Table of Contents A. GENERAL INFORMATION...3 WHAT IS WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 3 HOW DOES PAPER-BASED WIDA MODEL COMPARE TO WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 3 WHO DEVELOPED WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 4 WHAT ARE UNIQUE FEATURES OF WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 4 IS THERE A SAMPLE TEST FOR MY STUDENTS?... 5 DOES WIDA PROVIDE A TABLE OF SPECS THAT DESCRIBE HOW EACH ITEM CONNECTS TO COMMON CORE STANDARDS, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AND LANGUAGE FUNCTION?... 5 HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER AN ITEM TESTS A CERTAIN PROFICIENCY LEVEL? WHAT MEASURES/CRITERIA DO YOU USE?... 5 DOES WIDA MODEL ONLINE INCLUDE A BANK OF TEST ITEMS SO THAT IF STUDENTS TAKE A TEST A SECOND TIME, WILL THEY BE PRESENTED WITH DIFFERENT ITEMS?... 5 IS WIDA MODEL ONLINE ABLE TO PROVIDE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS?... 6 HOW DOES WIDA MODEL ASSESS THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGE DOMAINS?... 6 WHAT ARE FUTURE PLANS FOR WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 6 B. WIDA MODEL ONLINE TEST ADMINISTRATION...7 WHEN SHOULD I GIVE THE ASSESSMENT?... 7 IS WIDA MODEL ONLINE INDIVIDUALLY ADMINISTERED OR GROUP ADMINISTERED?... 7 HOW LONG DOES THE ASSESSMENT TAKE TO ADMINISTER?... 7 WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS AN INTERRUPTION OR WE NEED TO STOP THE TEST?... 7 CAN I ADMINISTER A HYBRID OF PAPER-BASED AND WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 7 DOES WIDA MODEL ONLINE MEASURE/TRACK HOW LONG STUDENTS SPEND ON A QUESTION?... 8 OTHER THAN MANAGEMENT, WHAT IS THE TEACHER S ROLE IN THE TEST ADMINISTRATION PROCESS? 8 IS THE SPEAKING RECORDED?... 8 WHY DOES THE STUDENT SEE HOW THE TEST ADMINISTRATOR SCORES HIM/HER IN THE SPEAKING TEST? WILL THIS AFFECT VALIDITY OF SCORES?... 8 THE WRITING RUBRIC AND SPEAKING RUBRIC ARE FOR GRADES 1-12. HOW DO I DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SCORES AT DIFFERENT GRADES?... 8 HOW MANY TEST FORMS CAN I ASSIGN A STUDENT?... 8 C. PURCHASING WIDA MODEL...9 CAN NON-WIDA MEMBERS PURCHASE WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 9 WHAT DO I GET WHEN I PURCHASE WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 9 HOW MUCH DOES WIDA MODEL ONLINE COST?... 9 ONCE I HAVE PLACED MY ORDER, HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE I CAN ADMINISTER THE TEST?... 9 HOW CAN I ORDER THE TESTS?... 9 IS IT BETTER TO PLACE THE ORDER CLOSER TO THE TEST DATE?... 9 D. ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNTS AND LOGGING IN... 10 WHAT ACCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE IN WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 10 I FORGOT MY USER ID/PASSWORD. WHERE CAN I FIND THEM?... 10 HOW DO I CREATE USER NAMES/PASSWORDS FOR NEW USERS?... 10 CAN I HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON LOG IN WITH THE SAME LOGIN INFORMATION AT THE SAME TIME?... 10 THE SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO LOG IN. WHAT CAN I DO?... 10
E. TRAINING AND TEST ADMINISTRATORS... 10 WHAT TRAINING MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE FOR WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 10 WHERE CAN I FIND THE TRAINING MATERIALS?... 11 DOES WIDA OFFER IN-PERSON TRAINING ON ADMINISTERING WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 11 CAN TEACHERS ACCESS WRITING SAMPLES AFTER THE TEST FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, REFLECTION, AND TO DEVELOP INTER-RATER RELIABILITY?... 11 F. SCORES, REPORTS, AND DATA MANAGEMENT... 12 HOW ARE WIDA MODEL ONLINE SCORES REPORTED?... 12 HOW AND WHEN DO WE GET THE SCORES?... 12 WHAT REPORTS ARE INCLUDED AND WHAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN THE SCORE REPORTS FOR WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 12 CAN I ORDER ADDITIONAL SCORE REPORTS?... 13 CAN I CREATE A DATABASE OF THE TEST RESULTS FOR EACH SCHOOL?... 13 WHERE CAN I FIND A COPY OF PREVIOUS YEARS SCORES?... 13 WILL THERE BE ANY PLACE TO COMPARE SCORES FOR INDIVIDUALS/SCHOOLS/DISTRICTS?... 13 WHEN UPLOADING STUDENT ROSTERS ONLINE, CAN THE IMPORT INCLUDE DATA COLLECTED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS' ASSESSMENTS?... 13 WILL DATA COLLECTED IN THIS ONLINE VERSION CARRY OVER TO THE MODEL 2.0 VERSION?... 14 IS WIDA MODEL ONLINE ABLE TO GIVE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS STATISTICALLY ANALYZED DATA?... 14 WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS WITH THE SCORE REPORTS?... 14 G. TECHNOLOGY... 15 WHAT ARE THE MINIMAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TEST ADMINISTRATION?... 15 H. TEST SECURITY... 18 HOW WILL WIDA ENSURE TEST SECURITY?... 18 CAN STUDENTS USE THEIR OWN COMPUTERS TO TAKE WIDA MODEL ONLINE?... 18 I. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES... 19 ARE THE TEST ADMINISTRATORS ALLOWED TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS?... 19 J. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS... 19 THE WRITING PROMPTS ARE VERY US CENTRIC. HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED BY WIDA, WHEN WIDA MODEL IS BEING USED AT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS?... 19 2
A. General Information What is WIDA MODEL Online? WIDA MODEL Online is the computer-delivered version of WIDA MODEL. WIDA MODEL will now be offered as both a paper-based assessment and an online assessment. Like paper-based WIDA MODEL, the online version is an English language proficiency assessment that can be used by educators as an identification/placement tool for newly enrolled ELLs or as an interim progress monitoring assessment. Unlike ACCESS for ELLs, WIDA MODEL is available for use in schools around the world. WIDA MODEL Online is available for students in Grades 1-12. How does paper-based WIDA MODEL compare to WIDA MODEL Online? WIDA MODEL Online WIDA MODEL Paper-Based Test Items Test Materials Test Administration Format Grades 6-12 items are identical to paper-based. Grades 1-5 includes additional Step 1 items, and several refreshed items. Test Administrator Interface Student Test Platform Headphones (not included) All training materials are included in the Test Administrator Interface Speaking is one-on-one Listening, Writing, and Reading are group administered Originally developed between 2008-2011. Based on the 2007 WIDA ELP standards. Test Administrator Script Speaking/Listening Prompts Reading Test Booklet Student Response Booklet Score Sheet Test Administration Training CD Test Administration Training DVD Speaking and Listening are one-on-one Writing and Reading are small-group administered Writing Tasks 3 options 2 options Scoring Score reports Speaking & Writing Scoring completed by test administrator Listening and Reading responses are captured and scored by the test engine Individual Student Parent/Guardian Report Roster Report All domains scored by administrator on provided scoring sheets Summary Score Sheet 3
Cost Please see the WIDA Store for most current pricing for members and non-members US WIDA Consortium members and WIDA International School Consortium members receive member pricing US Non-members pay nonmember pricing. If you are not an employee of a school system you are not able to purchase WIDA MODEL materials. International customers that are not members of the International School Consortium are not able to purchase the MODEL Assessments Please see the WIDA Store for most current pricing for members and non-members US WIDA Consortium members and WIDA International School Consortium members receive member pricing US Non-members pay nonmember pricing. If you are not an employee of a school system you are not able to purchase WIDA MODEL materials. International customers that are not members of the International School Consortium are not able to purchase the MODEL Assessments Replacement kit parts purchased as needed. What are unique features of WIDA MODEL Online? Recorded Scripting: The scripts for the Listening, Reading, and Writing domains are all recorded and embedded within the test platform. Test administration can be more standardized in this way. Student responses are captured by the test platform: The test platform captures and stores the student responses in Listening and Reading. Student writing is captured in the platform, and then scored by the test administrator. Test administrator s ratings of a student s responses in the Speaking test are recorded in the system. Automatic scoring: No longer do you need to use the WIDA MODEL Score calculator! Once all domains are administered, you will see student scores (proficiency levels and scale scores). Note, test administrators must manually input the writing scores after scoring the responses. Additional Writing Tasks: One additional writing task (for a total of three different options) is included. Score reports: Parent/Guardian, Individual Student, and Roster reports are available as soon as the test is completed. 4
Who developed WIDA MODEL Online? WIDA MODEL was co-developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) and the WIDA Consortium. Paper-based WIDA MODEL was transitioned to the online platform with the help of MetriTech. Is there a sample test for my students? There is an option to be set up with a trial account of WIDA MODEL Online so that you can take a look at the product and determine if the online version will work with your technology. The trial account is not meant to be used to test students and use any data gathered. Any information obtained during your trial period will be deleted. If you are interested in getting set up with a trial account please email the WIDA Store at store@wceps.org to make your request. Within the system there is a Practice a Test option where you are shown all of the items in the test. The Practice a Test option is not adaptive. This is by design so that the administrator can become familiar with all items in the test. You can view the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Paper Sample items, which are available on the WIDA website. Does WIDA provide a table of specs that describe how each item connects to common core standards, cognitive function, and language function? WIDA does not provide the item specifications for the test items that appear on the assessment. However, in the User Guide for the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Sample Items, we do provide information about how the sample items connect to the WIDA Standards and MPIs. It is important to note that WIDA MODEL (and therefore, WIDA MODEL Online) item specifications were written to the 2007 WIDA ELP standards, which did not include an explicit connection to Common Core cognitive function. How do you determine whether an item tests a certain proficiency level? What measures/criteria do you use? Test items on WIDA assessments are aligned to the WIDA ELD standards. Item specifications have been written, which provide parameters (in terms of content and language, support, etc.) for what should be included in the item. Each item is written to assess a single Model Performance Indicator. Items are field tested and then a Rasch analysis is completed to determine an item s difficulty, measure, and fit statistics. See the Annual Technical Report for ACCESS for ELLs for specifics about the process. Does WIDA MODEL Online include a bank of test items so that if students take a test a second time, will they be presented with different items? WIDA MODEL Online does not have an item bank for students who take the test multiple times. The online version will function exactly as the paper-based version, in that there is an adaptive Speaking test, followed by Listening Step 1 and then Low, Mid, or High Listening 5
Step 2. Next, students take the Writing test in which they will see one of three tasks that is determined by the test administrator. Reading Step 1 follows, and then Low, Mid, or High Reading Step 2. It is important to note that the Grades 1-2 and 3-5 assessments have two versions of each Step 1 (Listening and Reading). The Test Administrator Interface will select which version the student will see. Is WIDA MODEL Online able to provide formative assessments? WIDA MODEL Online is identical to paper-based WIDA MODEL, but the test is delivered online rather than through printed materials. There is still an option to give the Screener version or the full-length Summative assessment. There will be no additional assessments added to WIDA MODEL Online. WIDA does not recommend using WIDA MODEL as a formative assessment. How does WIDA MODEL assess the different language domains? WIDA MODEL assesses each of the four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To the extent possible, we try to tease apart the different domains; however, we understand there is some overlap in domains and we are constrained by test design. WIDA MODEL utilizes selected response items to assess the receptive domains of listening and reading. Constructed responses items are used to assess the productive domains of writing and speaking. What are future plans for WIDA MODEL Online? Early Years: The WIDA Early Years Department has finalized an assessment for dual language learners aged 2.5-5.5 years. The assessment includes: a language use survey, parent/caregiver questionnaire, a play-based activity, and an observational protocol. For more information about the Early English Language Development Standards, please click here or contact WIDA directly. Kindergarten: At this point, WIDA is planning for what changes might be made to the paperbased WIDA MODEL kindergarten assessment. As we have more concrete plans for what/how we will revise the kindergarten assessment, those will be shared. Grades 1-12: WIDA is also planning the next generation of WIDA MODEL Online, WIDA MODEL 2.0. WIDA MODEL 2.0 will have all new items that are staged-adaptive, revised grade clusters, and the ability to capture student speaking samples. WIDA MODEL 2.0 will be based on the same test and item specifications as ACCESS for ELLs 2.0. At this time, a timeframe for release is not available. 6
B. WIDA MODEL Online Test Administration When should I give the assessment? As with paper-based WIDA MODEL, the assessment can be given at any time of the year. However, we recommend that the full-length summative assessment be administered at the end of the year, while the screener is administered at the beginning of the year, or upon entry into a school or district. Is WIDA MODEL Online individually administered or group administered? The Listening, Reading, and Writing Domains are designed to be administered in groups, but you may choose to administer these domains in a one-on-one setting. Speaking is always individually administered. How long does the assessment take to administer? Please note however, that the Listening and Reading tests are self-paced, in that students move on to the next item after they have selected an answer. What happens if there is an interruption or we need to stop the test? The Test Administrator Interface allows the proctor to pause and restart test sessions. The student s position in the test is bookmarked. When a test session is resumed it continues at the point where it was interrupted. If there is any interruption in the connection, test administrators can restart the test session and students responses up to that point will be saved. You will not be charged for additional assessments, as you are just continuing a test that is in progress. Can I administer a hybrid of paper-based and WIDA MODEL Online? WIDA MODEL Online was designed to have all domains administered in the online interface. If a domain is not completed, there will be no scores reported for the entire test. In Writing, at this time, all students in Grades 6-12 must respond by keyboarding. Students taking WIDA MODEL Online 1-2 or 3-5 will hand-write their response. After the writing is complete, the writing score will still be recorded in the Test Administrator Interface. 7
Does WIDA MODEL Online measure/track how long students spend on a question? No, this data is not reported. Other than management, what is the teacher s role in the test administration process? For Speaking, the test administrator must rate the student as he/she speaks. For Listening, Reading, and Writing, the test administrator is really a proctor, as the student independently completes those domains. The test administrator will also need to score the writing test during the session (for Quick Score) and after the assessment (Final Rating). Is the speaking recorded? For WIDA MODEL Online, student speech will not be recorded. The test administrator must score the student during the test session. Why does the student see how the test administrator scores him/her in the Speaking test? Will this affect validity of scores? One of the goals for creating WIDA MODEL Online was to reduce the number of printed materials, which is why there is not a printed speaking booklet or script. Additionally, we wanted to keep costs down, and this design allowed for such. Finally, we wanted to keep the Speaking test as a comfortable, shared conversation around an image, rather than involving multiple computers. The scores are coded as M, A and?, to avoid influencing student responses. The Writing Rubric and Speaking Rubric are for Grades 1-12. How do I distinguish between scores at different grades? The rubrics were written in a very general manner intentionally, so that educators can interpret them in light of their own grade level and curriculum. In the Test Administrator Interface, there are grade-cluster specific training materials that include examples of writing responses for the different grade clusters. The Speaking training is also gradecluster specific. How many test forms can I assign a student? If you purchase three administrations, you may use those all on one student, if you choose. A student can be assigned up to three test forms, but not all at once. If you assign 6-8 Summative WT 1 to a student, you will have to wait for the student to finish the test before you can assign Summative WT 2 or WT 3. You may even assign WT 1 again after the student has completed the test. You may also assign one test from 6-8 Summative and one from 6-8 Screener, as they are two different test forms. 6-8 Screener follows the same rules as mentioned, where the student can only have one active 6-8 Screener test at a time. 8
C. Purchasing WIDA MODEL Can non-wida members purchase WIDA MODEL Online? Any US-based school may purchase WIDA MODEL materials. US Customers that are not part of a school are not able to purchase WIDA MODEL products. WIDA MODEL materials are only meant for customers within a school system and are not meant for parents, tutors, etc. International schools must be members of the WIDA International School Consortium to purchase WIDA MODEL materials. What do I get when I purchase WIDA MODEL Online? You will not receive any physical items when you purchase WIDA MODEL Online. You will only receive an email with your log in details for your WIDA MODEL Online account. WIDA MODEL Online is sold as a set of 15 tests (or administrations ) and you can test any student in Grades 1-12. You do not need to purchase based on specific grade clusters like the paper WIDA MODEL kits. Once you begin testing a student that counts as one of your 15 administrations. If you have 45 students that you will be testing once, you would purchase three sets of WIDA MODEL Online so that you have exactly 45 tests to administer. If you will be testing those same students again, you would purchase an additional three sets so that you had 90 total tests. You are able to set up as many test administrators as you need. There is no limit to the number of people that are able to test students. How much does WIDA MODEL Online cost? Please see the WIDA Store for must current pricing for members and non-members. Once I have placed my order, how long do I have to wait before I can administer the test? Once we have received your order we will have our tech team set up your account. Please note that this is done manually and that you will not receive your log in details immediately. Our business hours are 8-4pm CST so if you purchase outside of those hours you will have to wait until the next business day to receive your log in email. How can I order the tests? You may place your order directly through the WIDA Store or email us a purchase order. The WIDA Store accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, purchase orders and checks. If you are purchasing WIDA MODEL Online with a purchase order please include the contact name and email for the person who should receive the account details. You can order additional assessments at any time via this same process. We will be able to match up your school information with your current account to add the additional tests. Is it better to place the order closer to the test date? WIDA MODEL Online test administrations are good for a period of two years starting from the end the month of purchase. At the end of this period, unused test administrations will 9
expire. If you do not purchase additional test administrations, each account user will have access to the WIDA MODEL application for two additional years (the Data Retention Period ), unless account owner terminates its use of the WIDA MODEL application or school and test administrator accounts earlier. D. Administrator Accounts and Logging In What accounts are available in WIDA MODEL Online? The purchaser sets up the owner account. The owner account does not have the ability to administer the test; user accounts associated with the owner account must be created. Owner accounts will have access to data for all user accounts associated with it. There are three types of WIDA MODEL user accounts that can perform WIDA MODEL administrations: one for district administrators, one for school administrators and one for test administrators. The three types of WIDA MODEL user accounts have different WIDA MODEL application access and administrative rights, with district administrators having the greatest, followed by school administrators and then test administrators. User accounts are individual accounts and should not be shared with multiple users. I forgot my user id/password. Where can I find them? You should contact the person associated with the district administrator user account. If you are the district administrator user, contact the account owner. Otherwise, contact MetriTech at modelsupport@metritech.com. If you know your user name, you can enter it and have the password sent to the e-mail address that was entered when the user name was created. How do I create user names/passwords for new users? The District Administrator User Account has the ability to create additional users (Administrators) for the site. See the User s Guide to the Test Administrator Interface for WIDA MODEL Online Grades 1-12 for instructions. Can I have more than one person log in with the same login information at the same time? The user name may only be used at one workstation at a time. The system does not allow me to log in. What can I do? Call MetriTech Customer Service- Toll-free: 1.800.747.4868 E-mail: modelsupport@metritech.com Fax: 1.217.398.5798 E. Training and Test Administrators What training materials are available for WIDA MODEL Online? WIDA MODEL Online training materials are the following: Applicable to all Grade Clusters: 10
o Administering WIDA MODEL Online for Grades 1-12 PowerPoint o User s Guide to the Test Administrator Interface for WIDA MODEL Online Grades 1-12 o Test Administration Manual for WIDA MODEL Online Grades 1-12 o Speaking Rubric of the WIDA Consortium o Writing Rubric of the WIDA Consortium For each Grade Cluster o Speaking Test Administrator Script o Scoring the Speaking Domain Test PowerPoint o Practice Scoring the Speaking Domain Test PowerPoint o Speaking Domain Test Practice Score Sheet o Administering & Scoring the WIDA MODEL Writing Section Power Point o Student Writing Response Form (Grades 1-5 only) o Writing Rater Training Manual Where can I find the training materials? All training materials are located in the Test Administrator Interface, in the Training section of the site. The administration of Training is locally controlled and self-paced. That is, WIDA does not monitor the completion of WIDA MODEL Online training. Does WIDA offer in-person training on administering WIDA MODEL Online? At this time, no face-to-face training on the assessment is available. However, WIDA does offer training related to the paper-based version of WIDA MODEL. Contact WIDA Professional Development at pdinfo@wida.us or call 1-866-276-7735. Can teachers access writing samples after the test for professional development, reflection, and to develop inter-rater reliability? The writing samples can be accessed after the administration. A test administrator can only view writing samples for the students he/she is assigned. At this time, we do not allow printing of student responses as a test security precaution. 11
F. Scores, Reports, and Data Management How are WIDA MODEL Online Scores reported? WIDA MODEL Online results are reported as scale scores and proficiency level scores. Proficiency level scores are interpretive; that is, they interpret a student s scale score in terms of the results of the standard-setting study. Because WIDA MODEL Online is based on the same standards and item specifications as ACCESS for ELLs, the assessment uses the same scale and proficiency level interpretations. To make the scores on MODEL more usable to educators, scores on the test were linked to scores on ACCESS so they can be interpreted in terms of the WIDA English Language Proficiency levels (Level 1 Entering through Level 5 Bridging). A linking study was conducted in order to produce lookup tables, which show for each grade and domain the proficiency level scores that correspond with students raw scores and scale scores. In the linking study for Listening and Reading, psychometric methods common item linking and common person linking and qualitative methods a bookmarking study were used to estimate the difficulty measure of items. Those results were applied to the field test data, and resultant growth in student ability was compared to the expected growth. For Writing and Speaking, expert panels qualitatively interpreted performances on MODEL to establish a scale. (MODEL 1-2, 3-5 Technical Report, Yanosky, et. al, 2012) How and when do we get the scores? Student results are available after the test session is completed and the writing scores have been entered. What reports are included and what information is provided in the score reports for WIDA MODEL Online? Reports consist of individual student reports for the Parent/Guardian and Administrator. A roster style report is also available for the Administrator. 12
The table below summarizes the information provided in each report and potential uses: Can I order additional score reports? There is no need to order reports. You have the ability to print them yourself! Reports are generated as an ADOBE PDF within the Test Administrator Interface. The file may be viewed or saved for printing. Can I create a database of the test results for each school? Student results are saved in the system and can be viewed on the roster report. The roster report can be exported as an Excel spreadsheet. Importing into a data management system is the user s responsibility. Where can I find a copy of previous years scores? Student scores will be preserved within the Test Administrator Interface and available by selecting the appropriate year. Will there be any place to compare scores for individuals/schools/districts? A roster report will show multiple students grouped by district or school. Student data may be exported and saved for analysis in other programs. When uploading student rosters online, can the import include data collected from previous years' assessments? WIDA MODEL Online will keep track of all WIDA MODEL Online assessment 13
administrations. It does not track other assessments, or previous administrations of paperbased WIDA MODEL. Will data collected in this online version carry over to the MODEL 2.0 version? Data from WIDA MODEL Online will still be retained when the transition to WIDA MODEL 2.0 occurs. Is WIDA MODEL Online able to give school administrators statistically analyzed data? WIDA MODEL Online will provide you with scale scores and proficiency levels for the students who have taken the assessment. This data can be exported, for local analysis. Who do I contact if I have any questions/problems with the score reports? Call MetriTech Customer Service- Toll-free: 1.800.747.4868 E-mail: modelsupport@metritech.com Fax: 1.217.398.5798 14
G. Technology What are the minimal technical requirements for test administration? The following OS and Browsers are supported by WIDA MODEL Online application: Platform STUDENT WORKSTATION REQUIREMENTS Compatible Browser(s) Hardware Requirements Minimum Screen Size Microsoft Windows 7 or newer Student Browser Required Minimum RAM: 1GB of available RAM Headset recommended for audio playback 1024 x 768 Apple Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard or newer) Student Browser Required Minimum RAM: 1GB of available RAM Headset recommended for audio playback 1024 x 768 Apple ipad ios 8.0 or newer Student Browser Required External keyboard recommended for text entry (on-screen keyboard functionality will work) Headset recommended for audio playback 10 inch (not ipad Mini) Chromebook OS 37 or newer Android Tablet 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer Student Browser Required Student Browser Required Headset recommended for audio playback External keyboard recommended for text entry (on-screen keyboard functionality will work) Headset recommended for audio playback 10 inch or greater with a screen resolution that supports the test definition minimum 1024 x 768 10 inch or greater with a screen resolution that supports the test definition minimum 1024 x 768 Student Browser Available for Download under Training Materials > Administration Files Minimum Technical Requirements for Administration 15
TEST ADMINISTRATOR WORKSTATION REQUIREMENTS Platform Microsoft Windows 7 or newer Compatible Browser(s) Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 or newer Google Chrome Version 6 or newer Mozilla Firefox 4.0 or newer Hardware Requirements Minimum RAM: 1GB of available RAM Headset/speakers recommended for audio playback of practice test External keyboard recommended for text entry on tablets Minimum Screen Size Dependent on test definition minimum 1024 x 768 Apple Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard or newer) Apple Safari Version 5.1 or newer Minimum RAM: 1GB of available RAM Headset/speakers recommended for audio playback of practice test Dependent on test definition minimum 1024 x 768 Apple ipad ios 8.0 or newer Apple Safari External keyboard recommended for text entry (on-screen keyboard functionality will work) Headset/speakers recommended for audio playback of practice test 10 inch (not ipad Mini) Chromebook OS 37 or newer Android Tablet 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer Google Chrome Google Chrome Headset/speakers recommended for audio playback of practice test External keyboard recommended for text entry (on-screen keyboard functionality will work) Headset/speakers recommended for audio playback of practice test 10 inch or greater with a screen resolution that supports the test definition minimum 1024 x 768 10 inch or greater with a screen resolution that supports the test definition minimum 1024 x 768 Minimum Technical Requirements for Administration 16
Estimated concurrent test administrations at a site based on Internet bandwidth (Megabits per second) 17
H. Test Security How will WIDA ensure test security? WIDA MODEL Online uses several mechanisms to ensure security. 1. The assessment uses a secure internet connection. This reduces the likelihood of anyone intercepting the data in transit between the student test station and the source server or the test administrator station. 2. The assessment utilizes encrypted passwords. By encrypting the passwords that are entered, the ability of anyone to copy the passwords is greatly reduced. If the passwords were copied, they would still have to be unencrypted before they could be used. 3. The test is taken on an installed secure browser. This secure browser locks down the test station, restricting the student s ability to use other applications or navigating to other web site. 4. Each student is given a one-time password for the test session they are about to take. It is generating by the WIDA MODEL Online system and is randomized for each student. The ability of anyone to guess the password is greatly reduced. And as the password is only effective for the single test session, the time available for guessing the password is limited. 5. The test administrator monitors the student s progress on his screen. The TA s computer displays each logged in student and where they are in the test. Should a student appear on the test administrator s screen more than once, they would know immediately that someone is cheating and can shut down the person s test session. Can students use their own computers to take WIDA MODEL Online? Yes. However, the secure browser must be installed. 18
I. Special Circumstances Are the test administrators allowed to use accommodations for students with special needs? Yes, a table of appropriate accommodations is included in the Test Administration Manual. J. International School-specific questions How are the interests of International Schools going to be addressed in future development of WIDA MODEL Online? For any future development of WIDA MODEL assessments, we will be reaching out to educators both domestically and internationally for input. This will include participation as item writers and reviewers. The writing prompts are very US centric. How is this going to be addressed by WIDA, when WIDA MODEL is being used at international schools? For this online version of WIDA MODEL, the charge was to put paper-based WIDA MODEL into a digital (online) version. As such, the item content will not change for WIDA MODEL Online. It is also important to note that paper-based WIDA MODEL was developed with a combination of retired ACCESS for ELLs items in addition to new test items developed specifically for WIDA MODEL. A committee reviewed the items to ensure the content was as universal as possible; however, no educators from international schools were included on the Bias and Content committee at the time it was held. WIDA MODEL 2.0, will have entirely new items in all domains. Item writers and reviewers with experience in international schools are being recruited to participate in these parts of item development, as well as in field testing. 19