Hudson Valley RBERN Update

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HV RBERN Professional Learning Opportunities

Please note: Revisions have been made to the "Looking Beyond Language..." workshops at PNW and Sullivan BOCES.

  • 10/13/26, 1/14/27, 3/9/27 A Dynamic Duo: Teachers & School Librarians - Series of 3 Sessions - for Ulster, Dutchess & Sullivan BOCES - at SENYLRC, Highland & Ulster BOCES

Resources

New York State Education Department

2026 NYSESLAT Conversion Charts Now Available

The New York State Education Department has released the 2026 NYSESLAT Conversion Charts and guidance for determining English language proficiency levels from the final administration of the NYSESLAT. Districts are encouraged to review the memorandum and accompanying attachment below as they prepare to interpret Spring 2026 student results and plan for the upcoming transition to WIDA ACCESS. Rules on exit criteria can be found in the SIRS Manual.

WIDA Assessments

WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual   

Find all the available accessibility supports and accommodations for WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS in the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual. Decision-making teams should use the manual, along with state-specific policies, to determine what accommodations are appropriate for each student.  

In case you missed it: There are new accessibility features and accommodations for WIDA Screener Online and WIDA ACCESS Online in the 2026-2027 school year. Learn about these changes in their news article that covers why they made these updates and how they impact the testing experience.  

WIDA Accommodations Checklist    

Keep track of which accommodations a student needs to use on WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS assessments by filling out the relevant, test-specific WIDA Accommodations Checklist. 

ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? (Webinar recording)    

Learn about the decision-making process for choosing whether an English learner should take WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS in the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? WIDA Webinar recording.  

Bonus! Supporting Multilingual Learners with Disabilities Webpage    

Looking for general info on teaching multilingual learners with disabilities? Check out the Supporting Multilingual Learners With Disabilities webpage that houses videos, tools, handouts and other resources.

If you have questions, contact the WIDA Client Services Center at help@wida.wisc.edu. 

Career Opportunities

Ossining UFSD

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.

Hudson Valley RBERN Update

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Resources

WIDA Assessments

WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual   

Find all the available accessibility supports and accommodations for WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS in the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual. Decision-making teams should use the manual, along with state-specific policies, to determine what accommodations are appropriate for each student.  

In case you missed it: There are new accessibility features and accommodations for WIDA Screener Online and WIDA ACCESS Online in the 2026-2027 school year. Learn about these changes in their news article that covers why they made these updates and how they impact the testing experience.  

WIDA Accommodations Checklists    

Keep track of which accommodations a student needs to use on WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS assessments by filling out the relevant, test specific WIDA Accommodations Checklist. 

ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? (Webinar Recording)    

Learn about the decision-making process for choosing whether an English learner should take WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS in the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? WIDA Webinar recording.  

Bonus! Supporting Multilingual Learners With Disabilities Webpage    

Looking for general info on teaching multilingual learners with disabilities? Check out the Supporting Multilingual Learners With Disabilities webpage that houses videos, tools, handouts and other resources.

If you have questions, contact the WIDA Client Services Center at help@wida.wisc.edu. 

Career Opportunities

Ossining UFSD

Washingtonville CSD

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.

Hudson Valley RBERN Update

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Resources

WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual updated for 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 Accessibility and Accommodations Manual is now available on the Resources/Recursos page on the WIDA website. This year’s updates include:

  • Two new accommodations: Assistive Technology (AT) and Speech-to-Text (STT). These new accommodations apply to WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA Screener Online.

  • Updates for existing accommodations:

  • Manual Control of Item Audio (MC) will now apply to WIDA ACCESS Paper, WIDA ACCESS Braille and WIDA Screener Paper only. All students taking WIDA ACCESS Online or WIDA Screener Online have access to the Play button and must manually select it to begin the screen audio.

  • WIDA Screener Paper and WIDA Screener for Kindergarten are now available in large print format in the WIDA Store. The Large Print (LP) accommodation section of the Accessibility and Accommodations Manual now includes these assessments.

WIDA Accommodations Checklists have also been updated for 2026-2027. These checklists can be used to track the accommodations a student receives for WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Screener. Find them on the Resources/Recursos page of the WIDA website.

Read about accessibility updates for 2026-2027 on the WIDA website to learn more about this year’s changes.

Career Opportunities

Ossining UFSD

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.