September, 07, 2022
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WIDA AMS Upgrade at 4 p.m. on September 22, 2022.
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WIDA AMS Security Patch from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday on October 1-2, 2022.
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Updated Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs Online and Video Recordings (EL Status Manager & ISR) WIDA Screener Online have been posted to WIDA AMS. These system requirements are valid through June 29, 2023.
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WIDA AMS Test Setup Available for test sessions through the window dates listed below. To participate in WIDA Screener Online, students must be added to WIDA AMS and placed into test sessions. Add students and create test sessions independently, or add students to an existing test session.
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Screener Test Setup: June 30, 2022-June 29, 2023.
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WY ACCESS Test Setup: November 11, 2022-February 24, 2023.
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WY ACCESS Test Window: January 17, 2023-February 24, 2023.
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DRC Customer Service is available from 6 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday at 855-787-9615 or WIDA@datarecognitioncorp.com. Contact DRC with questions about testing material, Central Office Services (COS), and processing paper test materials.
- The WIDA Client Services Center is available from 6 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 6 a.m.-4 p.m., on Friday. Contact at help@wida.us or 866-276-7735. Contact WIDA with questions about WIDA Secure Portal user accounts, ACCESS for ELLs, WIDA Screener, MODEL, score reports, TA procedures, training, and certification, as well as Standards and Can Do Descriptors, and WIDA Early Years.
- Submit updated EL Coordinator contact information to the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) through this link.
- October WDE684 Fall Reporting Window: October 1–15, 2022.
- Districts will report students who met the ACCESS proficiency criteria in the 2021-22 school year as monitoring Year 1 in the 2022-23 school year.
Assessment Training Courses Open September 1, 2022
- Rollover of all WIDA Canvas Courses happened on September 1, 2022.
- If you completed Assessment Training courses prior to September 1 for the 2022-23 school year, your training completion dates are documented in your certification report.
- WIDA Screener Training is required annually and ACCESS for ELLs and ALT ACCESS for ELLs administration training is required every other year.
For more information about EL assessments, contact Cat Palmer, WDE Assessment Supervisor, at 307-777-6804 or catherine.palmer@wyo.gov.
Starting 2022-23 School Year
- The Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy (WY-SoBL) encourages students to pursue biliteracy, honors the skills our students attain, and can be evidence of skills that are attractive to future employers and college admissions offices. Students can earn the Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy and the Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy with Advanced Distinction.
- The 2022 Wyoming Legislature created WY-SoBL through Senate Enrolled Act 47 which required the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy for high school graduates who are proficient in English and one or more World Languages.
- Districts are responsible for reviewing the documents on the WDE WY-SoBL page to gain an understanding of the WY-SoBL process and requirements.
- Districts will identify an WY-SoBL District Coordinator and establish a district team composed of counselors, English Learner teachers, World Language teachers, etc. This team will plan the implementation and communication of the program to parents, teachers, and community members. The team will also plan for the administration of approved English and World Language Assessments and maintain records.
Interest Survey Due September 30, 2022
- Districts must notify WDE annually of their Intent to Participate in the WY-SoBL Program.
- Steps to implement the program and student qualifications can be found on the WY-SoBL page. Completing the online application is required for each high school student candidate.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.
ACCESS Student Level Reports
- Districts have access to the Assessment Confidential Portal through an individual unique password:
- Go to the WDE Page, edu.wyoming.gov.
- Under the Data Reports header, select District Data Reports.
- Sign in (you must have a WyED User account with the Assessment Confidential role).
- Along with student scores and demographics, the report contains three primary fields of interest for districts:
- “Long-term progress target” – this is the Composite Scale Score Target for the student’s end year. End year is defined as the year students have been projected to exit the Active EL Status with English proficiency.
- “Current year progress target” – this is the Composite Scale Score Target for the current school year.
- “Next year progress target” – this is the Composite Scale Score Target for the next school year.
- Data from the Confidential Assessment may be used to create or revise Individual English Learner Plans (IELPs). Scale score targets will inform goal creation.
- Further details and a fillable IELP can be found in the EL Guidebook.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.
September 22, 2022
- Edmodo.com, which includes the English Learner Edmodo group, will shut down permanently effective September 22, 2022.
- All accounts on Edmodo will be permanently deleted after the platform is fully shut down.
- Professional development opportunities that would have been added on the EL Edmodo may be integrated into the EL Monthly Newsletter.
Recording is Available September 9, 2022
- The EL Status Manager is an English Learner tool for districts.
- District Administrators and EL District Test Coordinators have access to the system.
- The system serves two purposes:
- To provide EL historical information within the state (student demographics and testing history).
- To submit an override application process for an active English Learner.
- An Active English Learner is a student who is identified as an English Learner through the identification process that includes a home language survey, follow-up parent/guardian interview, and a WIDA Screener Assessment.
- To acquire the EL Status Manager Guidance Video go to:
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The EL Webpage.
- The link will be included in the “Other Resources” section.
- Additional information on the EL Status Manager is available in the EL Guidebook.
September and October Opportunities
These webinars take place from Noon-1 p.m. and will prepare educators for the ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS assessment window. More information about each event can be found at the registration link.
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Welcome Back: What’s New in 2022.
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Pre-Testing: ACCESS for ELLs for New Test Administrators.
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Pre-Testing: ACCESS for ELLs for New District Test Coordinators.
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Pre-Testing: Ordering Materials in WIDA AMS.
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Pre-Testing: Software Updates and Tech Readiness Checklist.
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Pre-Testing: Technology Installations Part 1.
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Pre-Testing: Technology Installations Part 2.
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Pre-Testing: Test Scheduling - ACCESS.
Reminders and Tips for Comprehensive Services
- Monitoring/Ongoing Monitoring.
- LEAs should establish rigorous monitoring systems to take appropriate steps to support students who are not adequately progressing toward those goals and students who have exited English Learner (EL) services.
- Districts must be aware of the students who met the ELP exit criteria and are required to monitor the academic performance of former ELs after having exited EL services.
- The end and/or beginning of the school year is an ideal time for leaders of EL programs to assess instructional goals with a focus on improving outcomes for ELs.
- Revisit plans for the school year considering student needs, assessment and program data, teacher feedback, and planning professional development for the upcoming year
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September 1-August 31: WIDA’s Self-Paced Virtual Workshops Available.
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September 22: Fall Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.
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September 28-30: WIDA Annual Conference 2022.
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October 18, 25: Language Specialists - Engaging Multilingual Newcomers Webinar.
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October 25-26: Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades Workshop (In-Person/Location TBD).
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October 28: Collaboration Practices and Potentialities Workshop (In-Person/ Location TBD).
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November 1: Language Specialists - Engaging Multilingual Newcomers Webinar.
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November 8: ACCESS for ELLS Technology Coordinator Support for Test Administrators Webinar.
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November 15: Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs for New Test Administrators Webinar.
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November 17: ACCESS Online - Managing Students in WIDA AMS Webinar.
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November 22: ALT-ACCESS for ELLS for New Test Administrators Webinar.
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November 29: ACCESS for ELLs Online Test Administrator Training.
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November 30: ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator Training.
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December 1, 8, 15: Attending to Equity Through Bilingual Instruction Webinar.
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December 6: ACCESS Online - Managing Test Sessions Webinar.
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December 8: ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS/K-ACCESS - Managing Paper Test Materials Webinar.
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December 13: ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS/K-ACCESS - Managing Students in WIDA AMS Webinar.
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December 15: Winter Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.
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January 10, 17: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework Webinar.
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January 17-February 24: ACCESS & ALT-ACCESS Assessment Window.
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February 7: ALT-ACCESS Field Test Materials Arrive in Districts.
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February 14-April 20: ALT-ACCESS Field Test Assessment Window.
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March 15: Teacher Leaders - Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework Webinar.
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March 16: Spring Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.
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March 22: Teacher Leaders - Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework Workshop (In-Person/Location TBD).
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May 9: ACCESS for ELLs Interpreting Score Reports Webinar.
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May 11: WIDA Screener for Kindergarten Webinar.
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May 18: Summer Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.
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August 15: WIDA Screener for Kindergarten Webinar.
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August 17: WIDA Screener Online Webinar.
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August 31: Deadline to Complete WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops.
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