Question of the Week
Q: Is the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) seeking feedback on an addendum to Kentucky’s ESEA Consolidated State Plan?
A: The following information was shared in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 19 by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE):
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will be seeking public comment on an addendum to Kentucky’s ESEA Consolidated State Plan to implement the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The addendum is meant to address the extraordinary situations of the extended and widespread school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To read the full news release in its entirety please see, Public Comment Sought on Addendum to Kentucky’s ESEA Consolidated State Plan.
2020-2021 Alternate K-PREP Test Window
The 2020-2021 Alternate K-PREP Test Window is scheduled to begin Mar. 22. There will be one testing window for the Alternate K-PREP. Like previous administrations, testing is not required to start on Mar. 22, but that is the earliest date it can begin. The last day to administer the assessment will be May 28, with the scores submitted in the Student Registration Database (SRD) by June 4.
The reasons to postpone the window are to allow as much time for instruction as possible and provide additional time for guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (USED). With the impact COVID-19 has had on schools and districts this school year, the intention is to grant flexibility while still following guidelines set in place at a state and national level.
Below are the new dates for the Alternate K-PREP Testing Window:
| Mar. 1: |
Alternate K-PREP Combined Overview
Attainment Task Training Closes |
| Mar. 16-19: |
Alternate K-PREP Test Materials Ship to Districts |
| Mar. 22: |
Alternate K-PREP Test Administration Begins |
| Mar. 22: |
Student Registration Database (SRD) Opens for Score Entry |
| May 28: |
Alternate K-PREP Test Administration Ends/Transition Attainment Record (TAR) Administration Ends |
| June 4: |
Last Day to Enter Scores in the SRD |
Jan. DAC Monthly Webcast Recording
OAA’s live monthly DAC Webcast was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support on Jan. 14, from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET. She was joined by others to discuss current assessment and accountability topics. Agenda topics included:
- 2021 Tentative Test Windows Overview
- ACT Spring 2021 State Administration
- Alternate K-PREP Updates – Spring 2021
- 2021 February DAC Meetings
- House Joint Resolution (HJR) 8
- Kentucky Accountability System (703 KAR 5:270)
The DAC Webcast PowerPoint and the recording are available on the right-hand side of the KDE Meetings and Trainings webpage.
OAA/ACT Office Hours
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and ACT are partnering to offer DACs and testing staff open office hours. DACs, BACs, and TCs will be able to ask questions and receive assistance during this time. The dates, times, and links to the Teams meeting are below.
January Office Hours
- Thursday, Jan. 21 @ 1 p.m. ET
- Friday, Jan. 29 @ 11 a.m. ET
February Office Hours
- Thursday, Feb.4 @ 1 p.m. ET
- Friday, Feb.12 @ 11 a.m. ET
- Thursday, Feb.18 @ 1 p.m. ET
- Friday, Feb. 26 @ 11 a.m. ET
Please contact Shara Savage with any questions.
ACT Student Enrollment Verification**Deadline**
The deadline to complete the verification of student enrollment is Jan. 22. Using KDE supplied student data, ACT has created student records in PearsonAccessnext (PAN). Test Coordinators must verify student counts and make any updates, including adding new students, in PAN. Directions for verifying enrollment counts are in the PAN User Guide.
If a student is enrolling or unenrolling from school before the test administration, submit a request for ACT staff to complete the request to enroll or unenroll for the school. Refer to “Submit a Request to Enroll or Unenroll an Examinee” in the PAN User Guide for the ACT. Please note that students entered in PAN after Jan. 22 will not receive pre-printed barcode labels in their initial shipment.
**Updated information** - When verifying enrollment for students testing online be sure to change the student’(s) test delivery format from paper to online. Find information on completing this task in the training tutorial. Enrolled students in PAN who are not marked as testing online will receive paper test materials.
ACT Site Readiness Activities Reminder **Deadline**
Any school or district planning to administer the ACT test online is encouraged to complete the site readiness process prior to the Jan. 22 deadline.
To simplify the online testing process, proctor caching is no longer a requirement for administering the ACT online for most districts; however, a systems check is recommended to determine if proctor caching should be set up. To determine if proctor caching is needed at the school/district, a mock administration should be run to evaluate system requirements and performance.
As a first step, it is necessary for District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) to appoint a Technical Coordinator and create a user account for him/her in PearsonAccessnext. Directions for creating a user account can be found in the PAN User Guide.
Complete Site Readiness Activities
The Technical Coordinator should run through all activities outlined in the Technical Guide and Mock Administration Guide.
If at any point the Technical Coordinator doubts that online testing can be accomplished, the Technical Coordinator should advise the Test Coordinator to switch to the paper administration prior to Jan. 22, to ensure receipt of materials. ACT will not switch the administration to paper.
Dropout Student Listings Available in SDRR
Dropout student listings are now open in the Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) application and will close at noon ET on Friday, Jan. 22. This will be the only period to review this information. School and district staff can request a non-participation for students who were a Verified Transfer, edit some demographic fields, and request accountability changes if needed.
Assistance with dropout review is available by using the Dropout Determination Guide (to determine whether a student should count as a dropout) and the Dropout Accountability Tool (to determine the correct accountability for a student who is a dropout), as well as the detailed information and Frequently Asked Questions available in the Help button in SDRR.
Nelson County Schools is a rural district located in the heart of central Kentucky. The district is comprised of one preschool, three elementary schools, two K-8 schools, two middle schools, two high schools, an alternative school, and an area technology center, all of which serve over 4,500 students. The school district is nestled in several historic communities across Nelson County offering many unique tourist attractions. In 2012, Rand McNally and USA Today named Bardstown the “Most Beautiful Small Town in America.”
Within the school district, all believe every community member has valuable gifts they must share with the world to live a happy, healthy and NPowered life. Community Centered Schools create a culture of Community Centered Learning experiences for all students and educators to share their gifts with the world. NPossible goals are:
- Ensure every student, family and educator are respected, safe and cared for every day.
- Build upon a rich history, uniting students, educators and community through a shared sense of Nelson County Pride.
- Ensure every student and educator have Community Centered experiences, and opportunities to share their gifts with the world.
NCredible opportunities are available to students through a work-based learning program. Through this program, the school district collaborates with the community and students in order to create a variety of experiences. One of the NPossible goals is that every senior participates in a community-based work experience during the school day. In order to make this a reality, over 130 community partners have been connected during the 2020-2021 school year. Eighty-eight percent of the seniors are currently connected to a placement. Seniors have a variety of options for their schedules, which creates flexibility for student exploration and increases opportunities for employer partnerships. Students have options to attend school two days a week and connect with their community placement three days a week or they may select to attend school daily for a half-day and work the remainder. Experiences range from building airplanes at the local airport to working for the district as a student leader. Within the district, over 60 student leader experiences have been created, ranging from leaders at the Early Learning Center (ELC) to technology leaders placed throughout the district. Both high schools have a full-time workforce development leader committed to creating opportunities and supporting students through work-based learning experiences.
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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