PCA HB15-1323 - Google Sheets

Oct 2, 2026

Compilation of statewide academic assessment options and their practical implementation details for K-12 students. Includes ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 for English Learners, DLM Alternate Assessment (CoALT) for students with significant cognitive disabilities, and CMAS science assessments for multiple grade bands. Describes testing formats, estimated time requirements, legal or accountability drivers, and how results support instructional decisions, benchmarking, and progress monitoring across districts and states.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Assessment Overview

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0

CoALT: DLM

CMAS Science

CoALT: Science

READ Act Interim and Diagnostic-STAR

| Assessment | Grade Level | Estimated Hours of Testing | Required by Federal or State
Law or selected by District | Purpose of the Assessment | How the Assessment Results will be used | Source | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ACCESS for ELL's | K-12 Identified English Learners (NEP, LEP) | Up to 2.75 hours (or 165 minutes) total for Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. *Students work at their own pace, and ACCESS 2.0 is not a timed test. This assessment is adaptive based on a students English Proficiency Level , and times will be dependent on the student's performance and English Proficiency Level. | State / Federal. It is mandated by federal law that all English Learners be assessed using a common assessment selected by the state to measure English proficiency in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. | In 2015-16, the WIDA Consortium will begin administration of the new, annual summative assessment , ACCESS for ELLs 2.0. An online assessment will replace the current paper-based version of ACCESS for ELLs for Grades 1-12, although a paper-based assessment will continue to be available according to each state's guidelines for the new assessments .
Like ACCESS for ELLs , the new assessment will allow educators , students , and families to monitor students ’ progress in acquiring academic English in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing and will be aligned with the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards . | Help students understand their current level of English language proficiency along the developmental continuum. Serve as one of multiple measures used to determine those students prepared to exit English language support programs . Provide teachers with information they can subsequently use to enhance instruction and learning in programs for their English language learners .
Provide districts with information that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their ESL/bilingual programs .
Meet federal requirements , such as Annual Measureable Achievement Objectives 1 and 2, for the monitoring of ELLs'progress toward English language proficiency. | [https://wida.wisc.edu/resources](https://wida.wisc.edu/resources) | | | CoALT: DLM | -All Students grades 3-11 | Individually administered and untimed | State | The Dynamic Learning Maps ™ (DLM®) project offers an innovative way for all students with significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate their learning throughout the school year via the DLM Alternate Assessment System. Traditional multiple-choice testing does not always allow students with significant cognitive disabilities to fully demonstrate their knowledge. By integrating assessment with instruction during the year and providing a year-end assessment , the DLM system maps student learning aligned with college and career readiness standards in English language arts and mathematics . | This is one measure as part of a balanced assessment system and can be used a benchmark for students in relation to District and State score reports . This assessment also meets the requirement for state accountability. | [http://dynamiclearningmaps.org](http://dynamiclearningmaps.org) | | | CMAS Science | -Science all students grades 5th, 8th and 11th | Science Grades 5 & 8 (4.0 Hours) Science Grade 11 (3.5 Hours) | State | CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) is Colorado’s standards-based assessment designed to measure the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) in the content areas of science. The purpose of the CMAS assessments is to provide one measure of the degree to which students have mastered the CAS in science at the end of the tested grade level. In addition to the student level information provided, schools and districts may use the data across their schools and districts to make adjustments to instructional programming for the following year. | This is one measure as part of a balanced assessment system and can be used a benchmark for students

FAQs

What is ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 and who must be assessed?

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 assesses K-12 identified English Learners using Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. It is required by state or federal mandates for English Learners.

How does CoALT: DLM assess students with significant cognitive disabilities?

CoALT: DLM uses the DLM Alternate Assessment System, integrating assessment with instruction through the school year rather than relying only on traditional multiple-choice testing.

What grades and purpose are covered by CMAS Science?

CMAS Science is designed for science assessment across grades 5th, 8th, and 11th. It measures mastery of Colorado Academic Standards in science and supports instructional adjustments and state accountability.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Guten tag