ACCESS for ELLs

ACCESS for ELLs

The WIDA Consortium assessment is entitled Assessing Communication and Comprehension in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs). Therefore, the New Jersey

Department of Education uses ACCESS for ELLs as the statewide assessment instrument for the

required annual assessment of English language proficiency. ACCESS for ELLs is a standards-based, criterion-referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure ELLs' social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and academic English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students taking this assessment must be assigned a Testing Tier in advance which is based upon each student’s language proficiency level, see

This test is a secured test and all instructional staff must practice strict adherence to the ACCESS for

ELLs Procedures / Security measures.  All ACCESS test administrators must sign the school’s ACCESS for ELLs Procedures / Security Plan, see plan template in the Resources section of this handbook.  Results from this assessment will generate the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) to show, not only English language proficiency, but also academic language proficiency.

Information about the ACCESS test can be found at http://www.wida.us/assessment/access/index.aspx