ACCESS for ELLs
Assessment Name(s)
- ACCESS for ELLs
- Alternative-ACCESS
Vendor/Overseen by
- WIDA Consortium (formerly World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment)
- Data Recognition Corporation
- Illinois State Board of Education
Testing Date(s) for 2023-2024 School Year
- February 5, 2024 to March 1, 2024
Students Testing
- 9th grade EL students*
- 10th grade EL students*
- 11th grade EL students*
- 12th grade EL students*
- *this includes all EL students who have declined EL services; some students qualify for the Alternative-ACCESS in place of ACCESS
Purpose and Description
- Used as a standards-based assessment of English language proficiency for non-native speakers
- Used to determine the intensity and form of EL services for students as well as program exit
- Mandated by ISBE (used for accountability and evaluation of district/school)
- Administered as a computer-based assessment of reading, writing, speaking, and listening
- Alternative-ACCESS is a paper-pencil, one-on-one assessment for select SPED students
Estimated Time
- 3.5 - 4 hours
Interpreting Scores
- Scores are returned as proficiency levels (1-6) as well as scale scores (100-600) for each domain (speaking, listening, reading, writing, oral language, literacy, comprehension, and overall).
| Proficiency Level | Proficiency Type |
| 6 | Reaching |
| 5 | Bridging |
| 4 | Expanding |
| 3 | Developing |
| 2 | Emerging |
| 1 | Entering |
- There are extended descriptions of the levels for each domain--please see the WIDA ACCESS Scores page for detailed explanations including resources in Spanish
External Links