Standards Newsletter, Oct. 21, 2020

Applications Sought for the Science Standards and Assessment Blueprint Review Committee (RC) and Advisory Panel (AP)

KRS 158.6453 calls for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to implement a process for reviewing all academic standards and aligned assessments beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. The review process for the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Science will begin during the 2020-2021 school year.

The KDE is seeking current K-12 classroom teachers and postsecondary educators to participate in this work. Applicants will be required to meet virtually and/or in Frankfort for 5-10 days beginning in the spring semester of 2021, continuing through summer with further meetings possibly taking place in the 2021-2022 school year.

When applicable, selected team members will receive reimbursement for travel expenses and the teacher’s school district will be reimbursed for substitute teacher expenses. Potential applicants are asked to verify the willingness of their school or district to release them for work dates throughout the school year.

The online application for the review committee and advisory panel will be posted for 30 days. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 12. Selected team members will be notified by Nov. 23.

Questions on this process can be emailed to the Standards Team.

New KAS Composition Resources  

The Composition Resources webpage has some new additions. KDE has released its KAS Conferencing Guides and KAS Composition Rubrics for Grades 6-12. 

First, the "Introduction to KAS Conferencing Guides and Composition Rubrics" webcast  guides educators through a process of how to use the new composition resources, providing tips on which resources to use first and guidance on how to use the Conferencing Guides and Composition Rubrics with students

The KAS Conferencing Guides provide a formative tool for students and teachers to use during conferences to guide student writers through grade-level expectations, suggestions for revisions and tangible actions to strengthen the composition. Composition Rubrics for each of the three modes of writing are available to use for both formative and summative assessment support. 

These resources, combined with the "Composition in the Classroom" document, are designed to be used throughout the instructional process of composition.

Crafting Text-Dependent Questions Virtual PLC, Grades 6-12

The "Crafting Text Depending Questions Virtual PLC for Grades 6-12" guides participants through a process of learning to distinguish text-dependent from non-text dependent questions, to align questions to our Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing and to craft a standards-aligned text dependent question sequence. The virtual professional learning community (PLC) provides pause points throughout the session to allow for PLCs to discuss and practice crafting text-dependent questions. 

Participants will be provided with grade-level, text-dependent question examples and stems to guide them through the process of creating a full question sequence for a text pair. This virtual PLC provides further guidance, building on the learning from our Understand Text Dependent Questions Module.

The module, the virtual PLC, the text-dependent question examples and text-dependent question stems documents all may be found on the Text Dependent Questions webpage.

Standards Newsletter Archive

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Standards Quick Links

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Professional Learning Bulletin Board

Teaching and Learning PL Series: Eliciting Evidence of Learning

The Kentucky Department of Education will be releasing a professional learning experience each month to support educators with eliciting evidence for learning, whether in a face-to-face or remote learning environment.

Each professional learning experience will be accompanied by an informational video and made available on the Balanced Assessment Professional Learning Modules webpage by the date listed.

The Teaching and Learning PL Series: Eliciting Evidence of Learning schedule is available for download.

Sept. 16: "Comprehensive, Balanced System of Assessment" 

Learn about the components of a comprehensive, balanced assessment system and how different assessments can work together to support student learning. The module will take a closer look at the types and purposes of different assessments, appropriate uses of assessment data and build an understanding of the assessment cycle. 

Visit the Balanced Assessment Professional Learning Modules webpage to access this module.

Oct. 14: "Understanding Formative Assessment" 

Build a common understanding of formative assessment practice. The module will define formative assessment and take a closer look at the assessment cycle in the formative assessment process. In addition, the module will focus on taking a closer look at developing student ownership through building a culture of formative assessment practices in the classroom.

Visit the Balanced Assessment Professional Learning Modules webpage to access this module.

Nov. 18: "Clarifying and Sharing Learning Goals and Success Criteria" 

Learn how the standards and associated learning expectations inform high-quality assessment. The module will focus on how to elicit meaningful evidence of student learning through clarification of learning progressions, learning goals and success criteria.  

Dec. 9: "Eliciting Evidence of Learning" 

In the first section of this module, participants will learn about designing and eliciting evidence of student learning aligned to the standards. The module will take a closer look at strategies for eliciting evidence aligned to the depth of the standard and criteria for high-quality classroom assessments.  

In the second section, participants will learn about valid assessment practices. The module also will consider how to ensure assessment practices are culturally relevant and free from unintended barriers.

CONTACT

standards@education.ky.gov