Unlocking ACCESS Slides
Professional Development for Content Educators
Math • Science • Social Studies
Unlocking ACCESS
Why content teachers hold the master key to Multilingual Learner language proficiency.
Core Reality: ACCESS evaluates disciplinary academic discourse, not playground fluency.
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Reframing The Exam
The Great ACCESS Misconception
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The Common Myth
"They speak great English in the hallway!"
Assuming ACCESS tests conversational fluency (BICS) and that ESL teachers alone handle English acquisition.
Impact: Students stall at level 3 because social talk doesn't translate to exam tasks.
The WIDA Reality
ACCESS is a Content Literacy Exam
The exam tests Cognitive Academic Language (CALP): analyzing historical sources, modeling graphs, and proving claims.
Impact: Content classrooms are where 80% of tested academic language is learned!
Key Distinction: Social talk takes 1–2 years; Disciplinary academic language takes 5–7 years without explicit instruction.
Test Architecture
What ACCESS Actually Tests
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Math
Justifying steps, comparing ratios, explaining geometric proofs.
"Explain why..."
Science
Explaining natural cycles, data trends, predicting cause & effect.
"Analyze data to..."
History
Contrasting perspectives, tracing causation, analyzing claims.
"Evaluate how..."
ELA
Synthesizing themes, deconstructing rhetoric, analyzing tone.
"Contrast themes in..."
Every question on ACCESS is embedded in disciplinary standards. There is zero casual conversation on this test.
Subject Spotlight
Mathematics: Justification & Proportional Reasoning
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Real ACCESS Math Item
"Look at the two cylinders. Explain why Cylinder B has three times the volume of Cylinder A even though both heights are identical."
Language Barrier: Students calculate the volume correctly in digits, but lose points because they cannot express proportional comparison in English.
Level 2 Response (Informal):
"B is bigger because the circle is fat so it holds more water."
Level 5 Response (Academic):
"Although heights are equivalent, Cylinder B has triple the volume because its base area is proportionally larger."
Math Teacher Move: Post sentence frame: "Although ___, the value of ___ increases proportionally because ___."
Key Insight: Math tests on ACCESS require full argumentative justification, not just numerical answers.
Subject Spotlight
Science: Explaining Phenomena & Causation
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Real ACCESS Science Item
"Based on the water cycle diagram, describe how deforestation in Region X contributes to decreased precipitation in Region Y."
Language Barrier: Students understand transpiration visually, but struggle with multi-step causal connectors (consequently, leads to, results in).
Level 2 Response (Informal):
"They cut down trees and then the clouds don't have water so it doesn't rain."
Level 5 Response (Academic):
"Because deforestation reduces transpiration, atmospheric moisture decreases, consequently lowering local precipitation."
Science Teacher Move: Provide causal transition banks: "Due to ___, the rate of ___ decreases, which consequently leads to ___."
Key Insight: Science scoring rewards passive voice, causal verbs, and procedural clarity.
Subject Spotlight
Social Studies: Perspective & Primary Source Analysis
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Real ACCESS History Item
"Compare the two primary source accounts of the canal project. How do the workers' views conflict with the manager's report?"
Language Barrier: Students identify the disagreement, but lack attribution verbs (asserts, contends) and contrastive clauses (whereas, while).
Level 2 Response (Informal):
"The boss says the job is easy but the workers say they are tired and mad."
Level 5 Response (Academic):
"While the supervisor asserts productivity remained high, the laborers' diaries document hazardous conditions, contradicting the report."
History Teacher Move: Anchor reporting verbs: "Whereas Source A asserts ___, Source B disputes this claim by illustrating ___."
Key Insight: Historical reasoning on ACCESS hinges on contrasting perspectives and substantiating claims.
Targeting Instruction
The Three Tiers: Where MLs Get Stuck
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Tier 1
Everyday Social Talk
Acquired through immersion.
• table, friend, water, cold
• "I think this is bigger."
Not scored on ACCESS.
ACCESS Game Changer
Tier 2
General Academic Verbs
Cross-curricular high-utility.
• analyze, justify, contrast
• consequently, indicate
Moves students from Level 3 to 5!
Tier 3
Domain-Specific Terms
You already teach these.
• photosynthesis, ecosystem
• hypotenuse, imperialism
Provides context for prompts.
The Takeaway: Students know the science or math concept (Tier 3), but cannot explain it on the exam without Tier 2 verbs and connective words!
The Performance Gap
Why Productive Domains Drag Scores Down
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Speaking Domain
Headset microphone recording
Students must speak continuously for 60 seconds explaining a model without teacher cues.
Level 2: "The water goes up into the air."
Level 5: "Due to thermal energy, evaporation occurs."
Writing Domain
Extended written justification
Students must synthesize data and construct multi-sentence evidence paragraphs.
Hurdle: Single-sentence answers with zero transitions.
The Fix: 2-minute content quick-writes with sentence frames.
Crucial Fact: If MLs only listen and read in content classes, their speaking and writing ACCESS scores remain stalled.
Classroom Application
3 High-Leverage Content Moves
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Sentence Frames
Post sentence stems that require Tier 2 linking phrases.
"The data indicates that ___ because ___."
2
Upgrade the Talk
Re-voice casual phrases into disciplinary vocabulary.
"Say it like a mathematician: instead of 'it got bigger', say 'it increased exponentially'."
3
Timed Pair-Share
Give every ML 45 seconds of uninterrupted verbal justification.
Partner A justifies with a stem; Partner B evaluates using evidence.
These routines don't take time away from content—they deepen conceptual mastery for every student.
Our Collective Impact
Every Content Teacher is a Language Teacher
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The Formula for ACCESS Growth
Content Concepts + Academic Discourse = ACCESS Growth
When multilingual students regularly explain, justify, and write in math, science, and history, their ACCESS proficiency scores naturally surge.
Your Challenge This Week:
Pick ONE upcoming lesson. Add 2 academic sentence frames and have students explain their reasoning out loud.
Content Access Teacher Handout
Teacher Implementation Guide
Content ACCESS Playbook
Disciplinary Academic Language in Math, Science, and Social Studies
WIDA ACCESS ALIGNMENT
Grades 6–12 Content Areas
The Fundamental Shift
ACCESS does not measure conversational fluency; it tests how effectively students navigate disciplinary cognitive tasks. Multilingual learners spend up to 85% of their academic day in content classes—making content teachers the primary drivers of language growth.
Conversational Language (BICS)
Everyday social communication, hallway talk, informal sharing. Acquired in 1–2 years through social exposure. Not tested on ACCESS.
Academic Language (CALP)
Disciplinary analysis, proof, causal reasoning, source synthesis. Requires 5–7 years without explicit scaffolding. 100% of ACCESS items.
Subject-Specific Academic Language Matrices
Mathematics Key Function: Justifying & Comparing
High-Yield Tier 2 Verbs
justify, compare, calculate, evaluate, determine, interpret, represent
Target Sentence Frames
"The value of \(x\) increases proportionally because..."
"While method A yields ___, method B demonstrates that..."
Science Key Function: Explaining Phenomena & Causation
High-Yield Tier 2 Verbs
demonstrate, illustrate, observe, cause, conclude, synthesize, correlate
Target Sentence Frames
"Due to thermal transfer, the substance undergoes..."
"The data provides evidence that deforestation leads to..."
Social Studies / History Key Function: Contrasting Perspectives & Citing Evidence
High-Yield Tier 2 Verbs
assert, contrast, influence, substantiate, undermine, perspective, source
Target Sentence Frames
"Whereas the primary source asserts ___, the author counters that..."
"The economic shift significantly influenced the migration of..."
Content ACCESS Playbook • Page 1 of 2 Tier 2 Vocabulary & Disciplinary Standards
Authentic ACCESS Upgrades & Instructional Routines
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Upgrading Student Output: What Moves Test Levels
Subject & Prompt
Level 2–3 Response (Informal)
Level 5 Response (Disciplinary)
Math: Compare Cylinder Volumes
"B is bigger because the circle on top is wider so it holds more water."
"Although both cylinders share identical heights, Cylinder B possesses three times the volume due to its larger base area."
