ABSTRACT
The WIDA Can Do Philosophy emphasizes that linguistically and culturally diverse students are assets in educational contexts. As researchers and test developers, we describe how WIDA operationalizes its Can Do Philosophy in a large-scale, high-stakes second language writing assessment context so as to optimize opportunities for students to demonstrate their written language proficiency. We discuss issues ranging from task design to the supports that are provided to students. We also explain how scoring and reporting are grounded in the Can Do Philosophy in terms of the positively phrased rubric descriptors and materials that assist stakeholders in score interpretation.
