievement standards)1 2 3 4 5 6
REACHING
ENTERING
BEGINNING
DEVELOPING
EXPANDING
BRIDGING
Linguistic Complexity: Extent of functional language (text or discourse)
Vocabulary Usage: Comprehension and use of the technical vocabulary of the content areas
Language Control: Comprehension and use of phonological, syntactic, and semantic structure & rules

9. ACCESS & Alternate (Alt) ACCESS
Purpose: meet state and federal requirements for the annual assessment of English learners to …
Identify the appropriate language instruction educational program (LIEP) placement
Determine if students are making acceptable progress in English language proficiency
Determine if students have attained sufficient English language proficiency to be reclassified
Support the evaluation of language instruction education program improvement

10. Tier A/BC Speaking & Writing Tests
ACCESS Assessment
Online - Adaptive Design
Paper Design
Listening Test
Listening
Tier A/BC
Speaking *
Tier A/BC
Tier A/BC Speaking & Writing Tests
Reading Test
Reading
Tier A/BC
Writing
Tier A/BC
* Locally scored

11. ACCESS & Alt ACCESS Technical Details
Reading and listening tests use dichotomous Rasch IRT model and the writing and speaking tests use a polytomous Rasch rating scale measurement model.
ACCESS is vertically and horizontally equated (approx. 1/3 of folders refreshed each year). Alt ACCESS is vertically equated and is a static form.
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is responsible for ACCESS 2.0 test development, construction and psychometrics.
The Data Recognition Corporation is responsible for production, distribution, scoring and reporting of assessments.
WIDA provides oversight and direction to CAL and DRC in the development, implementation of assessments.

12. Critical Elements for State Assessment Peer Review

13. Peer Review Submissions from WIDA Consortium Evidence
WIDA will be preparing submission evidence for the majority of:
Critical Elements likely addressed by coordinated evidence for all States administering the same assessments:
2.1Test Design and Development
2.2 Item Development
3.1 Overall Validity, Including Validity Based on Content
3.4 Validity Based on Relations to Other Variables
4.1 Reliability
4.7 Technical Analysis & Ongoing Maintenance
6.1 State Adoption of Achievement Standards
6.3 Challenging & Aligned Achievement Standards

14. Peer Review Submissions from WIDA/State (Cont.)
WIDA is also providing the consortium evidence which are hybrid (state & consortium) elements and required for:
Critical Elements likely addressed with State-specific evidence
1.2 Challenging Academic Content/ELP Standards
Critical Elements likely addressed by both State-specific evidence and coordinated evidence
2.3 Test Administration
2.5 Test Security
2.6 Systems For Protecting Data Integrity & Privacy
5.3 Accommodations
5.4 Monitoring Test Administration for Special Populations
6.4 Reporting

15. Peer Review Submissions - HIDOE
HIDOE will prepare submission evidence for:
Critical Elements likely addressed with State-specific evidence
1.1 State adoption of academic content standards/ELP standards
Memo: Annual Assessment for English Language Learners (ELLs): Adoption of the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) to Replace the Language Assessment Scales Links (LAS Links)
1.2 Challenging Academic Content/ ELP Standards
Alignment study between the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics and the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards, 2007 Edition, Pre Kindergarten through Grade 12
1.3 Required assessments
Memo Annual Assessment for ELL’s: SY Online Assessment-All Schools
1.4 Policies for including all students in assessments
Memo: Hawaii State Assessment Program, School year
1.5 Meaningful consultation
New requirement in ESSA, so does not apply to standards and assessments adopted prior to the passage of ESSA (December 2015)

16. 2.3 Test Administration
Memo: Access for English Language Learners (ELL) 2.0 Online Assessment Training
Documentation of Contents of Training
Sign in list of TA training participants
2.4 Monitoring Test Administration
Memo: English Learner Program School Self-Study and Status Report (Form EL-102) and Comprehensive English Learner Plan
Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), public schools must ensure that English Learner (EL) students participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs. Therefore, schools are required to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of programs and activities provided to help EL students attain English proficiency and student academic achievement standards.
Memo: English Learner/Title III Monitoring and Technical Assistance for School Year
Memo: Assessment Monitoring Site visits
Documentation and Reports of site monitoring visits
TAM
2.5 Test Security
Memo: Assessment Monitoring Site Visits
Refer to collections of submissions of Test Security Incident forms
Observations of Test Security during monitoring visits
2.6 Systems For Protecting Data Integrity & Privacy
Observe storage of Assessment materials
Security controls of student assessment data built into DRC systems
MOA

18. Questions?