USBE trains new assessment directors on WIDA screeners, EL identification steps and account setup

Megan Lopez, an assessment specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, and Tracy Gulley, a USBE special education assessment specialist, led a recorded training for new assessment directors explaining how and when to use WIDA screeners to identify English learners (ELs) in Utah.

The session walked attendees through the state’s required sequence: (1) completion of the home language survey at enrollment; (2) screening if any of the first three home-language questions indicate a language other than English; (3) marking EL status, screener date and overall screener score in the local student information system (SIS); and (4) administering annual ACCESS testing for students who qualify. “This is our new AD training that is going to be specifically, looking at screeners,” Lopez said at the start of the webinar. The training was recorded and will be posted to USBE’s YouTube channel.

Why it matters: the WIDA screeners determine which students are identified for EL services, a status that affects instruction, federal reporting and civil-rights protections. Lopez and Gulley emphasized that ADs must ensure LEA practices align with federal and state requirements (Title III and ESSA) and the state’s identification and placement guidance.

Key procedural points

- Trigger to screen: The home language survey’s first three questions (updated in 2023 to align with Office for Civil Rights and Department of Justice guidance) trigger screening when any one of them indicates a…