ACCESS for ELLs

Upcoming Reporting Events

To:	Principals
Copy:	Superintendents and English Language Learner (ELL) Directors
From:	Dan Wiener, Administrator of Inclusive Assessment
Date:	April 12, 2013

Greetings! As we anticipate the reporting of ACCESS for ELLs test results on or about May 22, I want to inform you of important related activities that will require your schools' attention.

Data Validation Window

Between April 22 26, schools are encouraged to log on to the MetriTech Demographic Data Validation online site to correct student data discrepancies in the following areas: Student Name, SASID, Date of Birth, Grade, and "Not Tested" Reasons. On the morning of April 22, Principals will receive two emails from MetriTech with instructions for logging in to view and correct any discrepancies. The first email will include the school's user name and the instructions to access and use the system; the second email will include the school's password. While data review and validation is intended for school leaders, district leaders who wish to perform the validation are permitted to do so, but must obtain passwords directly from each school principal. Checking and updating each school's student data during this window will be important to avoid costly fees from the test contractor for reprinting corrected reports at a later date.

COMING SOON! ACCESS for ELLs Reporting Workshops

The Department will present three 2-hour webinar workshops on May 23 at 9:00 a.m., May 28 at 1:00 p.m. and May 29 at 9:00 a.m. on interpreting and using the WIDA score reports. Please save one of these dates. Registration information will be sent to you in early May. The participant capacity for these webinars will be unlimited, so please plan to join one of the sessions. It may be a good idea to organize group participation where possible, to enhance collaboration within your school and district.

Parent Materials

On or about May 22, your school will receive Parent/Guardian Reports and Teacher Reports (one for each student), plus a School Roster Report and School Frequency Report. Schools should prepare to send materials to the home of the student as follows:

Parent/Guardian Report
Schools will select one of the following translation options to send Parent/Guardian Report to the student's home:
Translation Option 1. Translations of the Parent/Guardian Report "shells" are available in 41 languages at http://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS/, under "Downloads and Products." These are generic report shells without actual student data, as was used previously for MEPA. Sending the Parent/Guardian Report in English, plus a translated report "shell," is Option 1. Translation Option 2. MetriTech, the test contractor, offers an automated online service that allows schools to print each student's actual Parent/Guardian Report (with student data) in the home language of the student. Schools will be able to:
- Login, then view a list of tested students in their school,
- Select a student and home language, and
- Print out an actual Parent/Guardian Report in the native language with the student's results. The user name and password to access this site will be provided by MetriTech once results are final and files have been loaded.
Preparing and sending a single report in the student's native language is Option 2.

A generic parent letter in the home/native language must also be sent to the student's home describing the ACCESS for ELLs test and Parent/Guardian Report. Letters are available in 41 languages, including English, from the WIDA website at http://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS/, under "Downloads and Products." (The Department recommends using Parent Letter B, because it is brief and appears to use simpler language; however, either letter A or B may be used). Please review the parent letters and available languages, and determine which letter your school will send, and whether you will send the letter using your school or district letterhead.

Additional Parent/Guardian Support Materials

The Department will soon make available a brief, parent-oriented PowerPoint presentation in English which may be presented to parents by the ELL director/designee, using volunteer or other district-based translators. This presentation will be posted to the ESE website in mid-May. Districts may wish to plan an ACCESS for ELLs support session for parents to understand the Parent/Guardian report and implications for their child. Please contact Paulette Watson in Student Assessment Services with any questions about ACCESS for ELLs testing at pwatson@doe.mass.edu or by phone at 781-338-3625.

Last Updated: May 3, 2013