Question of the Week
Q: When will districts complete ACCESS Data Validation?
A: The ACCESS Data Validation window for English Learners (ELs) is June 11-25. Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) has communicated instructions for logging into the WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) and completing this process to District Assessment Coordinators (DACs). This is the last opportunity with DRC to correct any student demographics prior to districts receiving the ACCESS for ELLs reports online in WIDA AMS on July 14 and printed reports starting on Aug. 2.
Districts will need to make sure the following tasks have been completed so that the ACCESS for ELLs reports will be accurate:
- Verify that all student demographics are correct
- Fix all duplicate student records. To do this the following fields must be the same and no blanks for both records:
- Last Name
- Birthdate
- SSID
- Grade
- District
- School
- Student records needing invalidated (do not score code), contact Chris Williams
- Save all changes
For assistance or any questions with the ACCESS for ELLs Data Validation process, please contact Chris Williams.
ACT Scores in Infinite Campus
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) strives to publish student results data in Infinite Campus (IC) as it becomes available. In this spirit, 2020-2021 ACT scores have been imported into the State Edition of Campus. KDE will publish these scores to all districts beginning on Tuesday June 15.
Please email KDE data services inbox with any questions on this matter.
June 10 DAC Monthly Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) hosted its live Monthly DAC Webcast on June 10.
The meeting was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director of DAAS. She was joined by DAAS consultants Ben Riley, Joy Barr and Shara Savage with guest appearances from the Office of Education Technology (OET) staff, Steve Roark and Martin Herbener. Agenda topics included:
- Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education
- Regulations for Public Comment
- KDE Web Applications Login
- Spring 2021 Testing Reminders
- End-of-Course State Assessments
- K-Screen Updates
The DAC Webcast PowerPoint and the DAC Webcast Video links are available on the right-hand side of the KDE Meetings and Trainings webpage. The recorded session is posted on the KDE Media Portal.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET on the KDE Live Stream.
Administration Code and Inclusion of Special Populations Allegation Training
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) will be offering a virtual training session on July 8, covering the Administration Code and Inclusion of Special Populations regulations. The session will run 12 – 4 p.m. ET.
This training is provided for district/school staff who have received notification from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) recommending additional training related to an allegation. New District and Building Assessment Coordinators are also welcome to attend. This session will be held virtually in teams. Please follow the link to register for the July Administration Code and Inclusion of Special Populations Training.
Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education to meet June 15
The Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education will meet virtually on June 15 from 4-6 p.m. ET.
Under the leadership of Commissioner of Education Jason E. Glass, the Kentucky Department of Education, the Center for Innovation in Education (CIE) and the Kentucky Board of Education are partnering to create a vision for public education in the Commonwealth. The statewide coalition is bringing together perspectives from across the Commonwealth to drive this work forward. The coalition will co-create this vision with communities, foster local innovations and advance policy recommendations.
Pursuant to Executive Order 2020-243 and a memorandum issued by the Finance and Administration Cabinet dated March 16, 2020, and in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education will meet via video teleconference. Members of the public will not be permitted to attend the meeting in person, but are encouraged to view the meeting on the Kentucky Department of Education's Media Portal.
A full agenda follows:
Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education
June 15, 2021, 4-6 p.m. ET
Kentucky Department of Education
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Welcome: Toni Konz Tatman, Chief Communications Officer, Kentucky Department of Education
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Opening Remarks: Jason E. Glass, Commissioner and Chief Learner, Kentucky Department of Education
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Purpose and Goals: Doannie Tran, Center for Innovation in Education
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Connection Activity: Bren Martin and Traysea Moresea, Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education; Sarah Snipes, Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, Division of Innovation, Kentucky Department of Education
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Dimensions of Assessment and Accountability: Comparability and Prioritization: Paul Leather, Center for Innovation in Education
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Decision Making in the Coalition: Gretchen Morgan, Center for Innovation in Education
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Review and Finalize User Profiles: Doannie Tran, Center for Innovation in Education
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Build Storylines and Headlines for the Current State of Kentucky Education Report: Doannie Tran, Center for Innovation in Education
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Closing: Paul Leather, Center for Innovation in Education
School Reconfiguration Changes for 2021-2022 School Year (Repeat)
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) asks that District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) submit information on A1 schools with service area changes for the 2021-2022 school year by June 30. Changes to school service area (reconfiguration) requests need to be made if any of the following situations apply:
- the grade range in an A1 school changes
- a new A1 school is opened
- an A1 school is closed
- an A1 school boundary changes
- a shift in student population of more than 40% occurs
The School Reconfiguration Spreadsheet, School Reconfiguration Spreadsheet instructions and School Reconfiguration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found on the Forms page located on the Assessment and Accountability section of the KDE website.
In addition, changes must be submitted through the District and School Collection Repository (DASCR) application. Please see the DASCR User Guide, if unfamiliar with this web application. The district Web Apps Admin Point of Contact (WAAPOC) handles access. WAAPOCs may contact the KETS Service Desk with questions/issues with DASCR at (866) 538-7435.
2021-2022 EOC State Administration Testing Dates and Counselor Training
The dates for the End-of-Course (EOC) State Assessments have been set for the 2021-2022 school year.
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Test Window 1: 29 -- Dec. 10, 2021
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Test Window 2: 21 -- March 4, 2022
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Test Window 3: April 18-29, 2022
Early Graduation is a deliberate pathway for students in grades 9-11 who wish to move on when ready, receive a diploma from the district, and be eligible for acceptance into Kentucky public universities and non-profit independent colleges and universities.
For 2021-2022, the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) and the Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) partnered to create a short training video for school counselors to assist with students who are eligible for the Early Graduation Pathway. The Early Graduation Training breaks down the policy and who should be in the pathway. For questions or assistance, contact Shara Savage.
Complete WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops by Aug. 31
Have district or school staff been meaning to try a WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshop? Or perhaps started one, but didn’t get a chance to finish? Don’t worry, participants have until Aug. 31, to access this year’s self-paced offerings:
- WIDA Writing Rubric
- Doing and Talking STEM
- Classroom Educators: Engaging Multilingual Newcomers
- Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough
- Social Studies: Engaging Multilingual Learners through Inquiry
- Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
- School Improvement Planning for Multilingual Learners
- The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach
Visit the WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops webpage to view eWorkshop descriptions, estimated time to complete each course, and more.
If district/school staff have started an eWorkshop, and haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, follow these steps:
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Log in to the WIDA Secure Portal account and click on the WIDA eLearning Center tile.
- Click into the eWorkshop started. Look to see if there are any green checkmarks on the Modules page (located on the left menu bar). This may help participants determine where they left off.
- Work through the eWorkshop modules, which may include videos, handouts and activities.
- When finished, print a certificate to document the eWorkshop completion.
Questions? Visit our member/state page on the WIDA website for specific instructions from the State Education Agency, or contact the WIDA Client Services Center at 1-866-276-7735.
DRC Outage in WIDA AMS
All DRC systems will be unavailable on Sunday, June 20 from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight CT due to an infrastructure update. This includes WIDA AMS, the DRC INSIGHT Secure Application, Central Office Services, and Educator Scoring. WIDA and DRC apologize for the inconvenience.
Reminder: 2021-2022 Technology Releases in WIDA AMS
On the evening of Thursday, June 24, DRC will release the annual DRC INSIGHT Secure Application and Central Office Service (COS) Service Device installers to WIDA AMS. WIDA strongly recommends updating to the latest versions of both the DRC INSIGHT Secure Application and the Central Office Services-Service Device (COS-SD) before district sites continue screening or testing.
DRC INSIGHT Secure Application:
The DRC INSIGHT Secure Application is the secure web-browser testing interface installed on each testing device.
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If sites have configured the DRC INSIGHT Secure Application to automatically update, no action will need to be taken by technology staff. When the student launches the application, they’ll receive a prompt and then the application will update automatically.
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If sites have configured the DRC INSIGHT Secure Application so that automatic updates are turned off, the technology coordinator will need to update every student testing device, so it is running Version 12.0 of the Secure Application. The software must be updated manually by downloading the latest version from WIDA AMS or the appropriate app store, and then reinstalling it, or changing the COS configuration setting to allow automatic updates and then restarting the Secure Application.
Central Office Services (COS):
Central Office Services is an application that allows one to configure and manage the online testing environment from a central location. COS-SDs are designed to automatically receive updates. All COS Service Devices will automatically update to version 5.0 on the evening of June 24, if they are left turned on between midnight and 5 a.m. local time. No actions need to be taken for this update to be applied other than leaving the devices turned on overnight with an internet connection.
For detailed information regarding the DRC INSIGHT Secure Application and COS-Service Device, please review the Technology User Guide located in WIDA AMS under My Applications > General Information > Documents. DRC will also send a broadcast email on Tuesday, June 15 with more information and instructions related to these updates to technology coordinators.
Please contact DRC Customer Service at (855) 787-9615 with any questions about these updates.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author to Headline 2021 WIDA eConference
Viet Thanh Nguyen, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Sympathizer,” will deliver the keynote address at the 2021 WIDA eConference on Oct. 14. During his address, Nguyen will talk about his experience as a refugee in America and his work to advocate for Asian American Pacific Islanders.
WIDA eConference information, including the full conference schedule, speaker biographies and registration details are available on the WIDA eConference website.
“Bourbon County is known for impressive horse farms, historic homes and its beautiful downtown area. The school district is comprised of approximately 2,700 students with six schools in the district: Bourbon Central Elementary, Cane Ridge Elementary, North Middletown Elementary, Bourbon County Middle School, Bourbon County High School, and the Bourbon County Preschool Center.
“Educators in Bourbon County Schools are dedicated to providing a quality education to its students. With the changes in education this past year due to the pandemic, we had to change our approach in how instruction would be delivered to our students. We provided both virtual and in-person classes to meet the needs of our students and community. All students were provided Chromebooks along with hot spots if families did not have Internet in their area.
“This summer, we are excited to provide students with the Empowerment Academy. This is a four-week summer program that will target academics and provide enrichment opportunities to students. In July, we have scheduled a two-week Jump Start Program to provide orientations and activities to prepare our pre-school, kindergarten, grade 6, and freshman students with the information needed to transition into new schools.
“In the elementary and middle schools, the district has implemented a program called Girls on the Run. This program allows girls to have mentor time while training to run a 5K. The girls learn to persevere through difficult times to find success. Through this program, girls make connections with their teachers, who are their coaches, as well as community members who volunteer their time to this wonderful program.”
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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