comment 4

Read and comment on at least 2 of your colleagues’ discussion posts (at least 150 words each). Comments should be positive and professional. Make sure to review the Forum Rubric to ensure full points.

1. Thomas Woolford

Hi everyone,

The assessment tool that I chose to take a closer look at is the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment). In Florida, this is the primary tool for placement. WIDA ACCESS is the standardized metric used to comply with federal law ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) and determines if students are ready to exit support services. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015.

The greatest strength of the WIDA ACCESS suite is that it provides a standardized framework for understanding what a student can do across four distinct domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It supports student success by moving beyond a simple “pass/fail” metric. For example, teachers can use the “Individual Student Report” to analyze a student’s “Confidence Bands,” which show the range where a student’s score is likely to fall. This data allows educators to utilize “Can Do Descriptors” to tailor instruction to the specific proficiency level of the student. In my view, this is critical because it shifts the focus from what the student lacks to what the student can achieve with the right scaffolds.

Relying solely on WIDA for placement presents significant challenges regarding validity. The text in Module 4 explicitly notes that these scores “do not measure academic content knowledgethey only show English language proficiency”. A major challenge is that a student might be cognitively advanced in Science or Math but tests poorly due to the language barrier, leading to placement in remedial courses that do not challenge them intellectually.

Furthermore, “Composite Scores” can be misleading. As the reading warns, combining reading and writing into a single literacy score “can mask strengths/weaknesses”. A concrete example of this would be a student who has excellent listening comprehension (Level 5) but struggles significantly with writing (Level 2). If a teacher looks only at the overall composite score, they might remove necessary writing supports too early.

Ultimately, while WIDA provides necessary accountability, it is only a “snapshot”. To ensure a truly valid assessment of a student’s placement, I believe we must pair these formal scores with the “informal assessments” discussed in the Module 4, such as “observations and anecdotal records,” which capture the student’s ability to use language in authentic social contexts. A portfolio of student works is a valid measure of assessment.

2 Lena Alabed

An ESOL assessment that stands out with me is the WIDA ACCESS assessment. This assessment is used to determine English language proficiency skills. This assessment evaluates listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of students. This helps teachers determine where their students are in their language development. This WIDA assessment gives a quantified measure that monitors growth over time. This helps the school set up a successful plan to continue the language development support each individual student needs. Whether an English language learner is a level 1 or a level 4, there are measures that can be put in place to support everyone. As a math teacher, this helps me provide scaffolding, visuals, and support to support their language barrier. Realizing that difficulty in a math class can be a language barrier issue, rather than content, is important to note.

Another benefit of WIDA ACCESS is that it provides reports to teachers to help them provide support for a student. The detailed report has a Can do within each report. For example, a level 1 English Language learner might be able to explain a math problem using visuals, while a more advanced student can apply the vocabulary that supports the math problem. This gives teachers an insight into being able to provide differentiation within the classroom for all learners.

The downside of WIDA ACCESS is the assessment portion of it. Standardized tests typically do not capture a students full capability. Whether its academic knowledge or language proficiency. I have students who excel in class but struggle with assessments.

ACCESS should not be the only resource to determine a students language proficiency. Other assessments can be used like observations and performance tasks. As a teacher, I can assess how a student conversates in group discussions about a math problem. Overall, WIDA ACCESS is a useful tool, but I believe a combination of classroom assessment with it will provide the best support for ELLs.