What kinds of assessments do bilingual students typically take?

Bilingual students often take the same state standardized tests as all students, plus additional English language proficiency assessments like the WIDA ACCESS test or state equivalents. Many bilingual programs also conduct informal bilingual assessments at the beginning and end of the year to track development in both languages. Each type of assessment measures something different, and families deserve a clear explanation of what each one is for.

How should parents interpret their bilingual child's test scores?

Bilingual assessment scores need to be interpreted across both languages together, not compared directly to monolingual norms. A bilingual student may score below grade level in English reading while scoring above grade level in Spanish reading. The composite picture tells you far more than either score alone. Parents who receive only the English score without the Spanish score are getting an incomplete and often misleading picture of their child's literacy skills.

What is the WIDA ACCESS test and what does it measure?

WIDA ACCESS is an annual English language proficiency test used in 41 US states to measure how well English learners are developing the academic English skills they need for school success. It tests listening, speaking, reading, and writing in academic contexts. Scores range from 1 to 6, with 6 indicating full proficiency. Students typically exit ELL services once they reach a composite score of around 4.5, though exact thresholds vary by state.

What should families do to prepare their children for bilingual assessments?

The most effective preparation is consistent, rich language use in both languages throughout the year, not test prep activities in the weeks before the assessment. Children who read regularly in both languages, who hear complex conversations at home, and who have opportunities to practice academic vocabulary in context score better on assessments than children who do test practice workbooks. Your newsletter should communicate this clearly so families focus their energy productively.

Does Daystage help with communicating assessment information to families?

Daystage is well-suited for sending assessment newsletters that reach families in their preferred language. You can send the same core information in two or three language versions and track which families opened the newsletter so you know who may need a follow-up phone call. Clear, timely communication about assessments reduces family anxiety and increases the likelihood that families will engage meaningfully with the results.

Bilingual Assessment Newsletter: Testing in Two

Assessment season raises the anxiety level in every bilingual household. Parents worry whether their child is falling behind in English, whether the Spanish scores matter, and whether testing in two languages means their child is being held to a higher standard than everyone else. A well-timed bilingual assessment newsletter answers these questions before they have a chance to become sources of conflict at parent-teacher conferences. The goal is informed families, not just tested students.

Why Bilingual Assessment Is Different

Standard educational assessments are designed and normed on monolingual populations. When a bilingual student takes these assessments in only one language, the results capture a fraction of their actual knowledge. A student who understands photosynthesis completely in Spanish may struggle to demonstrate that knowledge on an English-only science test. This is not a knowledge gap. It is a language gap in the assessment itself. Your newsletter should help families understand this distinction so they interpret scores accurately rather than catastrophically.

Types of Assessments and What Each Measures

Walk families through the specific assessments their child will take this year. Name each one clearly. If you use WIDA ACCESS for English proficiency, explain that it measures academic English development across four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. If you use a Spanish reading fluency measure, explain what reading fluency means and why it matters for biliteracy development. If you conduct portfolio assessments in both languages, explain what artifacts are included and how they are scored. Families who understand the assessment purpose are less likely to panic over a single score.

How to Read a Bilingual Assessment Report

Include a simple guide to reading the assessment reports families will receive. Explain that composite scores are more meaningful than individual subtest scores. Show families how to look at growth over time rather than comparing their child to grade-level norms in only one language. For English language proficiency, clarify what each WIDA proficiency level means in practice. A student at Level 3 is not failing. They are developing exactly as expected for their years of English instruction. Level descriptions like "entering," "developing," "expanding," and "bridging" sound like marketing language until you explain what they actually mean for a child's classroom experience.

A Sample Assessment Timeline

Give families a clear calendar so assessments do not feel like they come out of nowhere:

October: Beginning-of-year bilingual reading benchmark in both English and Spanish. Results shared by November 1.

January: Winter benchmark update. Brief parent communication with comparison to fall scores.

February through March: WIDA ACCESS English proficiency testing for all identified English learners. Individual score reports mailed in May.

April through May: State standardized testing in English.

June: End-of-year bilingual benchmark and portfolio review shared at conferences.

What Families Can Do at Home to Support Assessment Readiness

Be direct about what actually helps. Daily reading in both languages, consistent bedtime stories, conversations about school topics in whichever language is most comfortable, and regular use of academic vocabulary in context all contribute to assessment readiness. What does not help: purchasing test prep workbooks, drilling vocabulary flash cards two weeks before the test, or telling children that the test is very important and they need to do well. Stress narrows performance. Engagement over time builds it.

What Happens After Assessments: Next Steps for Families

Explain what happens when assessment results come in. If a student scores below the program threshold in English proficiency, what services are available? If a student scores below grade level in Spanish reading, what does the school offer? If results suggest a student might qualify for gifted testing, what is the referral process? Families who understand the pathway from results to action are less likely to feel that testing is something that happens to their child and more likely to feel it is something that informs their child's education.

Handling Assessment Anxiety in Bilingual Households

Some bilingual families experience heightened anxiety about testing, particularly immigrant families from contexts where high-stakes assessments had severe consequences. Address this directly and with warmth. Explain that school assessments in this country are tools for understanding what children need, not gatekeeping mechanisms that determine their future. Share your school's policy on how assessment results are used: to inform instruction, to identify support needs, and to celebrate growth. Families who trust the purpose of assessment cooperate with it far more productively than families who fear it.

Bilingual Assessment Newsletter: Testing in Two Languages