Question of the Week
Q: What is the new interim assessment research study and how can a school or district participate?
A: The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) has received federal funds to support action research of interim assessments in reading and mathematics as part of a potential, future assessment system. KDE is seeking districts willing to participate in this study. One purpose of the research is to discover if interim assessments can efficiently measure student achievement and growth on Kentucky content standards, within and across school years. Other purposes of the study include gauging the level of interest from the field, testing the technology, and understanding how a customizable interim assessment program is implemented. In addition to the information and insight the project will provide OAA, participating districts will receive data that will support their efforts to mitigate student learning loss post-pandemic.
The future of assessments and accountability in Kentucky is under discussion with the work of the Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education. Over the next academic year, several districts will serve as learning sites to create and try out a variety of assessment prototypes and processes. While this project is not part of the Coalition work, it will be another opportunity to learn about and try out an interim assessment program.
The interim assessments included in this study, known as Transcend, are designed to provide efficient, actionable achievement results and growth measures to district leaders, school leaders and teachers. Results are available within 24 hours for immediate action and can be used to inform instruction. Interim reports are interactive, providing content- and domain-level scale scores, growth measures, and proficiency determinations linked to the state summative assessment. Reports visually describe information such as the score ranges so that instructional decisions can be made with the information tests are intended to yield but which is often misunderstood and unused. This link to a printable brochure may be helpful.
Participants in this study will be provided turn-key training for District Assessment Coordinators (DACs), Building Assessment Coordinators (BACs) and teachers. The assessment literacy training includes training on different types of assessments and the benefits of each type, an interim assessment overview, and in-depth score report interpretation.
Participants will be expected to:
- Manage the student data and district/school test set up in the system
- Select the scope and sequence for each interim assessment
- Create and schedule the test windows
- Ensure test administration protocols are followed and the test is kept secure
- Designate personnel as the point person with Pearson to quickly communicate questions or issues
- Allow district staff to participate in professional development activities
Each study participant will be required to read and sign a Memorandum of Understanding and any data sharing agreements. Costs for the pilot program are being shared equally between KDE and the district. The cost for districts to participate is $5.00 per student.
If interested in participating in the Transcend study, please contact Maritta Horne at maritta.horne@pearson.com or Laura Cain at laura.cain@pearson.com.
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) hosted its live Monthly DAC Webcast on July 8.
The meeting was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director of DAAS. She was joined by DAAS consultants Jason Howard, Joy Barr and Ben Riley. Agenda topics included:
Interim Assessment Research Study
Regulation 703 KAR 5:270 Update
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET on the KDE Live Stream.
New District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) Informational Seminar
The New District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) Informational Seminar will be presented by the Kentucky Association for Assessment Coordinators (KAAC) on Tuesday, July 27, from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. ET. It will be held virtually on Zoom Meets. Registration is now open.
“Christian County is home to eight elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, Gateway Academy (dedicated to career and technical education), and multiple alternative settings. Like many districts across the state, this year Christian County instituted a Virtual Learning Academy to accommodate students who chose to work from home. At one point, more than 2,500 of 8,300 CCPS students were enrolled in the VLA, and were able to participate virtually, which created some unique challenges regarding the collection of student achievement data throughout the year. Last summer, our Director of Technology and Superintendent ensured all middle and high school students would have a laptop, and that made our district's efforts to accommodate every student's situation possible. This technology was also very helpful in K-PREP testing online this year.
“Christian County is a growing school district and going through many exciting changes under first-year Superintendent, Chris Bentzel. As a previous teacher in Christian County, and a principal at all three levels, he is dedicated to improving both the quality of instruction across the district, and the improvement of our facilities. His leadership has created opportunities for students in Christian County that were not previously available, and he uses my role as District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) to help him make informed decisions about student needs.
“This year we were excited to partner with NWEA for the diagnostic and benchmark assessment needs of our district. Teachers, students and parents were extremely pleased to have MAP in a year where measuring learning could not have been more important. Our Instructional Leadership Teams meetings were able to look at district trends through school, grade and student-level data in order to identify areas for celebration, and areas that were opportunities for growth. CCPS administrators were able to use a strategic plan to create goals and strategies, which was then cascaded down to teachers in order to create actionable plans to serve all students at their point of need.
“Administrators, teachers, students, directors, and Central Office staff went above and beyond in 2020-2021 to ensure quality in-person instruction for students and a safe learning environment. From the very first day of our school year, we have had one saying, "ALL IN," and Christian County has exemplified this spirit all year for their students and staff.”
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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