Question of the Week
Q: What is the timeline for the release of the School Report Card?
A: The School Report Card (SRC) public release date is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14. Districts will have a final opportunity to preview their data beginning Oct. 9. The information will be released to the media under embargo on Oct. 12.
Due to the federal assessment and accountability waiver, data is limited for the 2020 data release. In addition to the data currently available for review, data also will include ACCESS, Alternate ACCESS, Transition to Adult Life, and Graduation Rates (4-year, 5-year, and 4- and 5-year average) in the Oct. 9 preview. This data has been previously reviewed in SDRR or through Infinite Campus reporting.
New trend charts are available in the SRC for 2019-2020 reporting. These can be seen by selecting Preview Dashboard on the approval dashboard. The Overview domain includes:
- Students>Enrollment> Membership>Trends;
- Students>Student Groups>Economically Disadvantaged> Trends;
- Students>Student Groups>English Learners> Trends; and
- Students>Student Groups>Students with Disabilities (IEP)> Trends.
Academic Performance (Kindergarten Screen) and Transition to Adult Life (Graduate Rates) also will include trend charts when that data is available for district review Oct. 9. Other new charts that will be available for review at that time include long-term goals for Proficiency, Graduation Rate and English Language Proficiency.
Thanks to everyone who assisted with School Report Card collection and review. The review period officially closed on Sept. 25; however, districts can continue to access the SRC secure site through at least Oct. 2 if last minute changes are needed to collection items for the School Profile Report or if additional review time is needed.
BrightBytes continues to respond to flagged items and/or escalate to KDE for review. Flagged items should be resolved prior to district approval. KDE contacts are listed in the QA worksheet and can be contacted directly if additional assistance is needed. Please remember that changes made in Infinite Campus or another system locally must be refreshed by KDE before the data will appear in the School Report Card. Contact the appropriate KDE contact to advise if a refresh is needed.
In accordance with KRS 158.6453, the School Profile Report should be available in district board offices by Oct. 1. To meet this requirement, the download tab at the school level should be used to verify collection data and review and print the School Profile Report. The same report, without signatures, will be available at the bottom of each school’s SRC landing page when the SRC is released publicly.
The download option at the district level provides a way to verify school-level approvals and see collection data entered by school. KDE uses a similar report to verify district-level approvals and follow-up as needed.
Details on the timeline, prior communications and resources are available on the SRC Resource page.
Link to the Kentucky School Report Card (SRC) Data Approval Tool for SRC review and data entry.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
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Sept. 25: Deadline for entering data into SRC collection tool
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Sept. 25: Deadline for review and approval of Overview and Education Opportunity
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Oct. 1: The School Profile Report should be complete and available in the district board office (KRS 158.6453)
- Oct. 14: Public release
DAC Calendar Now Available
DACs and BACs may utilize a new online calendar to stay up to date with deadlines, trainings, assessment windows and more. A series of Google Calendars are available from the Assessment Support page. The calendar may be viewed in a single large calendar or by individual calendars by topic or assessment.
A short video and guide is available to further explain how to use these calendars. For questions, please contact KDE DAC Information.
DAAS embarked on this project after requests were made by several users to have calendars that could easily be filtered or sorted and that contained details such as links to the site to complete the necessary work and the necessary manuals or resources. These calendars are updated weekly by the DAAS consultants to keep everything current.
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ACCESS for ELLs
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ACT
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Alternate Assessment
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CTE (Career and Technical Education)
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Data Quality Control/Review
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EOC
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IC (Infinite Campus)
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K Screen
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K-PREP
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Ky Board of Education
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SCAAC
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SDRR
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SRC (School Report Card)
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Training
The Training calendar is a little different from the rest, since it contains all trainings for entries that go with a specific assessment and those that belong to various assessments. For example, the WIDA eSummit Spotlight: Teaching Multilingual Learners information would appear on both the ACCESS and the Training calendars. While the DAC Monthly Webcast and the Administration Code Training will appear only on the Training calendar, since neither apply to a single assessment.
The CTE, IC, KBE and SRC calendars will reflect what has been announced in a DAC Email and will not have everything pertaining to those areas. Please go to the individual program pages, such as Career and Technical Education or KSIS School Report Card Resources, to find more complete information on those programs.
Transition Attainment Record (TAR) Training/Quiz Opens
The online training and quiz for the TAR will be available the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 5. The TAR is administered to students participating in the Kentucky Alternate Assessment in place of the ACT. The links below provide access to the different materials necessary to complete the TAR training and quiz. These materials will all be available beginning on Oct. 5.
TAR Document (Only available after a successful completion of the quiz):
For questions please email Kevin O’Hair or call at (502) 564-4394.
TAR Administration to Begin Oct. 5
The TAR is a checklist style assessment required for students in grade 11. The TAR can also be provided to any grade 12 or grade 14 student who did not meet benchmark at grade 11. The TAR is available for administration beginning Oct. 5 and will remain open until May 28, 2021. The assessment may be completed by the review team at any time during this period.
For questions please email Kevin O’Hair or call at (502) 564-4394.
ACCESS For ELLs Test Materials Ordering
The window for ordering ACCESS test materials (ACCESS, Alternate ACCESS, Kindergarten ACCESS, Large print, Braille) is Sept. 29 – Oct. 27. District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) will place the testing orders for their schools in the WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). Only order the materials that are needed. The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) will provide DRC with the pre-id label file after the ordering window closes, DACs will not order pre-id labels in WIDA AMS. The Power Point provides additional details for ordering ACCESS test materials.
WIDA eSummit Questions
Submit your questions for the World -Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) eSummit by Monday, Oct 5. The WIDA eSummit, to be held Oct. 12-30, will feature nine live webinars focused on the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition; Teaching Multilingual Learners; and WIDA Assessments. During each webinar, presenters will address common questions about the session topic based upon questions provided by educators in advance. To learn more about session topics, visit the WIDA eSummit webpage.
WIDA eSummit Spotlight: WIDA Assessments
Want to learn more about WIDA assessments? Join the assessment experts during the final week of the WIDA eSummit as they walk attendees through the intended uses of ACCESS for ELLs, WIDA Screener, and WIDA MODEL. They’ll introduce attendees to the newest member of the WIDA Screener family, WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, and uncover all that WIDA MODEL has to offer as a tool that can be used throughout the school year to measure English language development and growth. Sessions include:
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Oct. 26: Using WIDA Assessments Appropriately: ACCESS for ELLs, WIDA Screener, and WIDA MODEL
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Oct. 28: Introducing the New WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
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Oct. 30: WIDA MODEL: Learn More About Your Students’ English Language Skills
Session recordings and downloadable resources will be available after the event in WIDA’s eLearning Center. Registration is not required; however, attendees must have a WIDA Secure Portal Account. Learn more on the WIDA eSummit webpage. These dates will be on the DAC calendar as well.
2020-2021 ACCESS Technology Webinars for Technology Coordinators
Join Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) and WIDA for the following free Q&A webinars focused on technology coming up in Oct. and Nov.:
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Software Updates and Technology Readiness Checklist: Tuesday, Oct. 6 -1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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Technology Installations: Thursday, Oct. 8- 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. CT
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Technology Coordinator Support for Test Administrators: Tuesday, Nov. 10- 1p.m.-2 p.m. CT
More information and login details can be found on the WIDA Q&A Webinar Calendar in the Secure Portal, or on the Q&A Webinar Schedule for Technology Coordinators in WIDA AMS.
DRC will also send a broadcast email with this information to District and School Technology Coordinators on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Please contact DRC with any questions regarding this broadcast email.
Preparing Students for ACCESS for ELLs
Information and resources on test demos, test practice and sample items for ACCESS Online and ACCESS Paper for grades 1-12 have been moved to a dedicated webpage for ACCESS Test Practice and Sample Items.
In addition to the existing test demo, test practice and sample items for ACCESS Online, test administrators can find a new guide on how to use these resources to prepare students for testing. Educators who will administer ACCESS for ELLs Paper for grades 1-12 this year can find an expanded selection of sample items, as well as a guide on using the sample items with students.
ACT Reminder: Makeup Materials Arriving This Week
If administering the ACT on Tuesday, Oct. 6, the materials will arrive this week. To track the order, see the View Status and Shipment Information section of the PearsonAccessnext User Guide.
As soon as the test materials are received, please inspect and check-in all materials within 24 hours of receipt. Refer to the test date flyer when checking materials to ensure all have been received and have the correct test date. If the school/district is missing materials or received the incorrect materials, please contact Shara Savage or call ACT at 800-553-6244 ext. 2800 immediately.
If secure testing materials are received this week and the school/district is not testing Tuesday Oct. 6, please send all secure materials back to ACT, Inc. Please do not retain materials for use on the Tuesday, Oct. 20 test date. This will result in a test misadministration. If any questions arise, please contact Shara Savage or call ACT at 800-553-6244 ext. 2800.
ACT Initial Accommodations Materials Pickup Coming Soon
The initial accommodations testing window will end this Friday, Oct. 2. A prescheduled materials pickup will occur on Monday, Oct. 5. Please be sure that all materials for the initial accommodations window are packaged and ready for pick up on Friday, Oct. 2. Additional detailed instructions for packaging materials for return can be found in the Transportation section of the ACT hosted state testing website. If any questions arise, please contact Shara Savage or call ACT at 800-553-6244 ext. 2800.
ACT Reminder: Order Window for the Oct. 20 Test Date
If the school/district plans to administer the ACT on the Tuesday, Oct. 20 test date, the BAC or BAC designee will need to place an order during the order window of Oct. 6-9. For instructions on placing an additional order, see the Order Materials section of the PearsonAccessnext User Guide. Please note: all secure materials must be ordered for the Oct. 20 test date. If any questions arise, please contact Shara Savage or call ACT at 800-553-6244 ext. 2800.
DAC Spotlight
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Boone County Public Schools has approximately 20,377 students enrolled in preschool through grade twelve, with 3,493 employees. The focus in the district stems from the overall strategic plan. Representing and in partnership with stakeholders, the Boone County School District recognizes that all children can learn and dedicates itself to providing a challenging educational environment that allows each student to achieve to his or her highest potential as a learner and citizen.
All learners demonstrate 21st century skills and knowledge that will prepare them for success in college, career, and life. They develop the leadership and character skills needed to become productive, compassionate, thriving global citizens. Students learn through active engagement, collaboration and exploration of personal interests, talents and ambitions. Teachers and students use inventive technology and 21st century tools to enhance learning. The district utilizes effective process and performance management strategies to provide resources and engages the community in understanding and supporting the plan. The Special Education Staff did not miss a beat as they moved into Non-traditional Instruction (NTI) on March 13, 2020. They work cooperatively with the regular education staff and rise to the challenge of discovering new ways to positively impact the lives of each student and their families. At the start of NTI, each teacher began the journey by reaching out to each student and their families to develop a learning plan through numerous virtual tools. Instruction for all learners regardless of disability continues through creative methods including the use of Google classrooms, Facebook live streaming and pre-recorded instructional videos with the use of YouTube and Screencastify. Some students are benefiting from hands on learning by utilizing manipulatives, games, virtual community-based instruction, video modeling, sign language, paraeducator-support and conferencing to teach content.
Instruction was not limited to academics. For example, social and emotional learning instruction around emotions, growth mindset, and social awareness continues to benefit students while working at home. Staff utilize a variety of motivators including show and tell, scavenger hunts, surprise guests in google meets and group online games. Therapy teams are also working hard with students to address communication, life skills, fine and gross motor skills and sensory needs. They provide therapy equipment, sharing handouts, utilizing social media to post daily play activities that support development as well as joining teachers in their virtual classrooms. Speech Therapists also provide direct instruction through tele-therapy sessions. NTI has also provided the therapists the opportunity to coach parents on ways they can reinforce skills taught during the therapy sessions. In addition to ensuring the students are getting the support needed, the district works to ensure they are there for each other. On a weekly basis district, school and disability-level Professional Learning Communities are held to celebrate successes, answer questions, problem solve individual issues, and share ideas and resources with each other.
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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