Question of the Week
Q: When will the May 2020 Monthly DAC Webcast recording be available?
A: The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) hosted its live monthly District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) webcast on Thursday, May 14. The webcast was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS). An overview of Senate Bill 158 was provided and Kevin O’Hair, Program Consultant, provided information on the Alternate Assessment Targets. Other timely assessment and accountability updates were provided. The May DAC Webcast PowerPoint and Video are available on the KDE Media Portal and the KDE Meetings and Trainings page.
WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards
WIDA continues to finalize the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on schools and communities around the world, WIDA is reviewing the timeline for the release of the 2020 Edition. WIDA is collaborating with State Education Agencies to determine the best timeline due to the circumstances.
General information about the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition can be found on the 2020 Vision for Standards page on the WIDA website.
Please contact WIDA Client Services or phone (866) 276-7735 with questions.
2020-2021 School Reconfiguration Changes
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) asks that DACs submit information on A1 schools with service area changes for the 2020-2021 school year by June 30. Changes to school service area (reconfiguration) requests need to be made if any of the following situations apply:
- the grade range in an A1 school changes;
- a new A1 school is opened;
- an A1 school is closed;
- an A1 school boundary changes;
- a shift in student population of more than 40% occurs.
The reconfiguration spreadsheet, instructions, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Forms page located on the Assessment and Accountability section of the KDE website.
In addition, changes must be submitted through the District and School Collection Repository (DASCR) application. Please see the DASCR User Guide if unfamiliar with this web application. Your district Web Apps Admin Point of Contact (WAAPOC) handles access. WAAPOCs may contact the KETS Service Desk with questions/issues with DASCR at (866) 538-7435.
Harrison County Schools is home to the Thorobreds and Fillies. The school district is located in north central Kentucky, 30 miles north of Lexington and 60 miles south of Cincinnati. The district has 2,954 students enrolled in four elementary schools (PreK-5), one middle school (6-8), and one high school (9-12). The Thorobred Academy operates as an alternative school intertwined between the middle and high schools. Harrison County is also home to an area technology center, which serves students from Harrison, Bourbon and Nicholas Counties.
School staff are proud to have one of the first Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pathways from pre-K through grade 12 in the field of pre-engineering, and they give a huge shout out to Toyota North America for supporting this along with local businesses: 3M, ED Bullard, and Judy Construction. Local businesses also support the school system 100%. The school district is grateful for the partnerships they have with Harrison Memorial Hospital, Maysville Community College (Licking Valley Campus), Farm Bureau, and 3M, all of whom are co-applicants of four 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Thirty-four local businesses also house mobile libraries which cater to children from birth to age 6, encouraging the importance and value of reading at an early age.
Harrison County Schools began the 2019-2020 school year with the mantra of “WE >ME” as they focused on being the provider, employer and investment of choice for the community. As a team, district staff shared in reading the book: The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters, by Andy Andrews. There is a quote on the back cover of the book, which reads: “Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.” As this book was circulating throughout the district, little did they know that Cynthiana would have the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Kentucky. The entire staff stepped up to change the world for students and community. The school district led the way for the state as they modified and developed meaningful NTI lessons for students, created SEL activities and well checks on families, while providing nourishment through food service and transportation departments with assistance from FRYSC and community volunteers.
“Like you, we have discovered things about ourselves, and our community that we did not realize; all while working to provide for our students and their families. We will persevere and keep our students and their needs in the forefront. We can do this Kentucky!”
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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