Wyoming: ELL Resources

As of the 2016-2017 school year, Wyoming’s schools were home to a little over 2,500 English language learners. As of the 2014-2015 school year, the most common five languages spoken by ELLs in Wyoming were Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali, and Arabic. (U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics)
Wyoming is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) and joined WIDA in 2009. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.
State ELL Resources
State Agency: Wyoming Department of Education
ELL Website: Title III
ELL Identification
Screener: WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test
ELP Standards & Assessment
ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards
ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs
Statewide Standards-Based Assessment
Assessment: Student Assessments for Wyoming
Additional Information
NCLEA: Title III Information
WIDA: Wyoming Contact Information
ESSA: Wyoming ESSA State Plan
Statewide Organizations
Intermountain TESOL, an affiliate of International TESOL, provides professional development for ESL teachers in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Wyoming Education Association is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.
Wyoming Parent Information Center
The purpose of the Parent Education Network, Wyoming State PIRC, is to strengthen partnerships between families and schools and to implement effective parental involvement policies and programs to increase academic achievement for students in Wyoming.
Seal of Biliteracy Update: Wyoming
Wyoming is in the early stages of a Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. If you are aware of schools or districts that have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in the state, send an update to the official Seal of Biliteracy site!
Research and Reports
Note: Regulations change with time. These guidelines were compiled in January of 2012 and updated in January 2020. If you see something that needs updating, please send an e-mail to Colorín Colorado. For more detailed information regarding ELL guidelines and policies at the state and federal levels, please see the following:
References
National Center for Education Statistics. (2018.) English language learner (ELL) students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, fall 2000 through fall 2016.
U.S. Department of Education. Our Nation’s English Learners. Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by English Learners.