English Learner Assessments

  • State and federal laws require that all identified EL students are assessed annually to measure their English language proficiency and progress in learning English in the four domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

    Hmong College Prep Academy, English Language Learners Department uses WIDA Assessments to assess all identified English Language Learners using the WIDA Screener and the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test.  The WIDA Screener is used in the initial EL identification, whereas the ACCESS for ELLs is administered annually to assess the English language proficiency and to monitor EL students’ language growth. Both tests are available as either a paper-based or online assessment.

    Minn. Statutes, section 124D.58 TO 124D.65

    PL 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Section 3113 (b) (3) (D)

Kindergartener WIDA Screener

  • Starting 2021, the Kindergarten WIDA Screener will replace the current K-WAPT Test. The Kindergarten WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency test given to incoming kindergarteners who may be identified as English learners.

    Each form of the test assesses the four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Per federal guidelines, students new to the district with a primary or home language other than English must be screened and placed within 30 days from the beginning of the school year. Throughout the remainder of the school year, this screening and placement determination must happen within two weeks of the student's enrollment. 

    The Kindergarten WIDA Screener is an indicator of a student's language proficiency level (1 through 6) on the WIDA continuum and helps determine appropriate levels and amounts of instructional services. 

    Purpose and Use

    The Kindergarten WIDA Screener is designed to be used as:

    • One of several criteria to determine eligibility for language support services
    • An indicator of a student's language proficiency level (1 through 6) on the WIDA continuum
    • An aid for determining appropriate levels and amounts of instructional services
    • A guide for tier placement on the ACCESS for ELLs annual assessment 

WIDA Screener

  • As of September 2017, the WIDA Screener will replace the current W-APT Test. The WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency test given to incoming students who may be identified as English learners.

    Each form of the test assesses the four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Per federal guidelines, students new to the district with a primary or home language other than English must be screened and placed within 30 days from the beginning of the school year. Throughout the remainder of the school year, this screening and placement determination must happen within two weeks of the student's enrollment. 

    The WIDA Screener is an indicator of a student's language proficiency level (1 through 6) on the WIDA continuum and helps determine appropriate levels and amounts of instructional services. 

    The WIDA Screener is available as either a paper-based or online assessment. Both WIDA Screener Paper and WIDA Screener Online assess the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. 

    Purpose and Use

    The WIDA Screener is designed to be used as:

    • One of several criteria to determine eligibility for language support services
    • An indicator of a student's language proficiency level (1 through 6) on the WIDA continuum
    • An aid for determining appropriate levels and amounts of instructional services
    • A guide for tier placement on the ACCESS for ELLs annual assessment 

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0

  • ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is an English language proficiency assessment administered annually to all students identified as English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades K-12. This test measures a student’s progress in acquiring academic English.

    • ACCESS for ELLs, Kindergarten is paper-based
    • ACCESS for ELLs, grades 1-12 is computer-based (paper-based test is available as an accommodation for EL students with disabilities OR as a support for new-to-country (in US schools less than one year) and ELs  with an English proficiency level of 2.
    • Alternate ACCESS, grades 1-12 (for students with significant cognitive disabilities) is 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.

    The results are reported as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 under Title I.

    ACCESS for ELLs test items are written from the model performance indicators of WIDA’s five English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards: Social and Instructional Language and language of Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Test forms are divided into five grade-level clusters: Kindergarten, 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12. ACCESS 2.0 is an adaptive test: Based on students’ performance on previous items, the test engine will determine appropriate next items for individual students. Students’ performance on Listening and Reading determines their placement in Speaking and Writing.

    Purposes 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.

    ACCESS for ELLs Assessment meets and exceeds federal requirements for the monitoring and reporting of ELLs' progress toward English language proficiency.