English Learners (ELs) are students in Wyoming schools whose primary language is not English. English Learners are enrolled with a variety of language backgrounds, educational experiences, and English proficiency levels. State education agencies, local education agencies, and schools are required by federal statutes to accurately identify English learners, provide equitable education, and increase their English proficiency.
Districts, teachers, families can find resources on the WIDA website to better understand assessment, instruction, and growth of English Learners and educators.
Identification
There is a 3-step identification process that all Wyoming school districts must follow to determine if a student is an English learner, which enables the student to receive English language services.
- Step One: Home Language Survey
- Step Two: Follow-up Family Interview
- Step Three: English Language Proficiency Screener
Assessment
An English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) assesses student progress towards attaining English proficiency. Wyoming is part of the WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) Consortium, a member-based organization that provides a suite of language proficiency tests for students in Grades K-12 who have been identified as Active English Learners. Active English Learners are required to participate in one of the ACCESS, English Language Proficiency Assessments (ELPA), general or alternate assessments once per year as indicated in 34 CFR § 200.6 (h). The ACCESS for ELLs is administered to students who can access the general curriculum with language supports. The WIDA Alternate ACCESS is administered to English learners who have been designated as a Student with the Most Significant Cognitive Disability (SMSCD) on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, and need language supports to access educational content aligned to the Wyoming Extended Standards.
