The ACCESS for English Language Learners (ELLs) is New Mexico’s assessment of academic English language proficiency. It is administered to current English Learners in grades K-12. The Alternate ACCESS assessment is administered to English Language Learners (ELLs) with significant cognitive disabilities whose special education IEPs designate it as the appropriate English language proficiency assessment. Alt-ACCESS measures overall proficiency in the development of academic English language.
Purpose and Use
Educators use ACCESS results, along with other WIDA resources, to make decisions about students’ English academic language and to facilitate their language development.
Students’ scores reflect proficiency levels ranging from Level 1 (Entering) to Level 6 (Reaching).
WIDA offers many resources to aid in educators’ placement decisions and instructional planning, including:
Test scores can be used:
- For accountability purposes
- As benchmarks against which educators can measure future performance
- As a measure to make reclassification decisions about whether a student can exit English language support services
- To support decisions about placing students into appropriate classes or groups for instruction, instructional planning
- To show the progress students have made
Resources for Educators
- WIDA Test Development Process
- Accessibility and Accommodations
- English Learners with Impairments and ACCESS/Alt ACCESS Accommodations
- Understanding Scores & Reports
- Preparing students for ACCESS Testing
- Alternate ACCESS for ELLS
- ACCESS for ELLs Online Checklist
- NM ELL Identification and Placement Guidance 20-21
- Quick Start Guide – ACCESS
- ACCESS Suite of Assessments
- WIDA / NM State Page
- WIDA Secure Log In
- DRC Insight Secure Log In
- NM Language Survey: Identifying Potential ELs
- English Language Development Instructional Framework Guidance Handbook