Jeffrey Stockbridge
/ Keystone Crossroads
Pennsylvania students who are learning English typically spend the beginning of the calendar year preparing for a standardized test to determine their proficiency.
The test, called WIDA-ACCESS, can take up to four hours and is the primary way teachers who specialize in this area understand students’ skills in speaking, reading, writing and listening, according to Amber Abreu, director of English Language Development for Lebanon School District.
“Unfortunately, every year, ACCESS starts right after the Christmas holiday,” she said, which means students start practicing almost right away in the new semester.
This year, advocates from the Education Law Center, which has offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and other groups are pushing to postpone the exam, which is administered in person, since COVID-19 numbers remain high and the disease has disproportionately impacted immigrant, Black, and Latino families.