1. Administering the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)™ Georgia
Participants will receive an overview of the background and purpose of the adaptive WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT™), and learn how to administer and score all four components. The training module allows for state-level customization to address how different states interpret the W-APT results for the purpose of ELL placement and other service decisions.
Robert Kohl
Testing Coordinator
WIDA Consortium
Developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics

2. Aligned to WIDA ELP Standards
Background
Aligned to WIDA ELP Standards
4 grade level clusters: 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Discriminates across full range of WIDA ELP Scale (Levels 1-6)
No tiers
Fully adaptive
Individually administered
SEMI-SECURE
Like the ACCESS for ELLs® , the W-APT™ is aligned to the WIDA ELP Standards and is organized into a battery of tests for four grade level clusters (1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The new W-APT™ now measures up to level 6 of the WIDA English Language Proficiency Scale. Note that it is not designed as an exit test and should not be used for this purpose. The items on the W-APT™, as well as the standards on which they are based, align with the annual ACCESS for ELLs® -- an assessment that can be used as a criterion for exit decisions. (Exit criteria vary state to state.)

3. W-APT™ Score Information
Test materials include instructions for calculating student’s overall composite score
Reading and Writing weigh 35% each
Listening and Speaking weigh 15% each
The composite score combines the L, R, S, W scores – weighted more heavily on the R&W (35% each) than the oral proficiency score (30% total), as on ACCESS for ELLs® , the rationale being that these are the skills that will be most important when a student performs on a state content assessment, and a score on ACCESS for ELLs® is considered to be one predictor of that performance.

4. W-APT™ Training Resources
Test Administration Manual includes benchmark and training samples for use in scoring the Writing component
Online course (Speaking Test content and quiz)
The Test Administration Manual for the W-APT™ is your main resource for finding information on administering the screener. In addition, you can train to score the writing section of the W-APT™ using the Scored Writing Samples Guide, available on the WIDA website as well. To more thoroughly train for administering and scoring the Speaking component of W-APT™, you are encouraged to take the online ACCESS training course through the D2L system. The W-APT™ speaking test is the same as the ACCESS for ELLs® speaking test, although shorter.

5. 1-12: Which W-APT™ Forms to Give?
1-2:
For students in 2nd sem. Gr. 1 through 1st sem. Gr. 3
3-5:
For students in 2nd sem. Gr. 3 through 1st sem. Gr. 6
6-8:
For students in 2nd sem. Gr. 6 through 1st sem. Gr. 9
9-12:
For students in 2nd sem. Gr. 9 through 1st sem. Gr. 12
The reason for this is that students just entering 6th grade have not yet been exposed to the types of academic language they will encounter during grades 6-8. This is the type of academic language students encounter on the Grades 6-8 W-APT.
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12 K
1-2 Test
3-5 Test
6-8 Test
9-12 Test

6. Administration Times and General Scoring
Administration times vary from 45 – 90 minutes
Gr. 1-12
Time to Administer
How to Score
Speaking
up to 15 minutes
rubric
Listening
up to 20 minutes
answer key
Reading
Writing
up to 30 minutes
Remember that the time it takes to administer the W-APT™ to each student depends on his or her proficiency level. The tests are fully adaptive; consequently, students with higher English proficiency will progress further in the test, resulting in a longer administration time than for students who are less proficient in English.

7. General Administration and Using the Scoring Sheet
Set up:
Sit at right angle to student
Lay out papers
Follow script
Administer and score simultaneously
Follow guidelines for adaptivity (on scoring sheet)
Show example of adaptivity on scoring sheet
It is important to be thoroughly familiar with the materials and the directives in the script to ensure a smooth administration.

8. Completing the Scoring Sheet
Insert Listening items scores in this column, and Reading item scores in this column.
After reading the current item from the script aloud, check to see which response option the student is pointing to. Then, mark whether the student’s response is correct on the scoring sheet in the “Score” column (1 for a correct score and 0 for an incorrect score). Next, check the criterion for advancement and then navigate to the next appropriate theme folder depending on what the criterion for advancement indicates. In some cases you will have to page through the theme folder for the student to display the appropriate pages side-by-side. (In theme folders of more than two pages, the theme graphic on the first page should always be displayed even when the student is viewing items on the third, fourth, fifth pages, etc.) Transfer the student’s speaking score from page 1 of the scoring sheet onto Page 2 and then use the table at the bottom to calculate the student’s composite proficiency level using scores from all 4 domains. Remember that the Reading and Writing scores both count 35% toward the composite score, while Listening and Speaking each counts as 15%.

9. Up to 15 minutes Adaptive format 2 Parts per form: Scored using rubric
Speaking Test
Up to 15 minutes
Adaptive format
2 Parts per form:
Social Instructional (3 tasks)
Language Arts/Social Studies (5 tasks)
Scored using rubric
There are only two parts on the W-APT™ speaking test, so the maximum number of tasks that can be administered is 8. The ACCESS for ELLs® speaking training, available on D2L or through the training CD, can help you prepare for scoring speaking samples according to the rubric. You will score the speaking test of the W-APT™ using the same rubric as for ACCESS for ELLs® . <Have copies of the scoring rubric available.>
The Task number corresponds to the level of the rubric containing the expectations for students at that level. For a T3 (Task 3), for example, a student’s speech must fit the task level expectations in all three columns/parameters (Linguistic Complexity, Vocabulary Usage, Language Control) to merit a score of Meets. Even if the student does not meet the expectations in only one of the three columns, a score of Approaches should be assigned.
Note: For a more elaborate Speaking Test training, use the training PowerPoint presentation entitled Administering the ACCESS for ELLs® Speaking Test.

10. Rules for Standardizing the Speaking Test
Each item can be read only once (barring interruptions or if the student asks for a question to be repeated)
Administer the test in English only
Never write out parts of the test that are scripted as spoken items
Calibrate scoring skills
master use of the rubric
See rubric handout
This slide shows easy rules to follow to ensure consistent administration of the W-APT™ speaking test across testers, across districts, and from state-to-state.

11. Using the Rubric: Possible Ratings
Meets Task Level Expectations
Exceeds Task Level Expectations
Approaches Task Level Expectations
No Response
Not Administered
? (changes to meets or approaches)
(can’t be used on the last task in a section)
A rating of “Meets” corresponds to language described in the scoring rubric for the current task level (the rubric can be thought of as a summary of “Meets”). If a student does not meet these expectation in even one of the three columns (Linguistic Complexity, Vocabulary Usage, Language Control), but does produce some speech in English, a rating of “Approaches” should be assigned. If you are in doubt, after having asked every question in a given Task, as to whether the student “Meets” or “Approaches” the expectations at the current Task level, or if the student is on the borderline, the ‘?’ rating can be given. The ‘?’ rating is only temporary and must be replaced with the rating given at the completion of the very next task. The ‘?’ rating cannot be used on the last Task in any Part of the Speaking Test. Exceeds does not result in a higher score for the student; it does, however, help the test administrator re-calibrate to the rubric when listening to several strong students. Because there are no tiers in the speaking test, even very high performing students (students who would be assigned the tier C Listening, Reading and Writing test) must perform level 1 Tasks. Consequently, one should expect some students to exceed the task level expectations in quantity and/or quality (i.e. to produce level 2 language for a level 1 task, level 3 language for a level 2 task, etc.). In these cases the test administrator should assign a score of Exceeds (if student exceeds task level expectations in at least one of the three columns of the rubric) in order to maintain the focus on Task level expectations and not shift expectations for Meets to match what a more proficient student may have produced. “No response” should be assigned only in cases where the student says nothing at all, replies but not in English, or says simply “I don’t know” to all of the questions in the Task. Note: If a student replies in a language other than English, ask the student, “Can you tell me that/say that in English?” to give the student another opportunity to respond before you would conclude “No response.”

12. How to Use the Rubric
Look at proficiency level for the task being administered.
Examine the expectations for each task level.
Determine whether student’s response meets the stated expectations for that task level.
Do not score for content accuracy, but for the level of language expected at that task level.
The W-APT™ is designed to measure academic English language proficiency, not content knowledge. Often in the speaking test, a student will produce an answer that would be considered incorrect if this test were designed to elicit content knowledge, rather than language proficiency. The key to scoring the speaking sample is to train yourself not to be distracted by the content accuracy of the response, i.e., whether or not the student’s answer would be considered “right” or “wrong” to an adult. (For example, in speaking benchmark #25, the child says that Mia is a leader because she is wearing black pants; this may not sound right to an adult, but the essential thing is that the student meets the task level expectations based on the language she uses.) Rather, focus on how the student uses his/her language resources to express himself/herself and ground your rating in the Task Level Expectations contained in the rubric. The test administrator's prior knowledge of the student’s ability and/or experience should not be considered in scoring the speaking test.

13. Recording Speaking Scores
Mark X for score for each task (T1, T2, etc.)
NOTE: This is different from the ACCESS where you need to bubble in the answers to be scored electronically!!!
This slide shows the Speaking Test scoring sheet for the W-APT™. Place an “X” in the appropriate box after administering each Task. Note that the column beneath the score of "Meets" is shaded because "Meets" is the expected score for each task. Remember that the question mark rating gives you some flexibility, but not a lot. If you have doubts, after administering ALL questions in a task, as to whether the student meets or merely approaches the task level expectations, you may temporarily assign a rating of ?. Then, proceed to the next task, rate it, and assign the same rating to the Task previously marked ?. The only exception to this rule would be if you assign ? and the next Task clearly merits “no response,” then change the ? on the previous Task to “Approaches.”

14. Recording Speaking Proficiency Level
Use table on Scoring Sheet to determine Proficiency Level
Enter Speaking PL in Composite Table on Page 2 of Scoring Sheet
As with the ACCESS for ELLs®, you will assign a qualitative rating (Meets or Approaches) to each Task as a whole, not each individual question. Unlike ACCESS for ELLs®, you will also convert those qualitative ratings into a numeric score using the conversion chart found beneath the qualitative ratings table.

15. Adaptivity: Rules for Advancement
Part B
Part A
Listening Test T1 T1 T2 T2 T3 T3
IN PART A
Go to next level Task if score on current Task is ?
Meets OR
Exceeds;
Go to Task 1 of Part B if score on current Task is
Approaches OR
No Response.
IN PART B
Go to next level Task if score on current Task is ?
Meets OR
Exceeds;
Go to LISTENING TEST if score on current Task is
Approaches OR
No Response. T4 T5
The speaking test is adaptive and this diagram shows the layout and rules for navigating its adaptivity model. In order to advance to the next Task in either Part, the student must score Meets or Exceeds. If the student merely “Approaches” on Task 1 or 2 in Part A, or if no response is given, skip to Task 1 in Part B. Here the same rules apply: advance through the tasks if the student scores Meets or Exceeds, but if not, bring the speaking test to a close by using the wind-down scripted at the end of the test.
Any Task following one marked Approaches (within a Part) should be marked Not Administered.

16. 6-8 Speaking, Part A Social Instructional
First let’s talk about school assignments.
This is a picture of Roberto. He is making a poster. The poster is for a book report. Now I am going to ask you some questions about this picture.
Q1: (POINT TO THE STUDENT) Who is this?
Q2: (POINT TO THE SCISSORS) What are these?
Q3: (POINT TO THE RULER) What is this?
Q4: (POINT TO THE ENTIRE PICTURE) What is Roberto doing?
Q5: (If necessary) What other things do you see in the picture? (OR) What else do you see in this picture?
This slide shows Task 1 in Part A of the W-APT™ Speaking Test for grades 6-8. Tasks on the Speaking Test include several questions. You will rate a Task based on the response given to each question in that task. Take all the student’s responses to questions in a task together holistically in order to make a determination about “Meets” or “Approaches.” Do not measure this by “2/3” questions or any such formula.
Some questions in a Task will be marked “(If necessary)”. You do not need to administer these questions if you have already concluded that a student Meets the task level expectations, but you do need to administer them if you are still in doubt. If, in this example, by the time you are finished with Question 4, you have enough evidence to conclude that a student meets the task level expectations at level 1 of the rubric, you may score Task 1 Meets and skip Q5, which is marked “If necessary.”

17. 6-8 Speaking, Part A, continued Social Instructional
Now, let’s look at the next set of pictures. These pictures show how Roberto completes the poster for his book report assignment.
First, he draws a picture from the book he has read and adds it to the poster.
Then he writes a paragraph about the book and adds it to the poster.
Finally, he checks the poster to see if anything needs to be changed before he presents his book report to the class.
Do you have any questions about these pictures? (PAUSE.)
Now I am going to ask you some questions about them.
Q1: (POINT TO PICTURE 1) What is Roberto doing here?
Q2: (POINT TO PICTURE 2) What is he doing here?
Q3: (POINT TO PICTURE 3) What is he doing here? T3
Now I want you to pretend that you are in Roberto’s class and have to do the same assignment.
Now tell me what you need to do.
This slide shows Task 2 of Part A for grades 6-8. This Task is designed to elicit language characteristic of the level 2 task level expectations in the rubric. Notice here that the question “Do you have any questions about these pictures?” is intended as a check-in with the student, as the test administrator has just offered quite a bit of “set-up” text. If, in posing this question, the student uses level 2 language, this can be used as partial evidence toward a score of Meets. If, however, a student struggles to ask a question, the student should not be penalized for this, as it is not part of the skills being assessed. If the student asks a question, do your best to answer it concisely in an appropriate, though simplified way that enables you to move on to the rest of the task without inviting other questions or comments from the student. In other words, your answer should not be so open-ended as to prompt other clarification questions.
Task 3 is designed to elicit language characteristic of the task level expectations at level 3 of the rubric even though it is only one question.

18. Practice in Scoring Speaking Tests
Study the speaking scoring rubric thoroughly
Listen to speaking test samples available on the WIDA/Desire2Learn website
Score the samples on a practice Scoring Sheet
Read the rationales for the samples and compare with your score
Refine your scoring to conform with the samples
Here are some guidelines for how to prepare for live scoring of the Speaking Test for W-APT™. Study the scoring rubric thoroughly so you do not need to have it with you during the test. By the time you administer the test you should have a clear understanding of the expectations at each level, as well as how to navigate through the test based on a student’s response. (In Part A, once a student scores “Approaches” or “No response,” mark “Not administered” for the remainder of the tasks in Part A and then skip to Task 1 in Part B.) The rubric is the same for all grade level clusters, so practicing on all samples will be beneficial for you, even if you will only be testing grades 3-5, for example. All benchmark samples are accompanied by a rationale explaining their rating, and grounding that rating in the criteria set forth in the rubric.
For additional practice, try writing your own rationale for your scores, using the rubric to guide you.

19. Listening and Reading Tests
Multiple choice
Adaptivity: up to 20 minutes for each
Scripted:
Do not read theme, question or response choices unless scripted
For Reading:
Student reads to him/herself and points to answer
Compare student’s response with key on Scoring Sheet, mark 1 or 0
Unlike the ACCESS for ELLs® test, on the W-APT™ students will point to, rather than fill in, their answers on the Listening and Reading tests. As the test administrator you must record a “1” or a “0” on the scoring sheet, indicating whether the answer the student points to is correct or incorrect, respectively.
Once a theme folder in the W-APT™ is begun, you must finish that theme folder before deciding whether or not to move on to the next theme folder. Do not stop a student in the midst of any theme folder, even if the student has already answered the majority of the items in that folder incorrectly. Simply finish the theme folder, which will provide closure for both you and the student, mark whether each answer is correct or incorrect and then advance to the next domain (Reading if you are finishing the Listening test, or Writing if you are finishing the Reading test).

20. How to Read the Scripts Directions are bold and italicized.
Display both pages of theme folder for student.
Unlike ACCESS for ELLs®, the W-APT™ theme folders are not presented in bound booklets (because they are downloaded by the test administrator from Thus, the test administrator must position the first two pages of a theme folder side-by-side for the student. In the event of a theme folder that is more than 2 pages (it is rare, but will occur in some grade-level clusters), there will be scripted directives for the test administrator to place the first and third pages side-by-side when the time comes, then the first and fourth, etc., so that the theme graphic is always available for a student up to the last item of the folder to which that theme graphic belongs.
Both Listening and Reading start with scripted practice items designed to get the student used to hearing or reading the prompts and then pointing to his or her answers before being presented with a scored task. You will recognize these practice items from ACCESS for ELLs®, but they have been rescripted to be appropriate for a one-on-one format and for pointing, rather than filling in circles.
The item itself is bold.

21. Organization of Test Items (Listening & Reading)
Proficiency Level
Increasing Difficulty of Theme Folders 5+
Part E
Part D 5
Part C
Part B 4
Part A 3 2
Standard (example)
Social/ Instructional
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
The Listening and Reading tests each consists of five theme folders. A theme folder is a set of test items that target related skills and which are accompanied by a graphic and/or text that serves all items in that folder. The test items (or questions) increase in difficulty from one folder to the next. Average difficulty within the folders is relatively equal. This diagram shows that the average difficulty of an item in Folder 1 is 3, the average difficulty of items in Folder 2 is 3.5, and so on. This design is the basis of the W-APT™’s adaptivity: you will continue the test until a student reaches his or her ceiling. In other words, once a student completes a theme folder in which s/he has not met the criterion for advancement (i.e. answered the majority of items in that folder correctly), you would discontinue that section (whether it’s Listening or Reading) and move on to the next section (Reading or Writing, respectively).

22. Adaptivity of Listening and Reading Tests
After completing a Part, tally total correct for that theme folder
Follow criterion for advancement to decide next step
Use the “Criterion for Advancement” column to navigate your way through this adaptive test. This column will tell you when to move from Listening to Reading and from Reading to Writing. Later you can calculate the total raw score for each domain, using the Scored Writing Samples booklet, an addendum to the W-APT™ Test Administration Manual, to determine the score for Writing. Again, even if you know after three of 4 items that the student has mastered that theme folder and will continue, do not interrupt the flow of the test/script by jumping ahead to the next theme folder. Always finish every theme folder started in the W-APT™.

23. 3-5 Listening Theme Folder (Part C: Place Value)
Theme graphic
The Listening and Reading Tests for all grade level clusters begin with an entire Practice theme folder, which allows both the student and TA to practice the pointing and recording instructions given in the script.
Here is an example of a theme folder from the grades 3-5 W-APT™. In this case the theme graphic contextualizes the items for the student. In some cases, the student is asked to extract information from the theme graphic in order to answer questions.

24. 3-5 Listening Theme Folder (Part C: Place Value)
Student hears
Student sees
Number 8.
Take a moment now to read the answer choices.
Now listen to Number 8.
A decimal point looks like a period. Meng's teacher tells the students that if there is a zero or no numbers to the left of the decimal point, the number is less than one.
Which number is less than one?
Number 9.
Now listen to Number 9.
Meng's teacher says that the more numbers there are to the left of the decimal point, the bigger the number is.
Which number is the greatest?
Look at the top of the next page.
Number 10.
Take a moment now to read the answer choices. Listen carefully. This is long. You may take notes.
Now listen to Number 10.
Meng has learned how to change place value. If a number is multiplied by 10, she moves the decimal to the right one place. Meng's teacher writes the number "3.25" on the board. If the number is multiplied by 10, the answer is 32.5.
If 4.32 is multiplied by ten, what is the answer?
This slide shows the same theme folder as the previous one, only with the script on the left and the items on the right.

25. 1-2 Reading Theme Folder (with Sample Item)
In the 1-2 Reading Test, some theme folders have sample items. In these cases, there is more scripting of the theme and the items. Read only what is scripted. The sample item is NOT scored, although the key does appear on the scoring sheet.

26. 1-2 Reading Theme Folder (without sample)
When a Reading theme folder has no Sample Item, the only scripting allowed is “Do these next items by yourself.”

27. Writing Test Up to 30 minutes Prompts in Main Test Booklet
Student writes in separate student writing booklet
2 tasks per form:
Tier A, Social Instructional Language
Tier C, Math Language
Administer Tier A AND/OR Tier C based on S, L, and R scores
Score using rubric
Enter score on scoring sheet
In each grade level cluster there are two Writing tasks; some students will complete Part A only, some will complete Part B only, and some will complete both. Part A contains a low-level Social Instructional Writing task (corresponding to Levels 1-3 on the WIDA ELP proficiency scale). Administer this task if you feel, based on the student’s performance in the previous three sections of the test, that s/he would not be capable of a more advanced math Writing task (corresponding to Levels 3-5 on the WIDA ELP proficiency scale). Part B contains a high-level Math Writing Task. Administer only Part B if you feel, based on the student’s performance in the previous three sections of the test, that the easier task (Part A) would be very easy for the student and would not be informative about his or her Proficiency Level.

28. Grades 9-12 Writing Task, Part A Social Instructional Language
This is an example of a low-level social and instructional writing theme folder. Both tasks in this theme folder (#1 and #2) would be administered and scored; see training papers for example.

29. Grades 9-12 Writing Task, Part B Math Language
In some cases, you may administer Part A (the Social Instructional writing theme folder), and after having scored it you will determine that the student “topped out,” or scored the maximum according to the rubric and benchmark samples. In this case, you would then administer the Part B task (the Math writing theme folder), and the final Writing score would be the higher of the two scores given. Follow the Test Administrator’s Script exactly. The writing Test is designed to take approximately 15 minutes to complete if only one task is administered, and 30 minutes if both tasks are administered.