ACCESS for ELLs^TM English Language

ACCESS for ELLs® stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English for English Language Learners. It is a large-scale test that first and foremost addresses the English language development standards that form the core of Wisconsin’s approach to instructing and testing English language learners. These standards incorporate a set of model performance indicators (PIs) that describe the expectations educators have of ELL students at five different grade level clusters and in five different content areas.

The ACCESS for ELLs® assessment assesses language proficiency and does not assess content area knowledge., unlike the former WAA-ELL which assessed a student's comprehension in the content area.

The grade level clusters include K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. There are five content areas of the standards. The first is called social and instructional language (SI), which incorporates proficiencies needed to deal with the general language of the classroom and the school. The others are English language arts (LA), mathematics (MA), science (SC), and social studies (SS).

For each grade cluster, then, the standards specify one or more performance indicators for each content area within each of the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The continuum of language development within the five proficiency levels are:

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
Entering	Beginning	Developing	Expanding	Bridging

These levels describe the spectrum of a learner’s progression from knowing little to no English to acquiring the English skills necessary to be successful in an English-only mainstream classroom without extra support. This final, exit stage for ELL status is designated Level 6 (formerly ELL). Level 7 is used for students who are native English speakers or who have never been designated as ELL. Within each combination of grade level, content area, and language domain, there is a PI at each of the five points on the proficiency ladder, and the sequence of these five PIs together describe a logical progression and accumulation of skills on the path to full proficiency.

The goal of the ACCESS for ELLs™ test is to allow students to demonstrate their level of language proficiency.

• Important Dates - 2007-08 ACCESS for ELLs^TM Administration
  
  
• ACCESS for ELLs^TM Training Opportunities
  
  
• WAPT English Language Screening Tool - WIDA-Access Placement Test^TM-Test Administrator Training
  Webcast with Powerpoint Presentation
  Webcast Power Point only

Contact Information by Topic

	Department of Public Instruction Brian Johnson (608) 267-1290 brian.johnson@dpi.wi.gov	WIDA (866) 276-7735	MetriTech (800) 747-4868
Before the test window	Creating an account (D2L, W-APT) Data field questions Forgotten password (W-APT) Professional development Who must take the ACCESS	Forgotten password (D2L) Professional development	Label information Ordering test materials
During the test window	Delivery of test materials What to do if a student moves	How to use the D2L site Questions about test constructs	How to order additional test booklets
After the test window	Interpreting test results Professional development	Interpreting test results	Incorrect data

For questions about this information, contact oeamail@dpi.wi.gov

Last updated on 2/26/2008 10:43:47 AM