As winter fades and the second semester picks up speed, testing season quickly approaches, bringing with it the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) exam.
The WIDA test is an English language proficiency exam that evaluates English Learner (EL) students in four key areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
The results of this exam helps teachers classify the students’ English readiness to see which areas the student needs assistance on. Once students demonstrate a high level of English proficiency, they no longer need to take the exam.
The four scores are then combined together in order to make one score for the student that helps administration determine where the student is in terms of understanding the English language.
The combined average score helps administrators determine which classes a student should take in order to be successful and get the support they need.
Over the years, the population of EL students in SHS has drastically increased. This year, the school administered the WIDA test to 720 students. Since the exam consists of four parts, the school is looking to give around 2,880 tests out to students.
In order to adapt to the increasing population of the EL community at SHS, administration had to reevaluate its testing process.
In previous years, WIDA testing was conducted in designated classrooms, with students rotating throughout the day. However, this system took three to five weeks to complete, causing students to miss nearly two classes each day.
“We realized that so many kids were losing instruction time within their EL classes,” social studies teacher David Luers said.
In search of a more efficient method, the school considered several alternatives, including an e-learning day to free up space for testing. However, the Indiana Department of Education ruled this option as too overwhelming for students, as the WIDA exam consists of four separate exams.
Instead, two 2-hour delay schedules were run in a row. This allowed for students to do testing
in the morning and the students who don’t take WIDA to do another state mandated event called Career Discovery Meetings.
The revised schedule allows testing to be completed in less time while reducing the burden on the students. Additionally, it ensures that non-EL students remain engaged in productive activity rather than losing instructional time, providing students with the opportunity to explore different career pathways and gain a better understanding of potential future careers.
Although the testing process may seem exhausting, it is considered to ultimately benefit EL students by helping them improve their English skills and communication abilities.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth with our EL students, which is exciting,” Walpole said. “It’s exciting to continue to grow them, not only from their English language skills, but as a student and as a young person in our community,” Walpole said.
