Question of the Week
Q: Are materials used during the Friday, Nov. 6 Special Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) meeting on the discussion of Kentucky’s Accountability System available?
A: Materials shared during the KBE meeting that include the PowerPoint and the Discussion and Guidance document on Kentucky’s Accountability System are now available.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Media Portal has the recording of the Nov. 6 meeting and other KBE meetings.
The discussion on the Amendment of 703 KAR 5:270, Kentucky's Accountability System, was led by KDE Associate Commissioner Rhonda Sims, KDE Division Directors Jennifer Stafford and Kevin Hill, and Center for Assessment Senior Associate Brian Gong.
2020-2021 EOC Exams for the Early Graduate Pathway Ordering Deadline
This year, the End-of-Course (EOC) Exams will be used to meet Early Graduation Pathway requirements (for students who have signed an EG Intent Form). Note: DACs should monitor EOC orders to ensure the order aligns with a student’s Individual Learning Plan (ILP).
The deadline to order is Friday, Nov. 13. The EOC Training Materials [Video, PowerPoint and EOC Guidance Document] have been updated and posted to the KDE website. The directions on how to run the ad hoc ordering reports within Infinite Campus (IC) will also be included in the Ordering Guidance Document. As a reminder, there is a difference between a student who is an early graduate and one who graduates early.
The following are the EOC testing dates:
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Test Window 1: Nov. 30 – Dec. 11, 2020
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Test Window 2: Feb. 22 – March 5, 2021
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Test Window 3: April 19 – 20, 2021
DAC Monthly Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) will hold its Nov. DAC Monthly Webcast virtually on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET.
The live webcast will be hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS). A follow-up from the Nov. 6 Special Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) meeting will be shared. K Screen, Alternate Assessment, End-of-Course, and ACT important reminders and updates will also be presented. The Nov. DAC Webcast PowerPoint will be available on Thursday morning. Please join Jennifer at 11 a.m. ET for the virtual broadcast. Questions may be asked by sending an email to KDE DAC Information.
WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition: New Resources Available
The World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Standards team is excited to announce the release of the Illustrated WIDA Guiding Principles of Language Development, a booklet that brings each of the ten principles to life. This resource can be used by educators with parents, families and community members, to facilitate conversations around these foundational beliefs about the assets multilingual children and youth bring to their classrooms and communities. View the news article “WIDA Standards team releases illustrated Guiding Principles of Language Development” to learn more.
Districts seeking the most up-to-date information on the 2020 Edition are encouraged to review the handouts and recordings from the standards sessions presented at the WIDA eSummit, all three of which can be accessed in the eLearning Center through Jan. 31, 2021.
ACCESS for ELLs Online Supported System Requirements
Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) updated Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs Online and WIDA Screener Online and they have been posted to WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). These system requirements are valid for Oct. 2020-Feb. 2021. Major changes include:
- DRC has ended support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 as of Oct. 31, 2020.
- iPad OS 14: DRC anticipates moving iPad OS 14.x to full support in Nov. 2020.
- iPad OS 12: With Apple’s introduction of iPad OS 14, DRC will end support for iPad OS 12 in Dec. 2020.
- DRC has added Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to the list of fully supported operating systems.
Contact DRC Customer Support or (855) 787-9615 with any questions.
OAA/ACT State Spring 2021 Training Materials
On behalf of the Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and ACT, thank you to everyone who had the opportunity to join the OAA/ACT Spring 2021 State Testing Training on Thursday, Nov. 5.
If the testing staff was unable to attend the training on Thursday, Nov. 5, training and PowerPoint documents will be posted to the Preparation stage of the ACT hosted state testing website as soon as they are available.
Additionally, the KDE/ACT Guidance Document has been published on the KDE webpage.
The guidance document provides answers to many of the questions from the training. Some of the information in the guidance document is general in nature. As information becomes available, OAA will communicate during the ACT/OAA Office hours and DAC communications.
DACs should share this information with high school building assessment coordinators (BACs), principals and ACT school test coordinators.
For questions related to the ACT Training, please contact Shara Savage.
Connection is the name of the game in Grayson County Schools. Connection with students, with colleagues and with community--through relationships, through partnerships, through small daily acts, as well as through high-impact programs at all levels.
Located in a widespread, largely rural area of southcentral Kentucky, the district serves more than 4,000 students between four elementary schools (PS - 5), one middle and one high school, which includes a locally operated Career and Technical Education Center.
With strong community support and involvement, a powerful partnership has been forged to create the kind of win-wins that will benefit our students, our workforce and all of Grayson County.
Growth in work-based and co-op learning opportunities give students on-site experience with local businesses to explore potential careers, often leading to permanent roles. “Signing Day” events for workforce achievements are now almost as common as for sports. Expansion of current pathways and the addition of new ones, such as Computer Science, provide greater prospects to enter high-demand fields.
Dual credit offerings have been expanded, and industry certifications are also on the rise. Students also can complete an associate degree through Elizabethtown Community and Technical College while still in high school.
A full-time Transition Coordinator serves as a liaison between the Grayson County Technology Center, the high school and the business community, working one-on-one to guide students and to ascertain current and future workforce needs directly from business and industry leaders.
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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