Official Site of The State of New Jersey
NJDOE Approved ELP Assessments
LEAs may administer ELP assessments from an approved list. ELP Assessments are used to identify a student as a multilingual learner, determine continued placement in a LIEP and/or as a multilingual learner, and determine readiness to exit from an LIEP and/or multilingual learner status.
| Grade | Identification | Continuation/Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool | N/A | N/A |
| Kindergarten | WIDA Screener for Kindergarten WIDA MODEL for Kindergarten | Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs (Paper) |
| Grade 1-12 | WIDA Screener Online WIDA Screener Paper WIDA MODEL Online WIDA MODEL Paper | ACCESS for ELLs Online ACCESS for ELLs Paper Alternate ACCESS WIDA MODEL Online WIDA MODEL Paper |
The MODEL may only be used mid-year for exit. Mid-year is defined as any time between October 1 to before the ACCESS testing window starts.
The following approved ELP assessments can be used to screen student for identification as multilingual learners.
- WIDA Screener Suite
- WIDA MODEL Suite
Kindergarten Students
The Reading and Writing sections of the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten test are only appropriate during the second half of the kindergarten year.
For students taking the Kindergarten Screener or MODEL test prior to January 1, the students can be administered the listening and speaking domains only. The cut score for the Oral proficiency is 4.5. Students taking the Screener or MODEL after January 1, shall take all four domains. The cut score for the overall composite is 4.5.
The district can use the online calculator located at WIDA Screener for Kindergarten Score Calculator after the district administers the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten to determine a composite score. Retain the score of all students tested.
Newcomer students may be unfamiliar with formal assessments and test administrators may wish to make a local decision regarding the student’s willingness and level of comfort engaging with the test. If a student does not provide any answers to a domain, the student will not receive a score for that domain. The student will also not receive a composite score that is reliant on a particular domain score. If a student cannot complete a particular domain of the test, the test administrator may wish to consider whether it is beneficial to continue with the administration of other domains. If a student is unable to respond to any test items because of an English language proficiency level and therefore would not be able to obtain a score that would demonstrate if they met the NJDOE identification criteria, the student should be identified as a multilingual learner. A score of 1.0 with documentation of the circumstance should be included in the student’s record.
All students who have been identified as multilingual learners, including multilingual learners with disabilities and students whose parents have refused services, must take the annual state ELP assessment during a specified testing window (WIDA/New Jersey). If a multilingual learner enters the district two weeks or less prior to the close of the testing window the student does not need to be tested during the annual testing window for that school year.
ACCESS for ELLs is administered online, except for the Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS assessments, which remain paper-based. LEAs may request paper-based versions of the ACCESS for ELLs for student grades 1-12 who may not have the computer literacy skills necessary for an online administration.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0: Annual testing for grades K-12 until the student meets English proficiency of a 4.5 or higher and readiness to exit multilingual learner status is determined through the English language observation form.
Alternate ACCESS: Annual testing for grades 1-12 for students who take the DLM assessment until the student meets English proficiency of A3, Engaging and readiness to exit multilingual learner status is determined through the English language observation form. (New Jersey DLM Participation Criteria)
MODEL: The MODEL may be used for mid-year exits of students who perform well on the Spring ACCESS administration the school year prior, do not meet the 4.5 cut score, but a teacher considers they may be ready to exit language services. The student must meet an English proficiency of 4.5 composite score or higher on the MODEL. Taking less than four domains is not available on the MODEL.
Additional Resources
• Unique Accommodation Request Form – Use for a multilingual learner with a disability requires an accommodation that is not listed in the ACCESS for ELLs Accessibility and Accommodations Supplement.
• Home Instructions Test Administrator Procedures – Use for a multilingual learner receiving home instruction.
Newly exited students who are not academically progressing in classes where English is the primary language of instruction (See Exiting from ML Status), may be considered for reentry to a LIEP. Criteria for reentry include:
- Minimum of one-half year and within two years of initial exit.
- Upon recommendation from a teacher delivering instruction in English, based on documented observation that the student is experiencing difficulties in meeting or exceeding NJSLS due to using the English language.
The student shall be tested using a different form of the ELP assessment then the one used to exit the student.
For all students, the N.J. Tiered System of Supports Implementation Guide can be used to implement interventions to improve student achievement in addition to the required program and services pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:15, Bilingual Education.