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Rockwood School District

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WIDA

Quick Facts

  • Grades K-12 potential and identified English Learners
  • Assesses the English language proficiency of students identified as English Learners
  • Testing upon entry to Rockwood or as needed
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As part of federal requirements, districts are required to identify incoming students who qualify as English Learners (EL). We use WIDA Screener for this purpose. The WIDA Screener is given to new English Language Learner students in our district to identify and place them when they enter the district. Current ELL students in Rockwood take the WIDA Access assessment to aid in their placement, progress monitoring, and achievement monitoring.

Districts also must annually assess the English language proficiency of students identified as English Learners. We use ACCESS 2.0 for this purpose. WIDA ACCESS meets U.S. federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for monitoring and reporting ELs' progress toward English language proficiency. It tests students' language in the four domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing.

WIDA scores help students and parents to understand student progress towards English Language acquisition. They also provide ESOL and classroom teachers with the tools to support each EL student on their language acquisition journey.

More About Each Assessment

WIDA Screener

  • Kindergarteners and 1st semester first graders take the paper-and-pencil WIDA Kindergarten Screener.
  • 2nd semester first graders thru 3rd graders take the WIDA Screener online and the writing portion is administered with paper and pencil.
  • 4th graders to 12th graders take the WIDA Screener online.
  • The Coordinator for World Languages and ESOL sets up screeners in cooperation with ESOL staff.

WIDA ACCESS

  • All ELs identified and receiving services take the test annually.
  • The Kindergarten test is taken with paper and pencil.
  • 1st thru 3rd grade is online except for writing, which is taken with paper and and pencil.
  • 4th grade thru 12th grade take the test online.

Understanding the Results

Rockwood students participating in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program take an English Language Proficiency Assessment called WIDA ACCESS 2.0. All students in the ESOL program from 1st grade to 12th grade must take this exam by state and federal law. All kindergarten students, whether they are in the ESOL program or not, are given the WIDA ACCESS 2.0.

This exam is designed to provide feedback on student acquisition of the English Language. This test along with classroom grades, classroom observations, and assessments (STAR, MAP, etc.) provides ESOL teachers and other educators with valuable information about student progress. Each piece of information helps your child's ESOL teacher determine: the level and intensity of services, domains to focus on in instructional time, and whether or not a student is eligible to exit the ESOL program.

The report includes a variety of information:

  • Proficiency Level for each language domain on a scale of 1 to 6.
    1. Entering: Minimal Social and Academic Language with visual and graphic support.
    2. Emerging: Knows and uses some social English and general academic language with visual and graphic support.
    3. Developing: Knows and uses social English and some academic language with visual and graphic support.
    4. Expanding: Knows and uses social English and some technical academic language.
    5. Bridging: Knows and uses social and academic language when working with grade-level materials.
    6. Reaching: Knows and uses social and academic language and the highest level measured by this test.
  • Scale score for each language domain on a scale from 100 to 600.
  • Descriptions of student strengths in the domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

Please note that the enclosed report is for your information only. The results of this assessment are not included in your child's grade or evaluation.If you have any questions about the results, or if you need additional information on your child's English language proficiency, please contact your child's ESOL teacher or the World Language and ESOL Content Facilitator.