ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Coordinator Handbook

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0

Test Coordinator Handbook

Last Updated: October 14th, 2015

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4

Purpose of this Handbook .......................................................................................................... 4

Change in Vendor ........................................................................................................................ 4

Contact Information .................................................................................................................... 4

Online ACCESS for ELLs ................................................................................................................... 5

Why go online? ........................................................................................................................... 5

Changes to the Structure of ACCESS for ELLs ............................................................................. 5

Grade Clusters ......................................................................................................................... 5

Tiers ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Order of Domain Testing ........................................................................................................ 6

Length of the Assessment ....................................................................................................... 6

Test Session Size, Makeup ...................................................................................................... 7

Website Information ................................................................................................................... 7

WIDA website.......................................................................................................................... 7

WIDA Assessment Management System ................................................................................ 7

Software Information.................................................................................................................. 8

DRC Insight Secure Browser .................................................................................................... 8

DRC Testing Site Manager (TSM) ............................................................................................ 8

Changes to Administration Roles ................................................................................................ 8

Test Coordinators .................................................................................................................... 8

Technology Coordinators ........................................................................................................ 8

Test Administrators ................................................................................................................. 8

Using the WIDA AMS ...................................................................................................................... 9

Managing Testing Roles .............................................................................................................. 9

Adding a User .......................................................................................................................... 9

Adding Multiple Users at Once ............................................................................................. 12

Managing Users .................................................................................................................... 12

Ordering Tests ........................................................................................................................... 13

Writing Booklet Orders ......................................................................................................... 15

Adding Students ........................................................................................................................ 15

Test Session Creation ................................................................................................................ 17

Materials Returning .................................................................................................................. 18

Score Reporting ......................................................................................................................... 18

Training for Administering ACCESS For ELLs ................................................................................. 18

Accessing Training ..................................................................................................................... 18

Training Checklists .................................................................................................................... 20

Training Modules ...................................................................................................................... 20

Accommodations .......................................................................................................................... 21

Appendix A: Manuals and Resources............................................................................................ 22

Introduction

Beginning in 2015–2016, ACCESS for ELLs for grades 1-12 is an online assessment. This new

assessment builds on earlier versions of ACCESS for ELLs and the WIDA English Language

Development Standards.

Purpose of this Handbook

This Handbook is designed as a quick reference guide to outline key information for

coordinating ACCESS for ELLs. This information is drawn from existing documents and training

materials available on the WIDA website and WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA

AMS). Appendix A provides links to source materials where you can find more detailed

information on these topics.

Change in Vendor

As part of the move online, a new vendor selection process was held. The Data Recognition

Corporation (DRC) was selected as the vendor for the new test, and will take over the printing,

distribution, scoring, and reporting duties. MetriTech can still be contacted for 2014-2015 test

scores, but DRC will be the contact for the 2015-2016 school year and beyond.

Contact Information

For Questions about:

 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Training

 WIDA website logins and

passwords

Contact:

WIDA Client Services Center

(866) 276-7735

[email protected]

For Questions about:

 WIDA AMS, DRC Insight, DRC

TSM

 Scoring & Reporting

 Materials

Contact:

DRC Customer Service

(855) 787-9615

WIDA@datarecognitioncorp.com

For Questions about:

 ACCESS for ELLs Testing

 EL Accommodations

Contact:

Jesse Roberts

(608) 267-5153

[email protected]ov

For Questions about:

 Title III

 Identification of ELs

 EL Programs

Contact:

Audrey Lesondak

(608) 266-7292

audrey.lesondak@dpi.wi.gov

Online ACCESS for ELLs

Why go online?

Moving ACCESS for ELLs online was a logical next step in the constant development and

improvement of this assessment. Leveraging technology, we can support our English learners in

many ways that we were unable to fully do on the paper assessment.

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is designed to increase student engagement through a more dynamic

testing experience. It is highly student-centric, with voice acting from students of similar ages

modeling responses to the test and providing school-based situations for the testing students

to respond to.

With built-in accommodations and accessibility features, a wide range of student needs can be

met without the need for a test administrator or testing aide to provide one-on-one support. In

addition, a move from a pre-selected difficulty tier to a staged adaptive test allows ACCESS for

ELLs 2.0 to much more accurately target students’ individual range of language skills.

One major benefit of moving online is a reduction in the amount of effort required to

administer the assessment. As the computer is now delivering much of the test content,

including practice items and directions, it is possible to simultaneously administer the test to

multiple grades and proficiency levels. The online test will also record all student answers,

scoring the reading and listening domains as they are taken, and sending the writing and

speaking responses to DRC for centralized scoring. This frees test administrators from having to

assess the speaking domain one-on-one, on the fly, and allows the Speaking domain to be

assessed in small groups.

Changes to the Structure of ACCESS for ELLs

Grade Clusters

The grade clusters have changed slightly, as shown in the following graphic:

During the 2016-2017 school year and beyond, the Paper grade clusters will be aligned with the

Online clusters.

Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs have not changed.

Tiers

While Tiers still exist, they are substantially less critical than in the previous version of ACCESS

for ELLs. The three tiers of A,B,C have been combined into two tiers of A and B/C. Tier A is for

students who are just beginning to speak English, ELP 1-2. Tier B/C is for all other English

learners.

Test administrators will no longer need to select the appropriate tier for students taking the

online test. The adaptivity of the test will allow them to find the appropriate level of difficulty in

the assessment and ensure that they are challenged but not overly challenged.

After taking the Listening and Reading domains, the Writing and Speaking Tier will be

automatically determined for a student.

New Speaking Tier: Pre-A

Very new English speakers may not have the ability to access even the Tier A questions. For

these students, a limited Speaking Domain test is available called Pre-A. This is a shortened

version of the Tier A Speaking domain, and it can only produce an ELP 1 result. It should not be

used for students who could possibly be ELP 2 or higher.

Order of Domain Testing

The staged adaptivity of the test requires that the domains be given in the following order:

1. Listening

2. Reading

3. Speaking and Writing, in either order

Results from the Listening and Reading domains will determine whether a student is given Tier

A or Tier B/C on the Speaking and Writing. For grades 4-12, the test administrator will not need

to do any additional work with Tiers. For grades 1-3, and students in 4-12 who will handwrite

their answers, test administrators will have to run a Tier Report and ensure that students are

given the appropriate booklet for the Tier they are in. DRC will ship an appropriate number of

booklets of each Tier, based on an estimation of what percent of students will fall into each

Tier.

Length of the Assessment

The length of the assessment remains about the same. It is untimed, but students are generally

able to finish well within the following expected assessment times:

Domain

Time

Listening

40 minutes

Reading

35 minutes

Speaking

30 minutes

Writing Tier A

65 minutes

Writing Tier B/C

65 minutes

Test Session Size, Makeup

Significantly more flexibility will be available for scheduling test sessions. In most cases, it will

be possible to test a mixture of grades and tiers within the same domain.

Writing for grades 1-3 is an exception to this, as students will need tiered booklets with an

appropriate administrative script read to them.

There is also a new tier for Speaking this year, called Pre-A. This is for students who are at or

below ELP 1, and for whom even the Tier A Speaking domain would be inappropriate. Students

taking this assessment must not be mixed with other grades/tiers.

Website Information

There will be two websites you and your staff will need access to in order to administer ACCESS

for ELLs:

WIDA website

 https://www.wida.us/index.aspx

 W-APT screener and training materials

 ACCESS for ELLs training materials

 professional development materials

 ELD standards

 other WIDA products and services

WIDA Assessment Management System

 https://www.wida-ams.us/default.aspx

 hub for ACCESS for ELLs test organization and administration duties

 user guides

 software downloads

 order tests and paper materials

 add students to test sessions

 designate accommodations

 create test sessions

 print test tickets

 monitor student progress

 view/print reports

District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) should have access to both websites, and should be

able to create and modify permissions for other staff in their district involved in ACCESS for ELLs

testing.

If you are a DAC and do not have access, ensure you are listed as a DAC on the DPI website (link

below) and contact [email protected] for access to the WIDA website, and

[email protected] for access to the WIDA AMS.

If you are not a DAC and do not have access, please contact your DAC. A list of DACs can be

found here: http://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/dac/update (download the DAC contact list)

Software Information

There are two pieces of software required to administer ACCESS for ELLs, both available in the

WIDA AMS:

DRC Insight Secure Browser

 students use this to take ACCESS for ELLs

 can be mass-deployed on most systems

 network install for Windows, Mac

 pushed to Chromebooks, although extra config is required prior to the push

DRC Testing Site Manager (TSM)

 manages and streamlines communication between the test computers and DRC’s

servers

 typically reduces bandwidth traffic by about 50%

 if communication stalls between Insight Browsers and DRC, caches responses and tries

to resend them every 15 minutes

 handles system readiness checks, load simulation, tech readiness checks, etc.

Changes to Administration Roles

The move online reduces the role of the Test Administrator, but it also requires that a

Technology Coordinator role be introduced to help facilitate the deployment of Insight and the

TSM. This has resulted in the following roles:

Test Coordinators

• responsible for the overall coordination of test administration

• set up user accounts within the new WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA

AMS)

• ensure everyone has access to the WIDA website (wida.us) for training

• complete the Training Course and verify that Test Administrators and Technology

Coordinators have also completed their trainings and checklists

Technology Coordinators

• responsible for all technical and system setup for online testing

• troubleshoot and provide tech support during testing

• complete web-based trainings and checklists available through the WIDA website

(wida.us)

Test Administrators

• responsible for administering ACCESS for ELLs

• complete the WIDA Training Course, including review of all applicable Test

Administration Manuals and web-based modules

• complete checklists that will be available through the WIDA website (wida.us)to prepare

for test administration activities.

Using the WIDA AMS

A new feature for both online and paper testing this year is the WIDA Assessment Management

System (AMS). This online portal houses accounts for test administration, is where tests are

ordered, test sessions organized, and where reports will be downloaded.

Managing Testing Roles

Adding a User

When you add a user, there are five roles available to pick from:

 District (District Test Coordinator, generally a DAC)

 School (School Test Coordinator)

 Test Administrator (School)

 District Technology Coordinator

 School Technology Coordinator

School-level users are tied to a single school, and can only impact testing in that school. District-

level users are able to impact testing in all the schools in their district.

To add a user:

1. Log into the WIDA AMS

2. Open the Manage Users panel on the left

3. Click User Administration

4. Select ‘Add Single User’

5. Fill out the information. When you select User Role, it will enable a Permission-set box

below the District dropdown menu.

6. If you choose the Permission-set, it will pre-select the default permissions in the bottom

window. Click the right-pointing arrow to Assign those permissions.

7. If necessary, modify the user’s permissions

8. Click Save

Adding Multiple Users at Once

1. In the ‘User Administration’ section, click ‘Upload Multiple Users’

2. If you need the file layout, download and inspect one of the files linked

3. Format a .csv file as noted in the File Layout populated with your staffs’ information

4. Browse to the .csv, select it, and click ‘Upload’

a. Any errors in formatting will be shown in red under the blue user information

bar

Managing Users

If you need to reset a user account, change permissions, or otherwise modify a user account,

follow these steps.

1. Open the Manage Users panel on the left

2. Click User Administration

3. Click on ‘Edit User’

4. Enter a first or last name, or a partial name, and click ‘Find User’

a. If you leave everything blank you will search for all users in your district, or all

users in a school if one is selected

5. Users will appear in the panel below

6. To the far left there is a column called ‘Action’

a. The first button allows you to edit their contact

information and permissions

b. The second resets the account, and re-sends the invite

c. The third inactivates the account and prevents the user from logging in

7. At the bottom there is also an option to export the users, in case you need their

information in a convenient (excel) format

Ordering Tests

All ACCESS for ELLs tests can be ordered through the WIDA AMS. To order tests:

1. Open the Materials Tab

2. Click ‘Materials Ordering’

3. Choose your District and/or School, if not already selected. You may only have one

option.

4. Click ‘Show Materials’

5. You will see a list of the materials you can order

6. Choose the most accurate testing mode for the school

a. All online

b. Online with some paper (if you need one of the specialized tests listed below)

7. Enter the number of students testing in each grade level cluster

a. Include online

b. Also include specialized tests, such as Alternate ACCESS, braille, etc.

c. Indicate the number of pure paper tests needed, if any

8. Submit your order

Writing Booklet Orders

Grades 1-3 will still take the Writing domain in a paper booklet, as many of these students

aren’t fluent keyboarders. Booklets will be automatically sent when you order online tests.

Grades 4-12 will take all of the domains online, unless they fall into one of the categories that

need to test on paper. (Alternate ACCESS, Braille, large print, IEP/504 accommodation that

can’t be met on a computer.)

Paper writing booklets will be available for students in grades 4-12 who are not fluent

keyboarders. If a student in these grades needs to handwrite the Writing domain, they will read

the prompts off the screen and write in the booklet. DRC will ship a small number of paper

writing booklets for grades 4-12.

If you find (or know) you need additional Writing booklets, you’ll be able to order them after

December 3

when the Additional Materials window opens, with three day shipping.

Adding Students

On November 12

DPI will pull the EL student rosters for public schools from ISES. These

rosters should be available for test session creation in the WIDA AMS around November 23

Districts will need to upload students that are new to their district after November 12

. In

addition, districts will need to work with non-public schools to upload student rosters.

If you are required to upload a student roster initially, or if you need to add students who are

new in your school, do the following:

1. Click on ‘Test Setup’ and ‘Manage Students’

2. If you need to add a single student, at the bottom of the ‘Mange Students’ tab is an ‘Add

Student’ button

a. Click this button

b. On the following screen, fill in the required information and click ‘Save’

3. If you need to add multiple students, you may batch upload them.

4. Click the tab titled ‘Upload Multiple Students’

5. Download the file layout, and configure your student roster to match.

6. Browse to the location of this file, ensure that the correct district and school are chosen,

and click ‘Upload’

Test Session Creation

The WIDA AMS will also be used to organize test sessions. When students are uploaded, they

will be organized into default test sessions based on grade level cluster and domain. You may

need to organize them into more functional test sessions if this default does not work for you.

1. Click on ‘Test Setup’ and then ‘Test Sessions’

2. If you have already added students, they may be listed in test sessions already based on

grade level cluster and domain

3. Below any existing test sessions you will find an ‘Add Session’ button. You may wish to

create a naming convention for your sessions based on grade cluster and domain,

online/paper, etc.

4. When you add a test session, you will need to fill out the test session information and

add students.

5. You may also bulk upload sessions, and export existing sessions for reference.

Materials Returning

Not yet available. To be added in a future handbook release.

Score Reporting

Not yet available. To be added in a future handbook release.

Training for Administering ACCESS For ELLs

Training is hosted on the WIDA website.

Accessing Training

1. Log onto the WIDA website, https://www.wida.us

a. Your username was sent to you when you created your account. If you’ve

forgotten your username or password, choose the ‘Forgot Password?’ link and it

will be emailed to you.

2. Once logged in, click the ‘My Account & Secure Portal’ link at the top

3. The top row of icons should show ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Training.

a. If you do not see this row of icons, you do not have permission to access these

trainings. Contact the appropriate person to request that they change your

permissions.

4. Click on the training you need to complete. You will see a checklist of activities, broken

down by when they need to be done.

5. Go through the checklist, and check off items you have completed.

a. You do not need to complete all of the training at once. However, everything

must be completed prior to undertaking the tasks listed in the section titled,

“Within one month of scheduled Test Administration”.

Training Checklists

 Test Coordinator Checklist - Online

 Test Administrator Checklist - Online

 Technology Coordinator Checklist

Training Modules

 WIDA Assessment Management System - Account Setup

 WIDA Assessment Management System -Test Materials Ordering

 WIDA Assessment Management System Pre-ID upload

 WIDA Assessment Management System Documents Download

 WIDA Assessment Management System Test Session Creation

 WIDA Assessment Management System Manage Students

Accommodations

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 has new accommodations and guidance. The following two documents

explain the available accommodations for both the paper and online ACCESS For ELLs, and

provide guidance for selecting the appropriate ones.

 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Accessibility and Accommodations Descriptions

 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines

In addition, the following two documents will help provide IEP teams the necessary information

to allow them to select appropriate accommodations for ACCESS for ELLs.

 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Accommodations, Accessibility, and Test Administration FAQs

 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 IEP/Multidisciplinary Team Checklist

Appendix A: Manuals and Resources

The following references were used in the creation of this handbook. For more specifics, please

ensure that you are familiar with these documents and websites.

You will need a login to the WIDA website to gain access to some of these materials.

The Online Test Administration Manual:

https://www.wida.us/ACCESSTraining/online/ACCESS%20for%20ELLs%202.0%20Online%20Test

%20Administration%20Manual.pdf

Online ACCESS for ELLs training checklist: https://www.wida.us/ACCESSTraining/online/

The ACCESS for ELLs Overview Page: https://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS20.aspx

Technology Requirements: https://www.wida.us/assessment/access20-tech.aspx

Preparation Resources: https://www.wida.us/assessment/access20-prep.aspx

(Webinars, manuals, Q&A sessions, etc.)

The WIDA AMS: https://www.wida-ams.us/default.aspx

WIDA AMS User Guide Part 1:

https://www.wida.us/ACCESSTraining/documents/WIDAAMSUserGuidePart1.pdf

WIDA AMS User Guide Part 2:

https://www.wida.us/ACCESSTraining/documents/WIDA-AMS-User-Guide-Part2.pdf

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 FAQs: https://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS%202.0/FAQ.aspx

DPI’s ACCESS for ELLs information: http://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/ell

Wisconsin’s ACCESS Calendar: http://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/ell/calendar