Wisconsin DPI ELP Policy Handbook – Chapter 2: ELP Screening

ELP Screening in Wisconsin (Chapter 2: ELP Screening)

ELP screening is triggered when the Home Language Survey (HLS) indicates that a student new to Wisconsin is exposed to languages other than English at home. Districts must administer an English language proficiency (ELP) screener to obtain information to make an EL determination. For students flagged by the HLS, the final EL determination must be made within $30 ext{ days}$ of enrollment. This timeline applies both right before and during the annual ELP assessment window since the annual summative ELP results are not available within $30 ext{ days}$. Newly enrolled students who are determined to be EL within the annual ELP assessment window are expected to take the annual assessment; similarly, students transferring from out of state with current ELP records may or may not need screening, while students transferring within the state generally do not need screening. In practice, districts should generally retain the ELP code from the prior district (the last ACCESS for ELLs score is typically the last entry in WISEdash for Districts once the student is enrolled). The excerpt also notes exceptions to screening in a later section on Rescreening Students.

ELP Screeners are standardized assessments designed to identify the approximate level of English proficiency of a potential EL. Parents must be notified of their child’s ELP level within $30 ext{ days}$ of enrollment, and a screener must be used for this initial assessment because the annual summative ELP assessment is not available year-round and results are not provided within $30 ext{ days}$. This material appears in Chapter 2 of the Wisconsin DPI EL Policy Handbook, which is available online at the DPI English Learners portal. The content also references federal laws (e.g., 20 U.S.C. § 6312 and § 6823) and court cases cited in the handbook such as Rios v. Read.

Key Concepts in this Chapter

• The ELP screening process is designed to be standardized to reduce risk of discrimination, serving as a core indicator of EL status while recognizing it is not as precise as the summative ACCESS for ELLs.
• Screenings are locally scored by trained educators rather than automatically by an online system.
• Scoring mechanisms depend on the specific screener used.
• The district must provide parental notification about administering the screener and the results.

Eligibility and Parental Notification (Overview)

Eligibility for ELP screening hinges on the HLS indicating the need for screening at enrollment. If an HLS has not been administered, or if it indicates that screening should not occur, the student is not eligible for screening. There are also specific provisions for students who have exited and are being reconsidered for EL status.

Parents must receive written notification that the student was screened and informed of the results. This notification aligns with guidance in Chapter 3 (EL Determination) and Chapter 10 (Parental Engagement and Support).

Screener Options (Grade-based Allowances)

To comply with the ESEA requirement for a uniform statewide EL entry process, Wisconsin specifies different screeners by grade band. The following outlines the grade-based options and general considerations:

• Pre-K: There is no approved ELP screener for pre-kindergarten in this policy set. This is identified as N/A for Pre-K. It is noted that DPI encourages early identification of potential ELs prior to 5K to guide language supports.
• Kindergarten: The K W-APT (free) is a one-on-one tool available through the WIDA portal. The K W-APT is designed for use from about April of 4K through the first semester of 1st grade. For 4K students enrolling for 5K, only Listening and Speaking are administered in the first semester of 5K; in the second semester of 5K or the first semester of 1st grade, Reading and Writing may also be included.
• 1–12: The WIDA Screener (Online) is free through WIDA and typically administered in small groups; the WIDA Screener (Paper) is available for a district cost via WCER. The WIDA Screener (Online) is computer-based and mirrors the structure of ACCESS for ELLs, while the paper version is a separate option with a modest cost for materials.
• WIDA MODEL: The WIDA MODEL for Kindergarten can be used for 5K enrollment (or earlier in a limited capacity) and is free to districts for some uses. MODEL (in all grades) is a separate tool that can serve as progress monitoring or a benchmark, but MODEL scales are not identical to ACCESS for ELLs scales. The MODEL assessments must be purchased from the WCEPS store, and their ELP levels do not map 1:1 to ACCESS for ELLs levels.

Note: DPI allows the use of non-free screeners if a district chooses to purchase them, balancing the ESEA requirement with district flexibility.

Accessing Screeners and Training (Implementation)

• The K W-APT is available as a downloadable tool from the WIDA website for users with a WIDA account. District EL staff without a WIDA account should contact their District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) to obtain one. If access is lacking, the DAC should contact the WIDA help desk.
• The MODEL screener may be purchased from the WCEPS store.
• The WIDA Screener (Online) is installed on local hardware similarly to other DPI-approved assessments and requires related DRC software (COS/INSIGHT) depending on district setup. The WIDA Screener (Paper) is available through the WCEPS store.
• Training is provided by WIDA and includes certification for administration and scoring. All staff who administer screeners must complete the appropriate WIDA trainings and pass the certification tests at least once per year. DACs should monitor training offerings and require recertification in case of major changes; they may also require annual recertification for reliability concerns.
• Only staff licensed in Wisconsin may score a screener. Scoring for paper screeners often must occur at the time of administration.
• Kindergarten screeners require that the speaking domain be scored during administration, so it is preferred that EL-experienced educators train to administer the entire kindergarten set.
• For Grades 1–12, the WIDA Screener Online is computer-based and automatically scores Reading and Listening; Speaking and Writing are recorded for later scoring. A separate training path exists for Speaking and Writing. If using the WIDA Screener Paper, Speaking must be scored at the time of administration.

Interpreting ELP Screener Results

• The overall composite score from an ELP screener is used as a core indicator of likely EL status. Final EL determinations may also incorporate additional data (e.g., the Multiple Indicator Protocol) in Chapter 15.
• WIDA Screener results:
  • Scores of $5.0 ext{ to } 6.0$ indicate English proficiency.
  • Scores of $4.0 ext{ to } 4.9$ are borderline English proficient.
  • Scores below $4.0$ indicate not proficient.
• WIDA MODEL (Kindergarten): The MODEL is based on a pre-2017 scale, so only students who score $6.0$ on MODEL are likely fully English proficient; those scoring below 6 are most likely ELs. Note that MODEL levels do not align perfectly with the current ACCESS for ELLs scale.
• For Kindergarten W-APT, map qualitative results to ELP codes according to a defined scheme (see Interpreting K W-APT results below).

Interpreting K W-APT and ELP Codes

• Kindergarten W-APT results are qualitative and must be translated into ELP codes for SIS entry. The following interpretive mapping is used:

  • low → ELP 1–2
  • mid → ELP 3–4
  • high → ELP 5
  • exceptional → ELP 7

• Some students may be unable to access one or two domains on an ELP assessment due to disability. Such students may be eligible for an Alternate Overall Composite calculation (see Chapter 13 – Unique Circumstances).

• ELP proficiency scores noted in the policy include specific proficient cutoffs:

  • Kindergarten: W-APT → Exceptional for high proficiency; MODEL → 6.0 indicates likely proficiency; 5.0 and above on W-APT are tied to higher proficiency levels as noted in the ELP Screener Proficient Scores table.
  • 1–12: WIDA Screener → 5.0–6.0 indicates proficiency; 4.0–4.9 indicates borderline; below 4.0 indicates not proficient.
  • Students reaching these scores should be flagged as not EL (ELP 7) when appropriate in the district SIS.

Rescreening (Four Circumstances)

A student should generally only be screened once, but four circumstances may merit a rescreening:
1) There was a test abnormality during the initial screener administration.
2) A student was screened and identified as EL but left the district before the ACCESS for ELLs window opened and did not take the test; if the student returns and has not been screened (or had ACCESS in another district) within the last $12 ext{ consecutive months}$, re-screening is considered.
3) An EL who has taken ACCESS for ELLs returns to the district and has not taken ACCESS for ELLs for at least $12 ext{ consecutive months}$. In this case the ELP screener can determine placement, but if the student scores proficient, their ELP code should be set at 5, and they should be enrolled as EL.
4) If a student is within a two-year monitoring period and may be returning to EL status, an ELP screener can be used to determine eligibility and placement.

Additional Notes and Updates

• The DPI recommends checking for updates to these policies at least annually. The most current version can be found at the DPI English Learners site.
• Version history highlights include: 0.9 (4/25/2018), 1.0 (8/15/2018), 1.1 (7/1/2019), 1.2 (1/31/2020).

Summary of Core Points

• Screenings are required within $30 ext{ days}$ for eligible students and must be used to inform EL status when HLS indicates risk.
• Parental notification within $30 ext{ days}$ is mandatory.
• Eligibility hinges on HLS data; misclassified or reconsidered cases have dedicated guidance in later chapters.
• A spectrum of screeners exists by grade level and time of year, with WIDA tools dominating the landscape (W-APT for K, WIDA Screener for 1–12, MODEL as an additional option).
• All staff involved in administration and scoring must be properly trained and certified annually; licensing restrictions apply to who may score.
• Results feed into EL determinations, with final decisions often incorporating multiple indicators beyond screener results (e.g., MIP/observational data).
• Rescreening is limited to defined circumstances and requires adherence to the 12-month/12-month re-screening windows where applicable.