Question of the Week
Q: What information is available for review of the possible impact of changing the minimum n-count in Kentucky’s school accountability from 10 students per grade to 30 students per school?
A: Using data from 2018-2019, the last time accountability was reported, the impact of the change was examined. In the School Configurations and N-Count Analysis Summary document, a summary of the analysis and impact to the indicators of Proficiency and Separate Academic were presented. Data tables are located below the summary.
The School Configurations and N-Count Analysis Summary was created as a request from the Local Superintendent Advisory Council (LSAC). In order to make a more informed recommendation on the proposed amendments to 703 KAR 5:270, Kentucky’s Accountability System to the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), members of LSAC requested additional information during their meeting on Dec. 1.
Dec. 10 DAC Monthly Webcast Recording
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) hosted its live monthly DAC Webcast Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET.
The meeting was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support. A follow-up from the Dec. 2 Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) meeting was shared. Other agenda topics included:
- ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Testing Schedule and Logistics
- Alternate Assessment Resources for Instruction
- End-of-Course Examination
- ACT Spring 2021 Administration
The DAC Webcast PowerPoint and the recording are available on the right-hand side of the KDE Meetings and Trainings webpage.
ACT Test Administration Q & A Sessions
ACT is hosting a test administration Q&A webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. ET. School Test Coordinators and Test Accommodations Coordinators are encouraged to attend. DACs are welcome to attend. If testing staff are unable to attend, the session will be recorded and posted to the ACT hosted state testing website. Additionally, a second training session will be held at 2 p.m. ET. on Feb. 3. Registration links are embedded in the Schedule of Events and can be found below.
Jan. 6 Registration Link
Feb. 3 Registration Link
ACT: Request Accommodations and Supports - Reminder
As a reminder, the ACT’s Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system has migrated to success.act.org. Please ensure testing staff has access to the TAA system on the new website. If the testing staff has not yet requested accommodations and supports, ACT and KDE highly recommend that this activity be completed as soon as possible.
The published deadline to request accommodations and supports for the upcoming ACT Spring 2021 State administration is Jan. 15, 2021; however, ACT’s review and approval process typically takes multiple business days. Work to complete this activity now to ensure testing staff has the opportunity to provide any additional information ACT may require for approval. Ideally, to guarantee this process is complete by the deadline and students receive a college reportable score, testing staff should complete this critical task by Dec. 18. Please share this information with school testing staff to ensure they are aware of the process for requesting accommodations and supports.
Resources to assist in requesting accommodations and support: Information about requesting accommodations and/or EL supports, How to create an account and request accommodations through TAA (training tutorial), and On-demand accommodations training. Additional resources can be found under stage 3 of the ACT hosted state testing website.
EOC Exam Testing Window 1 Shipping Deadline Approaches - Reminder
The return End-of-Course (EOC) Exam shipping deadline is Thursday, Dec. 17. The DAC or designee should return the testing materials on or before the established return deadline. All secure testing booklets must be returned to KDE to the following address:
ATTN# Shara Savage
Kentucky Department of Education
300 Sower Blvd.
Frankfort, KY 40601
Districts/schools are responsible for paying the return postage. Districts/schools can choose their return shipping method, but the shipping provider must enable tracking and provide a tracking number.
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) will process answer documents once the testing window has closed. Please allow 6 weeks for processing.
DACs will receive:
- A summary report of all tested students and their scores by content area at the completion of scoring for each testing window
- Individual student score reports with the name of the student and the scale score listed
KDE will continue to use the established EOC cut scores.
Please contact Shara Savage with any questions or concerns.
WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition: Kindergarten – Grade 12
It’s coming! The World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework, 2020 Edition: Kindergarten – Grade 12 will be available Dec.18. Beginning this Friday, a PDF of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition will be available for download on the English Language Development Standards page, or you may pre-order a copy of the book from the WIDA Store. Until then, check out introductory resources for educators on the 2020 Vision for Standards page.
WIDA eSummit Session Recordings and Resources Available through Jan.
WIDA eSummit session recordings and resources are available on-demand to educators in WIDA Consortium member states, territories and federal agencies. This virtual learning offering features sessions on the topics of WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition, Teaching Multilingual Learners and WIDA Assessments. All session materials will be available through Jan. of 2021. For session descriptions and information about accessing the eSummit recordings and resources, visit the WIDA eSummit webpage.
Located in the north central part of Kentucky, the Oldham County School District serves over 12,000 students. The district consists of a preschool, nine elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, an alternative school, and next-generation Career and Performing Arts Schools.
The district embraces rigorous academic standards, innovation, continuous improvement and the involvement of parents and community members. A focus on 21st Century Learning Outcomes includes preparing students for a global economy in which they will be solving problems we don’t know are problems yet, using technology that doesn’t yet exist. Despite the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the district continues to emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, creativity, communication, leadership and technology as key skills. The school district is continuing to look for ways to ensure these standards are achieved, despite the challenges faced with virtual learning. In addition, Oldham County schools has recently embraced a new assessment system at the high school level designed to meet the needs of all students and holds each student accountable for improvement. Bouts of Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) and virtual learning have proven to be obstacles to implementing the plan in the way envisioned, however school staff has been able to overcome those hurdles and has successfully completed a fall round of testing. This will provide schools with real-time data of how students have fared since early spring and how they are learning in the “new normal” which includes stints of NTI and hybrid in-school opportunities.
The district’s successes have been achieved through exceptional leadership provided by the locally-elected school board, by administrative staff at the district and school levels, through high-quality instruction provided on a daily basis by dedicated and highly skilled teachers, through the high expectations and support of parents and community. One of the greatest challenges during these times has been to ensure and expect hard work from students, despite the immediate circumstances. This means schools have had to tighten systems and strengthen dedication to better outreach and communication from home-to-school as well as improve on internal systems of progress monitoring.
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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