ELP Assessment Update [July 28, 2022]
We have arrived. The ELP screening window opens on Monday, August 1. We are eager to support you through screener testing and to that end have brought some additional information together to answer some questions we have received. Thank you all for the work you do in support of equity and access in our schools.
To accommodate the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, OSPI adopted and implemented temporary policies to support schools and students through the changing situation on the ground. One of those policies included provisional status for multilingual students who could not be screened. With the return to pre-pandemic operating procedures in the 2022-23 school year, provisional status will no longer be an option for potentially eligible multilingual learners. Whether students attend brick-and-mortar schools or online schools, students who are potentially eligible for ELD services must screen using the WIDA Screener.
While families can opt out of some state assessments, the WIDA Screener determines a student’s eligibility for services required under the civil rights umbrella. This test cannot be waived, and families cannot opt their students out of screening.
Provisional Status is an appropriate designation for transitional kindergarten students whose Home Language Survey indicates that they are potentially eligible for services. Transitional kindergarten students cannot complete screening until May of their Transitional kindergarten year, so provisional status is appropriate for this group of students only. For information on reporting provisional status, please see page 12 of the Student Data Reporting Expectations for Non-ALE-Funded Remote and Hybrid Instructional Models.
With the change in policy for Kindergarten screening comes a change to how results are reported for these students. The new policy states that kindergarten students entering school before December 31 will test only on the Listening and Speaking domains. There are four relevant elements in reporting these screener scores in CEDARS. Please report results as described below:
J18 Placement Test Code
Select: 10 WIDA Screener (in Washington Public Schools)
J20: Placement Test Score
Each of the scored domains receive a score between 1 and 6. For kindergarten students who do not text on reading and writing, enter a zero (0). Report these domain scores as a 4- digit number in the following order: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing
Example:
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WIDA Domain Scores
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J20 – Placement Score
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Listening
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Reading
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Speaking
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Writing
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3020
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3
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0
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2
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0
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J21– Placement Status & Appendix N – English Learners Placement Status
As with all WIDA Screener assessments, only Status 5 or 6 should be used in Element J21. Use Status 5 to indicate that a student tested and qualified for ELD services or Status 6 to indicate a student tested but did not qualify for ELD services.
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Status 0
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Status 1
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Status 2
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Status 3
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Status 4
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Status 5
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Status 6
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WIDA
Screener
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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Tested and Qualified
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Tested but did not Qualify
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J23 – Overall Placement Test Score
Element J23 will collect the Oral Language composite score that kindergarten students earn when testing prior to December 31.
The Accessibility and Accommodations Manual and related resources for accessibility have been posted to the WIDA website and SEA Secure Portal.
OSPI is bringing back Lunch with Leslie for the 2022-23 school year. This is an opportunity on Mondays at noon for districts to hear updates from OSPI, ask questions about WIDA assessments, or find out how other districts are approaching testing processes. This is a casual opportunity for collaboration and information sharing and any district staff involved with ELP assessments is welcome to attend.
Ordering Kindergarten Screener Materials
The WIDA Store has developed a new process for ordering materials for Kindergarten Screener. Only district level staff can order materials for WIDA Kindergarten Screener. The new process is outlined below.
- Districts will place their order directly online through the WIDA Store.
- Kindergarten Screener items are located under the MODEL/Screener Assessment heading in the green Shop Products bar
- Answer "no" to the tax exempt question.
- Select "Purchase Order" as the payment method at checkout and submit the order. This is essentially a quote. Districts won't be sending a PO.
- Districts will receive an order confirmation email.
- Districts must forward the order confirmation email to ELPAssessments@k12.wa.us for approval.
- The state will forward the order confirmation to the WIDA Store upon approval. OSPI will review orders on Tuesdays each week through August and September and then monthly through June.
- The WIDA store will process the order and send the invoice to OSPI.
WIDA: Grades 1-3 Screener Writing Booklets (Repeat)
The WIDA screener requires students in grades 1 through 3 to complete the writing test on paper. WIDA provides guidance that districts print the booklets they need as these test materials are unavailable for purchase. In order to minimize the printing burden on districts, OSPI will be printing and shipping writing booklets for these grades.
If you have questions about any of the content in this communication or WIDA assessments more generally, please don't hesitate to reach out.
ELPAssessments@k12.wa.us: OSPI shared inbox (State-level WIDA questions)
wida@datarecognitioncorp.com: DRC Customer Service (WIDA AMS questions)
Help@wida.us: WIDA Client Services (WIDA Secure Portal questions)
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