WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners.

To this end, the WIDA Consortium has developed English language proficiency standards and an English language proficiency test aligned with those standards (ACCESS for ELLs^®). In addition, WIDA has developed Spanish language arts standards and is planning a system of alternate academic assessments for beginning English language learners (ONPAR™). Research and professional development activities importantly complement the WIDA standards and assessment products.

Originally established through a federal grant, the WIDA Consortium consists of fourteen partner states: Alabama, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, North Dakoka, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

These fourteen states account for approximately 400,000 English language learners in kindergarten through grade 12 in approximately 2800 school districts.