Alternate ACCESS for ELLs™ Assessment

A variety of academic content assessments are available for use with English language learners (ELLs) with significant disabilities, yet there are no alternate English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for ELL students with significant disabilities.

Consequently, this project advances theory, knowledge, and practice in the fields of assessment and instructional programs for ELLs with significant disabilities.

We anticipate that the development and use of alternate ELP assessments for ELLs in the beginning stages of English language acquisition will prove to be a valid, reliable, and equitable way to assess the English language proficiency of ELLs with significant disabilities.

The Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), on behalf of the 20-state World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium, is developing and will implement a feasible, accessible, valid, and efficient standards-based English language proficiency (ELP) alternate assessment that yields technically sound results and facilitates the inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) with significant disabilities in educational accountability systems across the WIDA Consortium.

This performance-based alternate assessment system complements and parallels the University of Wisconsin – Madison and WIDA’s evidence-based collection alternate ELP approach that is currently being field-tested within WIDA Consortium states.