• Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)

    This test is administered to English learners in order to measure progress toward meeting Minnesota’s standards for English language development. This assessment measures students' social and academic language in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing in kindergarten through grade 12. The ACCESS for ELLs has been given in Minnesota since 2012. The ACCESS test is based on academic standards aligned to:
    • Social and Instructional Language
    • Language of Language Arts
    • Language of Mathematics
    • Language of Science
    • Language of Social Studies
    Teachers are able to use ACCESS results to monitor student progress and growth in English language acquisition. Students that demonstrate language proficiency as measured by this assessment are exited from the program and parents/guardians are notified.

    The ACCESS is administered January to March and can take up to four (4) hours for students to complete.

    The individual student report for parents/guardians provides information about four domains; listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as an overall score combining the four domains. A scale score is calculated and associated with a language proficiency level between 1 and 6. The parent/guardian report also includes a description of each proficiency level achieved.

    Additional information about the ACCESS for ELL assessment can be found on WiDA website.