Question of the Week
Q: Is it possible for ACT materials to arrive at schools this week?
A: Depending on the materials receipt date selected during the ‘Select Test Dates’ task, materials for Test Window 1 may arrive at school(s) starting the week of February 8. When materials arrive, please ensure testing staff review materials within 24 hours of receipt and confirm the appropriate items and quantities were delivered. Contact ACT immediately if contents do not match packing lists or if there is evidence of tampering. Materials must always be kept in secure storage before and after testing. The Test Coordinator is responsible for the security of all test materials.
The materials shipment will include personalized non-test instructions for examinees. All examinees will complete the non-test activity in MyACT this spring, regardless of test mode. MyACT is not currently open for the state test event, so examinees cannot yet complete the non-test activity. When MyACT is available for this activity, ACT will communicate to school and district testing staff. ACT has several resources on the ACT State hosted website, including Accessing MyACT Accounts for Non-Test Information, MyACT Quick Start Guide and MyACT: How to Use Student Code for State Testing Video.
WIDA Webinar Series
The World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) is offering a series of webinars on English Language Development (ELD) standards called Educators’ Choice Topics for WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition Q&A. To learn more about the standards and participate in the webinars, login information can be found on the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition Q&A Webinar Series flyer.
DAC Monthly Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) will host its live monthly DAC Webcast virtually Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET.
The meeting will be hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support. She will be joined by others to discuss current assessment and accountability topics. Topics and direct links to materials will be forthcoming in a Special DAC Email prior to the webcast.
Please join Jennifer at 11 a.m. ET for the live broadcast. If you have a conflict with this meeting, the session will be recorded and posted on the KDE Media Portal and the KDE Meetings and Trainings page with all pertinent materials. Questions may be asked by sending an email to KDE DAC Information.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET.
Whitley County is a rural community located in southeastern Kentucky near the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The Whitley County School District serves students in preschool through grade 12 and has approximately 4,300 students who attend the eleven schools in the district. The schools include one primary, one intermediate, five elementary, one middle, one high, one alternative school, and one virtual academy.
The staff of the Whitley County School District believes that ALL students can learn. It is our responsibility to ensure that all students acquire the essential skills necessary for them to function as productive citizens. They are committed to providing a quality education and a positive experience for students to graduate college and career ready, so they can go on to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Having effective schools has established a solid foundation for the development of a stronger and better community.
The Whitley County School District is Making Great Things Happen! In reaction to the pandemic and the governing of schools, the leadership team focused on virtual learning in the following areas: professional development, student learning and instruction, parent engagement, and after-school learning.
Professional development was done virtually in schools utilizing Zoom and Google Classroom as the digital platforms. These sessions specifically targeted student learning and teacher instruction and strategies. These interactive sessions were led by teacher leaders, technology staff, instructional coaches, and the Kentucky Department of Education as well as the use of modules developed by the SESC Cooperative. Google Classroom and Zoom sessions focused on the use of the platforms for instruction, student learning and troubleshooting issues. These sessions were recorded so that teachers can access them as they grow in their implementation of virtual learning.
The Whitley County School District offers parents and students various modes of learning: in-person, virtual or packet/flash drives. From August to December 2020, in-person students utilized remote learning platforms as the virtual students did. Students who chose packets as their mode of learning received both instruction, assignments and assessments on paper each week while other students received their instruction on flash drives, if they chose. In mid-January 2021, the district transitioned to in-person learning using an aggressive hybrid A-B-C model. Students who chose in-person learning attend school one day a week, Group A students attend Monday, Group B students on Wednesday, and Group C students on Friday. On the days that the students are not in-person, they join the classroom using Zoom. Virtual students and those who chose packets remain the same. Plans are in place for a hybrid A-B model when the county incidence rates are reduced. This model will allow Group A students to attend on Monday and Tuesday while Group B students attend on Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, in-person students would attend the classroom using Zoom.
Parent engagement activities hosted by the schools had always been face-to-face before the pandemic. Whitley County schools began utilizing a drive-thru method of hosting family mathematics and reading nights. Parents are given the opportunity to attend virtual mathematics and reading nights by picking up packets and pre-packaged refreshments. The packets had printed materials, games and activities. These materials were also accessible through Google Classroom along with links to games and activities for those who have Internet access. Zoom session times were also available for students and parents who wanted to engage with teachers or to ask questions. This has been very successful as the number of parents and students participating have increased in all schools.
Virtual after school programming has also been very successful. Teachers are providing tutoring, homework help, and enrichment activities via Zoom and Google Classroom. Teachers are also contacting students daily to ensure they are receiving all the resources needed for success.
The staff of the Whitley County School District values three core behaviors: integrity, persistence and positive thinking. With these behaviors in mind, the rural district is in the process of providing students with online school Internet access using jetpacks that are installed in their homes. The district has expanded school access points to the parking lot as well as providing mobile access points using school buses in community locations so that students can connect to the Internet. All believe that students and community come first in the Whitley County School District.
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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