Question of the Week
Q: What is the most updated information on the 2020-2021 CTE EOP Assessment Administration and Testing Window?
A: The 2020-2021 Career and Technical (CTE) End-of-Program (EOP) Assessment administration will be available in-person following Healthy at Work / Healthy at School guidance and proctored in-person pursuant to the 703 KAR 5:080, Administration Code for Kentucky’s Educational Assessment Program and 703 KAR 5:070, Inclusion of Special Populations in the State-Required Assessment and Accountability Programs. At this time, accountability is still being required by United States Department of Education (USED); if updates become available that information will be shared.
The 2020-2021 CTE EOP Assessment Testing Window is March 22-April 30. Students’ status must be identified as a concentrator in their career pathway(s) in the Technical Education Database System (TEDS) by March 1. A concentrator is defined as a student that has completed 2 courses in a single program of study (career pathway). In Kentucky, a course is defined as 1 credit on the student’s official transcript. During 2020-2021, ONLY seniors and early graduates will be eligible to sit for the CTE EOP Assessment. Assessment results will be released after the testing window closes.
For any questions regarding the CTE EOP Assessment contact Sherri Craig in the Office of Career and Technical Education.
Jan. ACCESS for ELLs Q & A Webinars
Please join the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to learn about the following ACCESS for ELLs topics:
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During Testing: Managing Test Materials (Paper) Tuesday, Jan. 5, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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During Testing: Technology Troubleshooting Thursday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
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Post Testing: Returning Materials (Paper) Thursday, Jan. 28, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. CT
More information and login details can be found on the WIDA Q&A Webinar Schedule. Technology Coordinators interested in attending WIDA AMS technology-related webinars can locate them on the 2020-21 Q&A Webinar Schedule for Technology Coordinators.
Can’t make it? WIDA Q & A Webinars are recorded and posted to the Secure Portal Download Library within a week of the presentation.
OAA/ACT Office Hour – Jan. 8
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and ACT are partnering to offer District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) and testing staff open office hours. DACs, BACs and TCs will be able to ask questions and receive assistance during this time. The next office hour will be Friday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. ET. A regular Microsoft Teams Meeting will be the platform for the meeting. To join the meeting, please access this Teams Meeting. Please contact Shara Savage with any questions.
ACT Test Administration Q & A Sessions - Reminder
ACT is hosting a test administration Q&A webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. ET. School Test Coordinators (TCs) and Test Accommodations Coordinators (TACs) 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 modified 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, 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; 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. If this critical task was not completed by Dec. 18, it is crucial to complete this task by Friday, Jan. 8. 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 include 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.
ACT and KYOTE Scores in Infinite Campus (IC)
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) strives to publish student data results in Infinite Campus (IC) as they become available. In this spirit, 2020-2021 ACT and KYOTE scores have been imported into the State Edition of IC. KDE published these scores to districts beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Please email KDE data services inbox with any questions on this matter.
“WE ARE MENIFEE” where every student is ensured a transition on a pathway to a successful future in academia, military or career. Menifee County School District, located in Frenchburg, is a small system nestled in the hills of eastern Kentucky with Cave Run Lake to the east and the Red River Gorge to the south. The district is comprised of four schools. Botts Elementary is a K-5 facility with approximately 200 students and is located in Denniston. Menifee County Elementary is a K-8 facility with approximately 500 students, and Menifee County High is a 9-12 facility with approximately 315 students. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the two elementary schools will officially be merged and will be relocated at a new campus called Menifee Central. Educational services are also provided through the Menifee County Academy to students ages 16 - 21 with the Frenchburg Job Corps, a federal vocational program for students from Kentucky as well as many other states, and Frenchburg Group Home, one of nine state-operated group homes in Kentucky.
During this unprecedented school year, the district has relied on already established systems in order to quickly adapt and meet the needs of students and the community during COVID-19 pandemic. The district relies on PDSA (Plan Do Study Act) processes to continuously work toward improving the quality of instruction students receive. Progress is monitored via 30/60/90- day plans and measured using multiple data points at both the school and district level to effectively and efficiently implement and monitor initiatives and changes to instruction that have taken place both before and during this pandemic.
The school district also implements Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) systematically at each school. PLC structures allow weekly opportunities for teachers to utilize the PDSA process focusing on individual student achievement with the state standards and implementing instructional changes based on student data. Fridays were established at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year as Non-Traditional Instructional (NTI) days for the district. This has provided teachers with protected time to collaborate in both grade level and content PLC teams, as well as provided opportunities for professional learning, focused on high-yield instructional strategies for remote learning and working with teachers to meet the social-emotional needs of students. A very intentional and aggressive plan for providing targeted supports has also helped the district meet the needs of students by providing additional supports to students during this time.
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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