Redesigned Kindergarten ACCESS
Is Coming in 2025-26
The Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs is going through a multi-year project to transform the assessment so that it incorporates the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. The redesigned Kindergarten ACCESS will be ready for the 2025-26 ACCESS testing year. It will still be individually administered to students in an interactive, paper-based format. The redesigned assessment will feature
- A single, brand-new storyline (farewell, Erika the giraffe. Parting is such sweet sorrow)
- Streamlined design with fewer cards and materials
- New test item types that reflect classroom practices
- Revised expectations for test items based on the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
- Revised scoring protocols and rubrics for Speaking and Writing tasks
- A revamped training course for test administrators
In 2025 WIDA will be running The Kindergarten ACCESS Field Test. It is a one-time, paper-based test that participating test administrators will give in addition to the Kindergarten ACCESS test that they administer each year. All participating sites will receive an honorarium.
The field test is voluntary, so WIDA will select participating sites from those that apply. We need 2,000 multilingual learners in kindergarten and 2,000 multilingual learners in first grade to participate. Kindergarten students are essential, but first graders are super important to the kindergarten field test! They are looking for a mixture of rural, suburban, and urban sites with a range of student backgrounds, so everyone is encouraged to apply to participate.
Field test recruitment starts on Tuesday, July 23! Go here on that date to apply to participate. Use the next month to tell your school/district leadership that you want to apply to participate in the field test.
Tan Huynh describes how to scaffold exams and reports so they can be equitable tools to assess what students have learned.
