ELL: Determine Need

The ELL Process:

A student that is identified as a potential ELL student must be assessed for English language proficiency. This happens through the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test or WIDA Screener, but if a recent WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test has been taken, then the results of that test may be used. If previous test results exist and the student does not have to take the W-APT or WIDA Screener, then the Initial Testing status will display "Not Required":

If test results show:

Student is proficient - The student is automatically exited from the program. This will be indicated on the Identification tab, and the summary boxes are updated accordingly. No data entry is required.
Student is non-proficient - The school must place the student in an ELL program. This is done on the Start Program tab of the ELL Worksheet. Proceed to instructions about placing a student in an ELL program.

[Learn more about statuses that appear in summary boxes of the ELL Worksheet.]

WIDA ACCESS for ELLs - The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs is an English language proficiency assessment administered once a year to all students in the ELL program as well as selected qualifying students. WIDA is the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment consortium, a group of U.S. states taking part in the No Child Left Behind program whose members designed and implemented a set of English Language Proficiency Standards. States that are members of the consortium may use the ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) annual testing procedure to determine if students are progressing toward proficiency. Results are imported into eCSSS and are viewable on the student's ELL Worksheet and in the Student Assessments window. In the Annual ELP Test Summary box of the ELL Worksheet, the most current ACCESS for ELLs test results are displayed.

Entering W-APT and Native Language Proficiency Results

Note: As of School Year 2017-2018, W-APT will be used for Kindergarten test level only. WIDA Screener will be administered to non-Kindergarten test level students in grades 1 - 12.

After administering the W-APT, the school must enter results manually into the Initial Testing tab of the ELL Worksheet. If the student is grade 1 - 12 and scored 2.0 or lower in Listening or Speaking, or is in Kindergarten and scored 10 or lower in Listening & Speaking Raw Score on the W-APT, the school is required to administer the Native Language Proficiency (NLP) test and enter the results on the Initial Testing tab.

Search for a student
Select the Supports tab.
Expand Programs.
Highlight the ELL Worksheet you need to update. The Actions menu will change.
Select Open Program. The ELL Worksheet is displayed.
Select the Initial Testing tab.
Click Add W-APT Results in the Actions menu. The W-APT Results modal window is displayed.
The Date Administered field defaults to today's date. Change it as appropriate.
Click Import to select who the test was Administered By.
Click Auto-Set Test Level/Criteria. You will see this:

Click OK.

Background: The DOE uses a system that weighs actual scores against where the student is in school (his or her grade level and semester), the expectation being that scores should be higher as the student moves through the curriculum.

Clicking the Auto-Set Test Level/Criteria simply re-adjusts the Test Level, Grade and Semester fields according to what you enter in Date Administered and student demographics information. The entries in these fields affect the calculations in the Results box, explained in the next step.

If Kindergarten, in the Results box:

Enter Learning and Speaking Raw Score, Reading Raw Score and Writing Raw Score.
Note that the service categories are automatically assigned.

BACKGROUND: The assigned service categories are based on the following flowchart:

If Grades 1 through 12 *, in the Results box:

Enter Listening Proficiency Level and Speaking Proficiency Level. Note the average of these scores become the Oral CPL score.
Enter Reading Proficiency Level and Writing Proficiency Level. Note the average of these scores become the Literacy CPL score.
Note that 0.3 of the Oral CPL score and 0.7 of the Literacy CPL score become the Overall CPL score.

Click on Calculate Adjusted Scores. Note that the adjusted scores may differ from the actual scores because they are weighted according to the tables in the Background section below.

*Note: As of School Year 2017-2018, W-APT scores can be entered for Kindergarten test level only.

BACKGROUND: The adjusted scores are based on the following formulas:

When you are satisfied with your entries, click OK.

You are taken back to the Initial Testing tab. Note that your entries populate the boxes. The scores determine:

Proficiency - Definitions are:

Entering, Level 1 = 1.0-1.9
Emerging, Level 2 = 2.0-2.9
Developing, Level 3 = 3.0-3.9
Expanding, Level 4 = 4.0-4.9
Bridging, Level 5 = 5.0-5.9
Reaching Level 6 = 6.0

Category - Service are categorized as:

Scores from 0.0 to 2.7 are NEP (Not English Proficient)
Scores from 2.8 to 4.7 are LEP (Limited English Proficient)
Scores from 4.8 to 6.0 are FEP (Functionally English Proficient); and a 4.2 minimum literacy level is also required to be FEP.

When you are done, click Save, then Close.
Proceed to the next part of the process, which is to Place Student in Program.

Entering WIDA Screener and Native Language Proficiency Results

As of School Year 2017-2018, W-APT will be used for Kindergarten test level only. WIDA Screener will be administered to non-Kindergarten test level students in grades 1 – 12.

After administering the WIDA Screener, the school must enter results manually into the Initial Testing tab of the ELL Worksheet. If the student scored 2.0 or lower in Listening or Speaking on the WIDA Screener, the school is required to administer the Native Language Proficiency (NLP) test and enter the results on the Initial Testing tab.

NOTE: WIDA Screener results are calculated outside eCSSS application. Schools must enter the proficiency levels for each domain based on the WIDA Screener Calculator results.

Search for a student.
Select the Supports tab.
Expand Programs.
Highlight the ELL Worksheet you need to update. The Actions menu will change.
Select Open Program. The ELL Worksheet is displayed.
Select the Initial Testing tab.
Click Add WIDA Screener in the Actions menu. The WIDA Screener Results modal window is displayed.
The Date Administered field defaults to today's date. Change it as appropriate.
Click Import to select who the test was Administered By.
Select Method of Administration.
The Student Grade Level field defaults to the student’s current grade level. Change it as appropriate.
Select Test Form Option.
Select Path Administered. If Path B is selected, the Writing and Speaking proficient levels default to 1.0 and can not be changed.
Enter proficiency levels only (not raw scores) in the Proficiency Levels section:

Select Listening proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Reading proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Writing proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Speaking proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Oral Language proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Literacy proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Select Overall proficiency level (1.0 – 6.0)
Service Category – calculated based on Overall proficiency level:

NEP (Not English Proficient) - Overall proficiency levels from 1.0 to 2.5
LEP (Limited English Proficient) - Overall proficiency levels from 3.0 to 4.5
FEP (Functionally English Proficient) - Overall proficiency levels from 5.0 to 6.0

Proficiency – calculated based on Overall proficiency level:

Entering, Level 1 - Overall proficiency levels less than 1.0 to 1.5
Emerging, Level 2 - Overall proficiency levels less than 2.0 to 2.5
Developing, Level 3 - Overall proficiency levels less than 3.0 to 3.5
Expanding, Level 4 - Overall proficiency levels less than 4.0 to 4.5
Bridging, Level 5 - Overall proficiency levels less than 5.0 to 5.5
Reaching, Level 6 - Overall proficiency levels equal to 6.0

When you are satisfied with your entries, click OK.
Proceed to the next part of the process, which is to Place Student in Program.