Question of the Week
Q: Has the Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) updated the Administration Code and Inclusion of Special Populations Regulation Trainings?
A: The Administration Code and Inclusion of Special Populations Regulation Trainings have been updated. The actual regulations have not changed; only the trainings have been refreshed. The updates include new module videos and PowerPoints. The modules break each of the trainings down into sections to be quickly loaded into a school Operating Management System (OMS). The regulation trainings are available on the Meetings and Trainings page.
Administration Code Regulation
Inclusion of Special Populations Regulation
- Inclusion of Special Populations Full-Length Training [Video and PowerPoint]
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 1 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 2 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 3 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 4 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 5 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 6 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 7 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Module 8 PowerPoint
- Inclusion of Special Populations Modules 1-8 Videos
If a district needs MP4 format for an OMS, please contact DAC Information.
SDRR for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS – Reminder
The window in the Student Data Review and Resources (SDRR) application to request student-level changes for Cohort and Data Review for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS will close this Friday, Sept. 4. There are 46 districts that have not logged into the system for review. Don’t miss the final opportunity to make individual changes. All tickets requesting changes must be submitted by Sept. 4, at noon EDT.
ACT Test Materials Arrive Next Week – Sept. 8-11
If testing is occurring at the school on the initial ACT test date (Sept. 22), standard time and accommodations test materials will arrive next week. Test Coordinators are required to check-in materials within 24 hours of receiving them from ACT. Contact ACT immediately if contents do not match packing lists, or if there is evidence of tampering. Materials must be kept in secure storage at all times before and after testing. The Test Coordinator is responsible for the security of all test materials from the time of receipt.
KDE Releases COVID-19 Reopening Guidance on English Learner Programs
The following guidance document released by The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) may be of interest to DACs.
The “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Frequently Asked Questions about English Learner Programs at Reopening” guidance document acknowledges and provides answers to frequently asked questions from Kentucky’s districts surrounding English learner programs.
The document provides recommendations for virtual family interviews, examples of instructional methods teachers may use and examples of instruction that require basic or no technology.
As the situation with the pandemic evolves, KDE is creating new guidance documents to meet the needs of Kentucky’s schools and districts.
Mark the Calendar: September WIDA Q&A Webinars
Please join the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to learn about the following topics:
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Welcome Back: What’s New This Year? Tuesday, Sept. 15, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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WIDA MODEL Overview Thursday, Sept. 17, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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Pre-Testing: ACCESS for ELLs for New Test Administrators Thursday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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Pre-Testing: ACCESS for ELLs for New District Test Coordinators Thursday, Sept. 24, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
More information and login details can be found on the WIDA Q&A Webinar Schedule.
Can’t make it? WIDA Q&A Webinars are recorded and posted to the Secure Portal Download Library within a week of the presentation.
What to Know: WIDA Assessments in the 2020-2021 School Year
This is the time of year when WIDA welcomes all district/school staff back to school and tells what's new with the assessments. WIDA knows that this year, the return to school is very different for all districts and educators in the state. In fact, staff might not be ready to learn about what's new with the assessments and that's okay. WIDA put all pertinent information about WIDA Screener, ACCESS for ELLs, and WIDA MODEL, plus tips for safer testing, into a welcome back news article that district/school staff can view and return to when it's convenient.
New and Returning WIDA Resources for Test Administrators
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Test Administrator Essentials – This new resource contains tips to help students and test administrators prepare for ACCESS testing and provides critical information to have at one’s fingertips on test day.
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Member/State page – Visit Kentucky’s member/state page for testing dates, state contacts, the ACCESS Checklist (coming soon!), and professional learning opportunities in the state. Select Kentucky from the drop-down menu at the top of the WIDA website to get started.
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Secure Portal User Guide – If it’s been a while since district/school staff have visited the Secure Portal, check out the Secure Portal User Guide for a tour of the WIDA secure resources.
New High School Feedback Reports Are Available for Review
The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYStats) is providing High School Feedback Reports (HSFR) for the graduating class of 2018 for district review. The review window is through September, with the public release planned for October.
This year, districts are asked to review the report on college going and success for the high school graduating class of 2018. The report compares: student outcomes including college-going rates, types of schools attended, how students performed in their first year at in-state public colleges and universities and financial aid received by students.
Access to these reports is through a sets KYStats weblink provided to district assessment coordinators (DACs). DACs can download these reports and share with principals and superintendents. These reports should be considered DRAFT; all district reports are currently viewable through the link but reports may change if data issues are found. These draft reports are for internal review only and should not be shared until public release.
ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS:
[The link and password have been removed from the public version.]
HSFR2020_Technical Notes – College Going/College Success are available after login.
Previous reports may be viewed on the KYStats website. Email Barrett Ross for questions about your district’s report.
Scott County is located in central Kentucky and is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. In the last three years, the school district has built two new schools, completed two school expansions and are beginning the work for another new school building. Scott County Schools’ current student enrollment is approximately 9,300 among 17 schools. The school system is comprised of 9 elementary schools, a preschool center, 3 middle schools, two high schools and an alternative school. Among those 17 is also a state-of-the-art career and technical school with 6 villages that range from law and justice to media arts, all with dual credit and core class components.
Scott County Schools has been an extremely data rich district for the last several years. Over the last couple years there has been an emphasis on improving the data to analyze. The district has started using interview style assessments in the primary grades, along with more traditional assessments to gather not only the level where students are but their way of thinking and their misconceptions. This has helped tremendously with guided small group instruction.
To partner with this, Scott County Schools has created a more systematic way to assess and deliver instruction for tier three students. Staff developed a custom diagnostic in reading and mathematics, along with a continuum that aligns to help interventionists analyze where the deficits are, and the sequence for instruction that is individualized and not program dependent. With this addition, great success resulted for the tier three students. This has also helped to bring a more systematic approach to interventions across all elementary schools.
To go with new assessments in the current COVID-19 virtual learning period, Scott County Schools has made all assessments virtual so they can still be given while students are learning from home. For students who cannot take the tests virtually, a specific assessment plan is created to bring students in individually to their respective school.
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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