New Resources Available

The WIDA Standards team announced the release of the Illustrated WIDA Guiding Principles of Language Development, a booklet that brings each of the 10 principles to life. This resource can be used by educators with parents, families, and community members, to facilitate conversations around these foundational beliefs about the assets multilingual children and youth bring to their classrooms and communities. Also available is the illustrated Guiding Principles of Language Development.

For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.

3 p.m. MST on December 1, 2020 

This training provides Test Coordinators an overview of how to administer online ACT testing. Participants will understand site readiness procedures and technical requirements.

For more information, contact Michelle Carroll, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-3618 or michelle.carroll@wyo.gov.

Register by November 24, 2020

This three-part webinar series was created from WIDA’s two-day Scaffolding Learning through Language face-to-face workshop and has been adapted and condensed for online delivery.

The three-part webinar series provides educators with a fresh look at how to engage multilingual learners in rigorous content area learning with a balance of challenge and support. The purpose of the webinar series is to encourage educators to consider a dynamic set of classroom practices that support multilingual learners as they move toward increasing independence and expertise in grade-level content. Participants will explore how rigorous, well-sequenced curriculum within the content of meaningful experiences contributes to rich classroom interactions that mediate learning. Topics include: a) valuing students' resources for learning; b) developing a strong community of learners; and c) engaging students in a rigorous curriculum. 

Upon completion of the webinar series, participants will be able to:

• Develop an understanding of scaffolding practices based on prior knowledge, new learning, and shared experience.
• Build awareness of macro-and micro-scaffolding practices that apprentice students into language use for content area learning. 
• Consider how students’ resources can support collaborative learning. 
• Recognize the importance of establishing a collaborative community of learners that moves forward and upward together.
• Examine ways to engage students in exploring language use for content learning. 

For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.

Register by November 30, 2020

This eWorkshop is a series of live webinars and associated tasks to be completed between webinars. The entire webinar series and tasks will take approximately 6 hours. Using the latest research regarding newcomer multilingual learners’ success in schools, this eWorkshop will focus on how language specialists can build a network of educators in their buildings to support newcomer students in their schools. 

Upon completion of the eWorkshop, participants will be able to:

• Respond to the social and emotional needs of multilingual newcomers.
• Implement instructional strategies that will benefit multilingual newcomers. 
• Build collegial relationships and implement systems that will assist multilingual newcomers.

The three live webinars will not exceed 90 minutes each. Webinars will not be recorded. Alternate tasks will be available for participants not able to attend. All materials and the webinar platform will be housed in the WIDA eLearning Center, which can be accessed by participants with a WIDA Secure Portal login.

For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.

WIDA has updated the content included in the Facilitator Toolkit for LEAs to use in local training for ACCESS for ELLs and WIDA Screener. These PowerPoint slides include the most commonly requested assessment training slides, and can be easily integrated into presentations to support local training. The following sets of slides are available to download in the WIDA Secure Portal, by navigating to the Facilitator Toolkit Training Materials tile:

• ACCESS Online Test Administrator Training. 
• ACCESS Paper Test Administrator Training.
• ACCESS Test Coordinator Training.
• Alternate ACCESS Training.
• Kindergarten ACCESS Training. 
• Screener Online Training. 
• Screener Paper Training.

For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.

November 23, 2020 - Orders due for ACCESS For ELLs and ALT ACCESS

A materials order must be placed for ACCESS for ELLs or ALT ACCESS for both testing modes, online or paper, through DRC using WIDA AMS. Building Test Coordinators / District Test Coordinators should follow the test materials ordering procedures outlined in the WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA AMS) User Guide. All orders must be placed by November 23 in order for schools or districts to receive materials during the shipment window. Pre-ID labels will be included in the initial materials shipment regardless of materials ordered.

Steps for Ordering Materials:

1. Log in to WIDA AMS. 
2. Click Materials > Materials Ordering. 
3. Choose the administration WY ACCESS for ELLs 2020-2021.
4. Click Show Materials.

View the Ordering Materials tutorial in the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs training course. Participants may access the training course on the WIDA Secure Portal by logging in at the top right corner of the homepage. Once logged in, participants can select the appropriate training course.

First, a huge thank you to schools selected for 2021 NAEP in Wyoming earlier this fall for your timely registrations for the upcoming NAEP at your school. NAEP simply doesn’t happen without your diligence and timely action, so thank you as always for your efforts and support. As highlighted in this year’s NAEP notifications to schools and districts, NAEP assessment dates will be set differently this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mark your calendar and be advised that building coordinators will receive an email on December 7, 2020 from the NAEP home office asking them to access a website and select three to six preferred dates for their school, specifically within an assigned two-week period during NAEP’s January 25-March 19, 2021 assessment window. Building coordinators will have between December 7-16 (6 PM MST) to indicate their preferred dates.

In picking preferred dates, building coordinators should consult with their principal and school staff, consider the current school’s event calendars, and attendance schedules for students selected for 2021 NAEP testing. The list of students selected for the 2021 NAEP assessment will be available via the MyNAEP online platform beginning on December 7.

Once date preferences are provided, a scheduling system algorithm will assign assessment dates, NAEP field staff for Wyoming will review dates for reasonableness, and building coordinators will receive an email with their assigned assessment date(s) on January 4, 2021. Schools should contact the Wyoming’s NAEP State Coordinator, Will Donkersgoed at william.donkersgoed@wyo.gov if there is a conflict with the assigned date(s).

Date changes will be pursued if the students are not in school on a scheduled assessment date (e.g., due to a teacher workday, field trip). Following the assessment window opening on January 25, date changes will be pursued due to inclement weather, in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, etc. Again, contact Will with any school assessment date questions.