Big Ideas
• Equity of access and opportunity are essential for multilingual learners’ preparation for college, career, and civic participation
• Integration of language and content is critical in the planning and delivery of instruction
• Collaboration among stakeholders is a shared responsibility for educating multilingual learners
• A functional approach to language development focuses on the purposeful use of language
Understanding the WIDA ELD Standards Framework
• The five WIDA ELD Standards Statements—conceptual framing of language and content integration
• Key Language Uses—prominent language uses across disciplines
• Language Expectations—goals for content-driven language learning
• Proficiency Level Descriptors—a continuum of language development
Grade-Level Cluster Materials
• Representations of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework in sets of grade-level cluster materials
• Annotated Language Samples illustrate the WIDA ELD Standards Framework in authentic grade-level texts
• Key Language Uses: A Closer Look—extended definitions and examples for each Key Language Use
• Collaborative Planning for Content and Language Integration:
A Jump-Off Point for Curricular Conversations
B Correspondence Tables for Content and Language Standards
C A Compilation of K-12 Key Language Use Distribution Tables and Language Expectations
D A Compilation of K-12 Proficiency Level Descriptors, with Technical Notes
E High Level Comparison of WIDA ELD Standards Editions
WIDA Mission, Vision, and Values
WIDA's mission, vision, and values, anchored in the Can Do Philosophy, innovation, service, collaboration, and social justice, empower multilingual learners and their communities This belief system highlights the cultural, social, emotional, and experiential strengths of students, families, and educators, serving as a cohesive force that drives conviction and action within the PreK-12 education community.
From English Language Learners to Multilingual Learners
Multilingual learners refers to all children and youth who are, or have been, consistently exposed to multiple languages
As part of its asset-based belief system, WIDA uses the term
Multilingual learners encompass all students who regularly engage with languages beyond English This group includes English language learners (ELLs), dual language learners (DLLs), newcomers, students with interrupted formal schooling (SIFE), long-term English learners (L-TELs), English learners with disabilities, gifted and talented English learners, heritage language learners, and those with English as an additional language (EAL), as well as students who communicate in various English dialects or indigenous languages.
In K-12 education, multilingual learners are referred to by different terms, such as "English learners" (ELs) as defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 Additionally, for policy-related contexts, the original WIDA ELD Standards Statements from 2004 continue to use the designation "English language learners."
To promote an asset-based and inclusive approach, WIDA has adopted the term "multilingual learners," which will be consistently used throughout this document, beginning with the Guiding Principles of Language Development on the following page.
WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators.
12 WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
WIDA Guiding Principles of Language Development (2019)
The revised Guiding Principles of Language Development reflect the core WIDA Can Do Philosophy, underscoring the vital role of language in the learning process They also emphasize the four Big Ideas presented in the 2020 Edition.
Multilingual learners bring valuable languages and cultures that can enhance the educational experience By leveraging these assets and addressing biases, we can foster independence and empower these learners to take charge of their own education.
2 Multilingual learners’ development of multiple languages enhances their knowledge and cultural bases, their intellectual capacities, and their flexibility in language use.
3 Multilingual learners’ language development and learning occur over time through meaningful engagement in activities that are valued in their homes, schools, and communities.
4 Multilingual learners’ language, social-emotional, and cognitive development are inter-related processes that contribute to their success in school and beyond.
5 Multilingual learners use and develop language when opportunities for learning take into account their individual experiences, characteristics, abilities, and levels of language proficiency.
6 Multilingual learners use and develop language through activities which intentionally integrate multiple modalities, including oral, written, visual, and kinesthetic modes of communication.
7 Multilingual learners use and develop language to interpret and access information, ideas, and concepts from a variety of sources, including real-life objects, models, representations, and multimodal texts.
8 Multilingual learners draw on their metacognitive, metalinguistic, and metacultural awareness to develop effectiveness in language use.
9 Multilingual learners use their full linguistic repertoire, including translanguaging practices, to enrich their language development and learning.
10 Multilingual learners use and develop language to interpret and present different perspectives,build awareness of relationships, and affirm their identities.
Audiences and Potential Uses of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework,
The 2020 Edition of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework serves both U.S and international audiences, highlighting its versatile applications as detailed in Table 1-3 This framework emphasizes the unique roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in supporting the education of multilingual learners, despite some overlapping functions.
Table 1-3: Audience and Potential Uses of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
Audience Potential Uses of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
• Comply with federal policy, including peer review requirements, and other state mandates
• Ensure alignment with ACCESS for ELLs, the WIDA annual English language proficiency assessment
• Guide state policy, informational documents, and resources inclusive of equity for multilingual learners and their families
• Organize professional learning opportunities for educators of multilingual learners
• Guide local policy, informational documents, and resources
• Work with teachers, other school leaders, and families to provide guidance on language development
• Support teachers in designing and enacting linguistically and culturally sustainable curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• Promote collaboration among district and school leadership, content and language teachers, specialists, support staff, students, and families
• Prompt coordination of services for multilingual learners and outreach to families
• Forge partnerships with multilingual communities
Teachers • Collaborate with colleagues around integration of content and language
• Partner to coordinate learning for multilingual learners
• Model products, projects, and performances to illustrate evidence of meeting learning expectations
• Monitor multilingual learners’ language growth
• Provide standards-referenced feedback to students and families
14 WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
Audience Potential Uses of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
• Integrate into courses for pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and administrators
• Guide professional learning around asset-driven education for districts and schools
• Model the process for integrating content and language in instruction and assessment
• Partner in conducting classroom, school, and district research
• Apply to large-scale annual and interim ELP assessment development
• Use as a source for alignment and standards-setting studies
• Guide in interpreting score reports and in updating interpretive and scoring rubrics
• Expand framing of test specifications around Key Language Uses and Language Expectations
• Craft a school-wide language policy
• Embed language development into curriculum, instruction, and classroom assessment
• Collaborate with colleagues to coordinate language services
• Share with grade-level teams to create seamless learning experiences for multilingual learners
• Benefit from clear learning goals that promote equity for all
• Benefit from a coherent educational experience based on a standards- aligned system
• Benefit from having clarity on what teachers should be teaching and what students should be learning
• Understand the language development process and how the WIDA ELDStandards Framework represent the joining of grade-level academic content and language
Big Ideas of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework,
The 2020 Edition of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework is built around four interconnected Big Ideas that emphasize a student-centered approach These ideas, akin to the Can Do Philosophy, promote the creation of educational experiences that are culturally and linguistically sustaining, effectively addressing the strengths and needs of multilingual learners.
Figure 1-1: Big Ideas in the 2020 Edition
EQUITY of Opportunity and Access
INTEGRATION of Content and Language
FUNCTIONAL APPROACH to Language Development
18 WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
Equity of Opportunity and Access
WIDA is dedicated to promoting equity and high-quality education for multilingual learners, as reflected in its vision, mission, and core values, which include innovation, service, collaboration, and a commitment to social justice Central to WIDA's approach is the belief in creating positive change by challenging discriminatory practices related to language, culture, and race, ultimately fostering equity to enhance the educational experiences of multilingual children, youth, and their families.
Multilingual learners originate from diverse cultural, linguistic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds, each bringing unique assets and potential to the educational environment To promote equity in standards-based systems, educators must effectively leverage these resources Enhancing access, agency, and equity for all multilingual learners—including newcomers, students with interrupted formal schooling (SIFE), long-term English learners (L-TELs), students with disabilities, and gifted English learners—demands that educators possess knowledge, skills, creativity, and compassion.
The 2020 Edition of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework is here to guide educators to
• Set high expectations for all students
• Provide access for multilingual learners to rich, standards-based, grade-level content, including by scaffolding up (see the WIDA website for resources about scaffolding)
• Enact linguistically and culturally sustainable pedagogies
• Create opportunities for multilingual learners to
• engage actively with each other in deep learning
• access and use multiple languages, including through translanguaging
When designing and delivering standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment, educators should consider multilingual learners’
• Previous personal and educational experiences
• Recency of arrival in the United States, if applicable
• Diverse cognitive and behavioral strengths, needs, and abilities
Leveraging students' linguistic and cultural resources is crucial for guiding them through a diverse world while also aiding their academic success as they progress in their education.
The 2020 Edition of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework aims to enhance equity for multilingual learners by establishing clear language expectations aligned with grade-level academic content This framework promotes consistency in policies and practices concerning the education of multilingual learners across federal, state, and local levels.
Integration of Content and Language
Earlier versions of the WIDA ELD Standards (2004, 2007, 2012) have historically represented the integration of content and language The 2020 Edition makes the content–language connection more explicit and specific.
Content-language integration involves the simultaneous development of content knowledge and language skills among multilingual learners In this approach, academic content serves as a context for language acquisition, while language itself acts as a tool for understanding and engaging with academic subjects.
The 2020 Edition presents innovative approaches to integrating content and language, including Key Language Uses, Language Expectations, and Correspondence Tables for Content and Language Standards, which are detailed in Appendix B and throughout the document.
Multimodality, which involves using various communication methods, is crucial for enabling all students to engage with content effectively Beyond spoken and written language, students express themselves through gestures, facial expressions, images, equations, maps, symbols, diagrams, charts, videos, graphs, and digital content, enhancing their learning experience.