WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is the District of Columbia's annual assessment of English proficiency. Students that qualify for ELL services are assessed in the four domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through an English language screener proficiency test to determine their level of English proficiency. Students who score from Level 1 to Level 5.0 on the screener test are eligible for services and will participate in the annual language proficiency test, ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners), each spring until they score an English Language proficiency level of 5, which indicates the student is proficient in English.

To learn more about WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 and resources available to educators and families, please explore the resources below.

Test Design

The WIDA assessment is administered online and includes four domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Additional information can be found on resources to support multilingual leaners page on the WIDA site.

Practice Tests and Tutorials

• WIDA ACCESS for ELLS 2.0 website
• ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Online
• ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Paper
• Preparing Students for ACCESS for ELLs 2.0

Accessibility for All Students

OSSE is committed to providing equitable assessment opportunities for students in the District of Columbia. For details about how the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs supports accessibility, please read the Accessibility and Accommodations Supplement on the WIDA website. More information can be found on OSSE’s Testing Accommodations page.

• WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Coordinator & Test Administrator Checklist
• WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Supplement
• ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Student ELP Accommodations Selections Checklist

OSSE Guidance Documents

• OSSE Home Language Survey
• OSSE Approved English Language Proficiency Assessments

Training Information

OSSE requires that new Test Coordinators and Test Administrators complete all trainings related to their role(s) and the test(s) they will administer. OSSE also recommends that Test Coordinators become familiar with all technology requirements two to four weeks prior to test administration.

• Test Administrator Manual
• District and School Test Coordinator Manual
• WIDA AMS User Guide
• ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator Overview Training Packet
• ACCESS for ELLs Test Administrator Overview Training Packet
• ACCESS for ELLs Training Grades 1-12
• WIDA AMS User Guide Supplement: Data Validation
• Site Technology Readiness Checklist for Deploying WIDA Online Assessments
• Interpretive Guide for Score Reports Grades K-12

Resources for Parents

• Parent Guide to Individual Student Report, Grades K-12
• Parent Handouts for ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
• Parents Handouts for Alternate ACCESS for ELL

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