Students can be screened for ELD services at any time throughout the year but only once per academic school year.

Instructional Updates: Students already identified as MLs who do not have WIDA ACCESS scores from the current or previous school year may be assessed using the WIDA Screener as an Instructional Update.

An Instructional Update is intended for instructional purposes only and does not determine a student’s growth or exit status. WIDA ACCESS scores are used to determine growth, proficiency, and exit status.

Re-identification: Students who were previously tested and did not qualify for EL services, identified as Not EL (Infinite Campus), may be reassessed using the grade- and semester-appropriate WIDA Screener for Re-identification Purposes.

Re-identification as an EL should be considered an intervention of last resort. In most cases, a student should only be screened for re-identification after a Public School Unit (PSU) team—including a member with ELD expertise—has used the MTSS framework (or a similar process) to

Collect ongoing formative assessment data
Monitor the student’s progress
Identify areas where instructional modifications and/or additional support are needed

Equitable Practices for Multilingual Learners' Success in MTSS: A strong multi-tiered system of support must include multilingual learners in meaningful ways to address their unique needs at all levels. This includes team-driven shared leadership; data-based decision-making; family, student, and community engagement; and a continuum of supports. Multilingual learners should be included in Tier 1, 2, and 3 instruction and interventions to address their specific academic needs and have regular designated ELD services.

Multilingual Learners in MTSS NCDPI
Chapter 6 of the English Learner Toolkit contains examples of manifested learning behaviors and indicators of possible disability versus indicators of language difference due to the language acquisition process.