The WIDA Screener assessment is used in grades K-12 with any potential multilingual learners to measure their English language proficiency (ELP) and determine eligibility for Multilingual Learner (ML) services . The WIDA Screener is used in the following situations.

• Students enrolling in Fairfax County Public Schools with a home language other than, or in addition to, English are assessed with a WIDA Screener to identify if they are eligible for ML services. This assessment provides an initial English language proficiency level.
• Students identified as multilingual learners are assessed if they do not have a current WIDA ACCESS test or another state-approved annual ELP assessment. This assessment shows a student’s progress in learning English and provides teachers with updated information to plan instruction.

WIDA ACCESS is the annual English language proficiency assessment for students in grades K–12, as required by federal law. Most students participate in the standard ACCESS assessment. 

Students with a significant cognitive disability take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS, which is designed to align more closely with their learning needs. 

In rare situations, students with specific hearing or visual impairments may use the Virginia English Language Proficiency Checklist if they can meaningfully complete only one domain of the WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS, even with allowable accommodations. The checklist is used only to document English language proficiency when a WIDA assessment cannot be administered to provide an overall proficiency level.

NOTIFICATION OF TESTING 

ANNUAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST 

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s): 

All students identified as multilingual learners (MLs) are assessed annually to monitor their progress and proficiency in English as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act  (ESSA). In Virginia, all divisions use the WIDA ACCESS for this purpose. 

The WIDA ACCESS is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development standards and assesses English in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The assessment will: 

• Determine students’ English language proficiency level and eligibility for ESOL services and testing accommodations.
• Help students and families understand students’ current level of English language proficiency along a developmental continuum.
• Provide teachers with information they can use to plan for and support student learning.
• Determine whether MLs have met English language proficiency criteria and exit ESOL services.

All MLs, including those who have opted out of ESOL services, participate annually in the ELP assessment until they reach English language proficiency criteria (ELP level 6). Alternate assessment formats are available for certain students with disabilities.  

If you have questions about the annual ELP assessment, please contact the school’s test coordinator for more information.

NOTIFICATION OF TESTING

WIDA Screener

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student is participating in the WIDA Screener.

The WIDA Screener is given to all students with a home language other than, or in addition to, English, when entering Fairfax County Public Schools. It is also given to multilingual learners (MLs) who did not participate in or complete all domains of the federally required annual English language proficiency (ELP) assessment.

The results of the WIDA Screener will identify if your student is English proficient or requires ESOL services. The assessment will provide information on your student’s current English language proficiency to determine the appropriate level of services. It will also identify eligibility for testing accommodations on standardized tests, including the state Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment.

The WIDA Screener will be administered at your child’s school during the school day. You will be notified of the results after testing is complete.

Sincerely,

Student Name ________________ Date __________

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Level _____          

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Based on results of the annual WIDA English language proficiency assessment, your child is receiving services for multilingual learners (MLs) aligned to their English language proficiency (ELP) level as part of the instructional program in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Services are provided to help students reach their fullest academic potential, obtain a meaningful educational experience and meet challenging state and local academic standards.

Identification of Multilingual Learners

Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , U.S. schools are required to identify students with a home language other than English and assess their English language proficiency level. To meet this requirement, parents or guardians complete the Home Language Survey (HLS) as part of the registration process. If a response to any of the three questions on the HLS is a language other than English, families are referred to any of the Student Registration Welcome Center sites for registration and English language proficiency assessment (in reading, writing, listening and speaking). Students are assigned one of the following ELP levels in the chart below. A description of each ELP level is provided as an attachment to this letter.

Annual English Language Proficiency Assessment Results

Each spring in Virginia, an annual ELP assessment, WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® is administered to MLs in grades K-12. Your school’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher can review your child’s reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency scores with you, which will give you additional information about your child’s English language development progress. 

Language Instruction Educational Program

The goal of the language instruction educational program is to assist MLs in becoming proficient in English and meeting the same challenging state content standards as all other students are expected to meet. Students at ELP Levels 1-4 receive language assistance services. Students scoring 4.4 or above on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® are designated Former MLs and considered English proficient. 

The FCPS LIEP Model’s differentiated research-based design contains three core elements: Content, Language, & Literacy; English Language Development (ELD); and Systems of Support to provide all MLs, including those eligible for special education and/or advanced academic programs, access and opportunity to rigorous learning. 

Content, Language, and Literacy

Classroom and content teachers proactively plan for student learning using both the Standards of Learning and WIDA standards to make the instructional match for K-12 MLs. Teachers provide sheltered instruction in the grade level/content classroom to ensure MLs' access to rigorous content standards regardless of the student’s English language proficiency level to simultaneously develop English language proficiency, content understandings and Portrait of a Graduate attributes. Language is amplified to provide MLs integrated content and language instruction and ensure access to rigorous learning activities. Two-way Immersion programs support elementary and middle school MLs in certain schools. In this model MLs and non-MLs are placed in the same classroom to develop academic proficiency in both the primary language and English. Both the primary language and English serve as the language of instruction.

English Language Development

ESOL teachers use ML data to set goals and target students’ ELD needs in the four domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) across three dimensions (word level, sentence level and discourse level) to promote English language growth. The intensity of ELD services is adjusted based on students' ELD needs. In general, the frequency and intensity of support decreases as the student's English proficiency increases. In addition, targeted Newcomer support for recently arrived MLs is provided to develop English for Social and Instructional purposes and support recently arrived MLs transition into the U.S. school system.

Systems of Support

Systems of Support include targeted interventions in addition to core English language instruction for identified MLs, including literacy and numeracy intervention for students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). If your child needs services in addition to ESOL, such as special education services or Section 504, a collaborative team, including the ESOL and special education teachers, develop a plan to meet the objectives of the student’s individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan. These services are provided in conjunction with ESOL services.

Exit Criteria

The results from the annual English language proficiency assessment, WIDA ACCESS for ELLs®, determine students’ progress from proficiency level to level and ultimately determine if they no longer require ESOL services. A student is designated English proficient, ELP level 6 when they have a composite score of 4.4 and above on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® test. After reaching ELP Level 6, students are monitored for two full academic years to ensure that they are able to participate meaningfully in the regular educational program. 

Expected Rate of Graduation

School divisions in Virginia expect all students, including MLs, to graduate within four years of entering the 9th grade. FCPS has proven success in providing appropriate instruction to help all students graduate, with a Virginia on-time graduation rate over 91%.

Parental Rights

Parents and guardians have the right to opt their children out or decline language assistance services. If you decide to decline these services, you must complete and sign the Opt-Out form , which is available at your child’s school and filed in your child’s cumulative folder. Even if services are declined, your child will continue to retain their status as an ML and will participate annually in the English language proficiency assessment, WIDA ACCESS for ELLs®, as required by federal legislation, until they reach ELP Level 6 and are considered English proficient. Parents and guardians have the right to resume services at any time during the school year.

If you would like further information about your child’s progress or language assistance services, please contact his or her teachers at the school. If you are in need of a language interpreter, school staff can facilitate this process for you. Thank you for your ongoing support of your child’s education. We look forward to working together with you to help your child reach his or her fullest academic potential.

Sincerely,

Rich Pollio

Director, Office of ESOL Services

Attachment

Student Name ________________ Date __________

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

In all school divisions in Virginia, students with a home language other than, or in addition to, English are administered an English language proficiency assessment to determine if they are eligible for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Services.

When students earn a composite score of 4.4 or above on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs they are designated English proficient. Your child has met these requirements and has exited ESOL services.

When exiting ESOL services a student should be able to use and understand:

• organized, cohesive, and coherent expression of ideas
• a variety of grammatical structures matched to purpose
• a broad range of sentence patterns characteristic of particular content areas
• technical and abstract content-area language
• words and expressions with precise meaning across content areas

Federal law requires that students be monitored for two full academic years after being reclassified as former MLs, to ensure that they are able to participate meaningfully in the regular educational program. In Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), administrators, classroom teachers, and collaborative team members at each school will monitor the academic performance of your child on an on-going basis. In addition, each semester the principal or designee of your school will formally document the academic progress of your child by reviewing a variety of information to include:

• performance on standardized achievement tests;
• grades in content area classes;
• student performance on assigned class work, homework, or projects; or
• teacher observations.

If necessary, the school will identify and implement specific interventions and enrichment support targeting your child’s needs. These can include special courses, materials, programs, tutoring opportunities, and extended time for learning. FCPS is dedicated to serving all students appropriately so that they are able to achieve high academic standards.

If your child’s educational records show that he or she was receiving ESOL services based on a current WIDA ACCESS for ELLs ^®  assessment, your child will be re-designated as an English learner until he or she meets the criteria for English proficiency on a WIDA ACCESS for ELLs ^®  assessment.

If you would like further information about your child’s progress, please contact his or her teachers at the school. Thank you for your ongoing support of your child’s education. We look forward to working together with you to help your child reach his or her fullest academic potential.

Sincerely,

Rich Pollio

Director, Office of ESOL Services

Student Name ________________ Date __________

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

In all school divisions in Virginia, students with a home language other than English are administered an English language proficiency assessment to determine if they are eligible for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Services. 

Based on the results of  the WIDA Screener your child is not eligible for ESOL services. However, as per the Virginia Department of Education, if your child’s educational records show that  they w ere receiving ESOL services in Virginia and they had not exited ESOL services ,  your child will be re-designated as a  multilingual learner until  they meet the criteria for English proficiency on  the annual WIDA ACCESS for ELL s a ssessment.

If you have questions regarding your child’s assessment results, please contact your child ’s school. Thank you for your ongoing support of your child’s education. We look forward to working together with you to help your child reach his or her fullest academic potential.

Sincerely,

Rich Pollio

Director, Office of ESOL Services

WIDA SCORE REPORT COVER LETTER

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Enclosed is your student’s spring WIDA ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Individual Score Report. If you have any questions about the report, including obtaining a translated report, or about your student’s English language development progress, please contact your student’s school. Additional information is available on the webpage:  https://www.fcps.edu/node/43961 .

The WIDA Screenerreport provides a proficiency level and scaled score for each of the tested domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and/or Writing).

WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESSreports both include information on how a student performed on tested areas and information about what these scores generally mean the student can successfully do. 

• These results include an overall proficiency level and domain-specific information that help teachers plan appropriate instructional supports.  The report provides a proficiency level and scaled score for each of the tested domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing), three composite areas (Oral Language, Literacy, Comprehension), and overall test. 
• The WIDA Alternate report also provides additional information about the student's testing experience, including what levels of support cues were used for Listening and Reading questions, testing accommodations, etc. 

WIDA Screenertest results are generally available within two weeks after the student takes the assessment.

When a student takes a WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESStest for their annual ELP assessment in the winter, families receive a detailed report in the spring/summer. 

• The full detailed report and cover letter are  posted in SIS ParentVUE for families with ParentVUE accounts in May or early June. Schools provide the reports for families without ParentVUE access .
• Numerical scores are posted to the SIS ParentVUE Test History section by the early July.