Question of the Week
Q: Will the April 16 DAC Webcast be held virtually?
A: The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) is committed to continuing to support District Assessment Coordinators during this COVID-19 situation. Therefore, DAAS will hold the April DAC Webcast remotely. We will be utilizing a similar process that the Kentucky Board of Education Meeting did last Thursday.
OAA will host its live monthly DAC webcast on Thursday, April 16 from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET. The meeting will be hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS). Agenda items include: COVID-19 updates and its impact on assessment and accountability, K Screen ordering, Social Studies Fall Field Test, and other timely assessment and accountability topics will be shared. The DAC webcast PowerPoint will be available on the right-hand side of the Meetings and Trainings page.
Please join Jennifer at 11 a.m. ET for the live broadcast. If you have a conflict with this meeting, the session will be recorded and posted on the KDE Media Portal and the KDE Meetings and Trainings page with all pertinent materials. Questions may be asked by sending an email to KDE DAC Information.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET.
2019-2020 Self-Paced E-Learning Workshop Opportunities
In the August 2019 Back to School Training, through the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) list serv and on Kentucky’s WIDA page, information was sent about the free professional development eLearning self-paced workshop opportunities for school staff with English Learners. EL Teachers, Content Teachers and Administrative staff, etc. can still sign up for an e-learning account through the District Assessment Coordinators (DACs). The deadline for completing the e-Learning workshop modules this year is August 31. Once an e-Learning account has been set up, then see the steps below for getting started.
Steps for Getting Started:
- Review the e-Workshop descriptions and choose the e-Workshops that best meet your professional goals.
- Log in to your WIDA Secure Portal account.
- Click the “WIDA e-Learning Center” tile to view available e-Workshops.
4. Complete an e-Workshop and print the certificate to give to the DAC.
K Screen Ordering Process
A new Brigance K Screen material ordering process has been developed by Curriculum Associates. The downloadable form and instructions are available on the Curriculum Associates Kentucky webpage. It is a fillable spreadsheet with three tabs.
District K Screen contacts will save and email the new order form directly to FulfillmentOps@cainc.com. The window for placing orders is extended through April 17.
For more information, email Jennifer Akin.
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DAC Spotlight
Sherri Collins
Union County Schools
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Union County Public School district is in Western Kentucky in the tri-state area just minutes away from Illinois and Indiana. Union County is a rural area known for corn and coal. The UCPS district serves 2,146 students in its five schools: Uniontown Elementary with 190 students; Morganfield Elementary with 371 students; Sturgis Elementary with 359 students; UCMS with 479 students; and Union County High School with 603 students. The school district also has a preschool with 125 students, alternative school with 19 students and a Victory Technical High School with 23 students.
At UCPS, one of the ways staff works to ensure student success is to first prepare teachers for success. Each year, Union County Welcoming Modules are offered that starts with a New Teacher Induction prior to the start of school and continues with a new module each month. This set of welcoming modules allows the training of all new teachers on the mission and vision of Union County Public Schools and promotes/builds culture among all new staff members.
The modules cover many topics associated with employment and professionalism within Union County schools. One of the modules is focused on "Delivery of Instruction"; where the UCPS Delivery of Instruction checklist is shared. The checklist is modeled during the teaching/presentation of the module, and imbeds Kagan structures and other participation techniques to model student engagement.
Another module offered is "Testing Best Practices" to walk new teachers through testing requirements and the Do’s and Don’ts of state testing. The school district added this one when they discovered that some of the new teachers had no idea what to expect in their role as a test administrator for state testing. The teachers are shown test administration manuals (TAMs) to show what the directions look like. Content is shared by what is tested at grade level as well as an overview of all the different state assessments.
Some other topics covered in the modules include: Characteristics of Highly Effective Teaching and Learning (CHETL), Instructional Strategies, Formative Assessment and Feedback, What to Expect from School- and District-Level Walkthroughs, and Kentucky’s Accountability and Assessment Model.
Progress of new staff is assessed throughout the year and topics are adjusted based on needs as they arise. Early this year, many of the new teachers were struggling to manage behavior in the classroom. Adjustments were made and a topic on Behavior Management strategies was presented earlier in the year. An Aspiring Leaders group is currently working to design and organize the modules for next school year based on feedback from teachers and needs within the schools.
It is a goal through the Union County Welcoming Modules to quickly acclimate new teachers to UCPS and provide them with tools and resources to reduce frustrations within the classroom. By providing clear guidance on expectations, along with a great level of support, resources and encouragement, Union County Schools work to ensure success for both teachers and students.
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions presented in the article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
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