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MSD Warren Township liaisons explain WIDA English-proficiency test and family supports at Lunch & Learn
Summary
At a Spanish-language Lunch & Learn, Claudia Guzmán, MSD Warren Township family liaison, explained the WIDA English-proficiency test — who takes it, when it is given and how families receive results — and reviewed district tools and community resources for multilingual families.
Claudia Guzmán, family liaison for MSD Warren Township, led a Spanish-language Lunch & Learn to explain the district’s approach to the WIDA English-language proficiency test and to review family resources available to Spanish-speaking households.
Guzmán said the event is part of a monthly "Lunch & Learn" series designed to boost parental engagement. She introduced Tabatha Jackson as "the lead family-liaison facilitator" and identified Kim Park as the director of the language department, noting Park was present to share information about the assessment.
Guzmán summarized why WIDA is given and who takes it. "WIDA is a test that teachers use to know what level students are at in English so they can adapt instruction," she said. She explained the test is administered to students identified at enrollment whose home language is not English and described the district’s current testing window as Jan. 13 through Feb. 28; she added WIDA is given annually in the spring.
On how families receive results, Guzmán said parents will get a mailed letter with a score from 0 to 5 and that the result is also available in the ParentView app. "If the score is less than 5, the student will continue receiving additional English support," she said. The meeting presentation stated results "normally come out in November," which the liaison attributed to the district’s usual reporting timeline.
Guzmán reviewed tools and supports for multilingual families: translation devices available in each school building, a designated family liaison at every school, and two district apps she urged parents to download — ParentView (for grades, absences and behavior reporting) and ParentSquare (for district and school messages and teacher contact). She also said she manages a WhatsApp group for Warren parents to share information and peer support.
The liaison described services available through the Moorehead Community Resource Center (transcript variants: "More Head"/"Morhand"), where she and Brenda Mendoza, the district social worker, help families with food and clothing distributions and referrals to external organizations.
Guzmán emphasized the importance of attendance, asked parents to report absences with specific information (caller name, student name, grade and reason), and encouraged parents to contact their school’s family liaison or teacher with questions. She closed by asking attendees to complete a brief survey in the meeting chat.
The next Lunch & Learn will be Feb. 25 and will cover math, reading and test-taking tips.
