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Board hears about newcomer students and WIDA testing schedule; staff urge careful pacing to limit instructional loss
Summary
Administrators described 39 newcomer students with limited English, explained the WIDA assessment schedule and accommodations, and raised concerns about testing pace and instruction time lost to assessments.
District administrators told the board the middle school currently has about 39 newcomer students who speak very little English and described how the WIDA English-language proficiency assessment is administered and scheduled.
An instructional leader explained the WIDA assessment covers four domains—reading, writing, listening and speaking—and that the listening portion uses headphones and content-based prompts. The district began WIDA testing on Feb. 4 and expected to complete the scheduled sessions by about March 7, with makeups afterward. Administrators said the assessment is administered in grade-level waves and that the speaking sessions are scheduled separately so students are not overheard by peers.
Board members and staff discussed trade-offs between assessment pacing and lost instructional time. Staff described outreach and orientation steps taken with multilingual learners before testing—setting goals, explaining why the test matters and providing supports to reduce intimidation. The district also highlighted that WIDA results feed into supports and are a step toward recognition programs such as the Seal of Biliteracy in high school.
