Question of the Week
Q: When will data from the 2021-2022 K Screen administration be shared with districts?
A: The K Screen results for the 2021-2022 administration are now available. Districts will be able to access their 2021-2022 K Screen data through the KDE secure web apps. The ZIP files will be formatted with the following protocol: SD22_###_K Screen_District Name_ 2021112. The spreadsheets are formatted in district and school breakdowns.
The Kindergarten Screener was administered to incoming kindergarten students and repeating kindergarten students by Oct. 15. Data from the 2021-2022 school year will be the first year that repeat kindergarten student data is included in the report.
The information from the results of the Kindergarten Screener process provides valuable insight to stakeholders to ensure growth for all students. The data contains the composite score of the Core Assessment, the Self Help and Social Emotional Skills Survey, and Prior Settings data reported in Infinite Campus (IC). Data from the 2021-2022 school year should not be compared to the data from the 2020-2021 school year due to the number of test takers, changes to the assessment window, and modified instructional settings.
Note: State results will be included in the fall 2022 public data release.
December Monthly DAC Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) will host its live monthly DAC Webcast virtually Thursday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET.
The meeting will be hosted by Dr. Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support. She will be joined by others to discuss current assessment and accountability topics. The agenda 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.
ACT Site Readiness for Online Testing
The ACT state administration is moving online. OAA is taking a phased-in approach to this new policy by allowing schools to opt into paper testing during the 2021-2022 school year. Therefore, schools and districts planning to administer the ACT test online should begin the site readiness process.
Schools and districts should work to complete all site readiness requirements prior to the deadline on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.
As a first step, District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) must appoint a Technical Coordinator and create a user account for him/her in PearsonAccessnext (PAN). Directions for creating a user account can be found in the PAN User Guide for the ACT. This Technical Coordinator user account is necessary for completing the required technical steps.
DACs and School Test Coordinators will be receiving an email today, Monday, Dec. 6, from ACT describing the remaining steps necessary to complete the site readiness process for online testing. Please forward ACT’s email to your appointed Technical Coordinators. For questions or concerns, please email Shara Savage.
ACCESS for ELLs Reminders
Across the nation, the 2021-2022 ACCESS for ELLs testing year has begun. Whether new to ACCESS for ELLs or have been with WIDA for a while, districts may need a quick refresher on where to find training courses, test materials, and resources to prepare staff and students for ACCESS for ELLs. Check out Everything you’ve ever wanted to know: ACCESS for ELLs for reminders about training, test prep, staying connected with families, state-specific guidance, and who to contact for more assistance.
“The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics School District is a dual-credit residential program for academically exceptional Kentucky students. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains on the campus of Morehead State University, The Craft Academy consists of 148 of the top junior and senior high school students (74 boys and 74 girls) in the state. The Craft Academy meets the unique educational needs of academically gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors in the Commonwealth. A college-level curriculum will allow students to finish high school while also completing two years of university coursework.
“The academic rigor of the Craft Academy challenges students to excel at the highest level. They are focused on a core of mathematics and science courses while engaging in electives in arts and humanities. In addition, the Craft Academy offers unique, project-based STEM+X courses that will enrich educational experiences and develop competencies in entrepreneurship and innovation, design and creativity, civic and regional engagement.
“The Craft Academy is unique because all of our students have already met the ACT benchmarks. This is a tribute to the schools from which they came; they are academically ready in a sense that they have met all benchmarks, and the students are placed in classes that reflect their test scores. Although they are academically prepared for college, some students struggle with the non-academic side of higher education. Meeting the trials brought on by more challenging classes, studying, time management, and decision making. We have created a curriculum that helps students develop skills in these areas. There is a difference between being college ready and college prepared. College readiness means that students have met the minimum benchmark for success; college prepared means that not only have you exceeded the benchmark, but you are prepared to finish college. We also require our students to attend an ACT prep course before enrolling in the Craft Academy. We want students to graduate from Craft Academy having a higher ACT score than when they first enrolled. This benefits them because the higher the test score, the better the scholarship opportunities.
“The Craft Academy has been in existence since 2014. Since then we have graduated over 200 of your students from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are proud to be a part of their academic journey.”
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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