English Language Proficiency Assessments

English Language Proficiency Assessment to Identify Multilingual Learners

English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments, WIDA Screeners are given to students who may be potential Multilingual Learners (MLs). It is one component that assists educators with programmatic decisions such as identification and placement of MLs into Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEPs). In Colorado, ELP assessment scores and a Body of Evidence (BOE) must be used to identify students who are in fact MLs.

There are four WIDA Screeners (Screener for Kindergarten, Online Screener for grades 1-12, Paper Screener for grades 1-12, and Alternate Screener). They are all flexible on-demand tests that can be administered any time during the school year to assist educators in identifying students eligible for English Language Development (ELD) instruction.

• Beginning July 1, 2022, the Kindergarten W-APT will no longer be available for Colorado schools and districts to use in the Multilingual Learner Identification process. Kindergarten and first semester, first-grade students will be assessed using the paper-based, locally scored test beginning SY22-23.  Refer to the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten quick guide for more information.

• WIDA Screener for grades 1-12 is an ELP assessment administered to students in second semester, first grade through grade 12. It is available in two formats: online and paper. Refer to the WIDA Screener for grades 1-12 quick guide for more information.

• WIDA Alternate Screener is a pencil-and-paper ELP assessment that is individually administered to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in grades K–12. It helps educators identify if students with a disability may also need language services in addition to specially designed instruction as outlined in their IEP. Refer to the WIDA Alternate Screener quick guide for more information about the 3-part eligibility requirement.

• Please refer to WIDA’s Accessibility and Accommodations Manual for flexible administrative considerations and universal tools for all students or to learn about accommodations for students with disabilities.  Students who have been identified with a disability must have a documented Individual Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plan during the time of screening in order to use accommodations as targeted support.

Important Information and Updates

SY25-26 Update: The use of the WIDA Alternate Screener is limited, and participation decisions must be made by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team prior to testing. English Language Development (ELD) teams will need timely collaboration and support from IEP teams to determine whether newly enrolling students meet the 3-part eligibility criteria for this assessment: 1) has a current IEP from any U.S. state or outlying territory, and 2) is formally identified with an Intellectual Disability and has the Most Significant Cognitive Disability (MSCD), and 3) receives instruction aligned to the Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (In Colorado: Extended Evidence Outcomes [EEOs]). When all three participation criteria are verified, the CLDE team will proceed to administer the WIDA Alternate Screener in lieu of the general WIDA Screener. Districts and schools should make every effort to identify potential MLs as soon as possible to provide timely support for students with a disability who may need language services in addition to specially designed instruction as outlined in their IEP. Section 3113(b)(2) of the ESEA requires that all students, including students with a documented IEP to be assessed for ML identification within 30 days at the beginning of the school year or within the first two weeks when enrolling after Student October Count. Online training modules will be available beginning April 6th in the WIDA Secure Portal. A Test Administrator (TA) who has completed the required WIDA training modules and certification quiz is the only person permitted to administer this assessment and score student responses. Once logged in, select Assessment Training and launch WIDA Alternate Screener: Administration and Scoring course and review the Test Administrator Manual (TAM) before giving the test. Student test booklets, the TAM and TA Scripts can all be downloaded at no cost from the WIDA Secure Portal.

SY25-26: Colorado will not adopt the WIDA Alternate Screener during SY25-26. During this school year, CDE plans to collect data, review test materials, and develop a decision criterion in order to set cut point guidance for use in the 2026-2027 school year. This new assessment will be used to measure English language proficiency for students identified with the most significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for instruction under the Extended Evidence Outcomes (EEOs). It is a flexible, paper-based, on-demand assessment that can be administered at any time during the school year. This assessment anchored in the WIDA English Language Development Standards assesses each of the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing. All domains will be scored by the test administrator and entered into the WIDA Alternate Screener score calculator in order to generate a report of the student’s test performance. WIDA Alternate Screener should only be administered to incoming students in grades K-12 who already have a formal IEP from the 50 states and outlying territories to help determine whether students are in fact Multilingual Learners (MLs) who qualify for Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEPs). In addition, CDE anticipates that this new assessment could be appropriate for potential MLs who have been identified with the most significant cognitive disabilities, receive instruction under the EEOs, and currently participate in the alternate state content assessments. 

SY24-25: A new guidance document details WIDA’s recommendations for IEP/504 Plan teams to consider when administering WIDA Screener to a student who is blind or visually impaired (BVI), or who is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). It includes general administration guidance, specific considerations for students who are BVI or DHH and a short list of resources for more information. Find this resource in the WIDA Secure Portal when filtering resources by Accessibility and Accommodations or any screener assessment.

SY22-23: Colorado will continue to administer W-APT to kindergarten and 1st semester first grade students during SY21-22. The full transition and requirement for districts to administer WIDA Screener Kindergarten will start SY22-23. WIDA Screener for Kindergarten is a new individually administered paper-and-pencil test that helps educators identify students as Multilingual Learners (MLs) in Kindergarten and 1st semester first grade. CDE will not be providing cut scores to align to Colorado English language proficiency levels at this time. During SY21-22 the Office of CLDE will collect data to set cut point guidance to be disseminated for use in SY22-23. Additionally, CLDE anticipates to provide supplemental test administration training in the Spring of 2022 after cut point data is collected and guidance is developed and disseminated.

WIDA has decided to retire the Kindergarten W-APT assessment at the end of school year 21-22. W-APT training and assessment materials will be removed from the WIDA Secure Portal on June 30, 2022, and the assessment will no longer be supported. The Screener for Kindergarten Training Tile in WIDA’s Secure Portal was activated on May 1, 2021 for LEAs to begin to explore assessment materials and to prepare for test administration next year. Districts and schools should also be reviewing training modules & test certification quizzes and other information related to the Screener for Kindergarten during SY21-22. CDE will not be suppling assessment kits. Student and test administrator materials can be downloaded at no cost or can be purchased through the WIDA Store. 

Screener Certification

Districts, schools, and charter schools must ensure Test Administrators (TAs) complete online self-paced WIDA Screener modules and pass quizzes prior to administering and/or scoring any of the four assessments.  TA re-certification is required every two years. Training modules can be found by logging into the Secure Portal at WIDA.US. In the Secure Portal, select Assessment Training, then filter by test type: 'WIDA Screener for Kindergarten Administration and Scoring' or 'WIDA Screener (1-12) online or paper Administration and Scoring' or ‘WIDA Alternate Screener: Administration and Scoring’ courses. For more information about Standardized Multilingual Learner Identification and/or WIDA Screener administration or certification requirement, please contact the CLDE Office.

Annual English Language Proficiency Assessment for Identified Multilingual Learners