Question of the Week
Q: When will the recorded February DAC Meeting videos and resources be released?
A: February DAC Meeting videos and resources are now available. Each section has been recorded by staff in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS). The Trainings include Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA), Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA), Accommodations, High School, Test Security, the Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) application and trainings from Pearson on Operational Testing and TestNav. The separate videos may be accessed from the KDE DAC Training Series.
PowerPoints and other referenced resources for the February DAC Meetings may be accessed on the Meetings and Trainings page or from the 2022 February DAC Training Folder. For questions around any of the sections, please contact DAAS by email or phone (502) 564-4394.
EILA credit will be offered for the February DAC Meeting Videos but not for the February DAC Meeting Q& A sessions in person or virtual. The expectation for districts will be to review the recorded training videos prior to the hybrid Q&A Sessions. DAAS staff has prepared a Q&A Checklist to assist in preparing for the Q&A sessions.
New WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshop Available Tuesday
Grab a laptop and science colleagues – the newest addition to the WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshop offerings will be available Feb. 1! Engaging Multilingual Learners in Science: Making Sense of Phenomena is a free, interactive eWorkshop designed specifically for science educators and language educators who support multilingual learners in science classrooms.
This offering provides multiple strategies for engaging multilingual students in the central work of sensemaking in science. Through video, interactions, and reflection activities, science and language educators will learn to:
- Recognize the critical role of eliciting student ideas in science teaching and learning
- Identify considerations for selecting science phenomena that are relevant to students and effective for teaching science ideas
- Support student agency and authority in reasoning about phenomena
- Use teaching strategies that promote language development in the context of sense making
Completing the four modules in this eWorkshop will take about 3-4 hours.
Ready to get started?
- Log in to your WIDA Secure Portal account. Don’t have an account yet? Visit Kentucky’s Member/State page to learn how.
- Select Professional Learning from the main menu. Locate the course and click on Course Details.
- Click Enroll Now.
- Complete an eWorkshop and print the certificate. Give a copy to the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) for EILA credit.
Learn more about WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops on the WIDA eLearning webpage.
ACCESS Additional Materials Ordering Reminders
After districts receive the initial materials order for ACCESS for ELLs, districts may discover that an additional materials order needs to be placed. Schools might have had additional students move into the district or determined that a student needs a special test form due to an accommodation. Here are some important tips to keep in mind regarding additional materials ordering:
- Check your district and school’s overage first. Most districts receive overage with the initial order and an additional materials order may not be necessary.
- Check Kentucky’s policies around writing booklets under Testing Requirements on Kentucky’s member/state page of the WIDA website.
- It is the DAC’s responsibility to place the additional materials order, making sure to collect information from all schools in your district before ordering.
- Do not order extra materials “just in case.” This increases waste and shipping costs. Order only what the district needs.
Find more information on additional materials ordering in the District and School Test Coordinator Manual, located in the WIDA Secure Portal.
ACCESS Test Security Reminder
ACCESS for ELLs is a secure test. It is the responsibility of test administrators and test coordinators to ensure the confidentiality and security of test items at all times. Please keep test materials in locked storage when not in use and make sure all material is accounted for. Additionally, publicly posting, displaying, or distributing in any medium WIDA test materials, in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited and may lead to legal sanctions. Check Kentucky’s member page on the WIDA website for any state-specific guidance related to test security.
K Screen Update
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) is in the process of partnering with Curriculum Associates to prepare for the upcoming 2022-2023 K Screen. To streamline the order process Curriculum Associates needs to verify and update the addresses for schools and districts; please note this is not an ordering form for the K Screen. An email was sent out Friday to DACs, Jan. 28 containing instructions on how to verify and submit an updated list of each district's elementary schools. The verification form needs to be completed by Feb. 14. Please contact Lisa Jett if districts have any questions or need assistance with completing this process.
Once the email is opened districts will be directed to:
- Download the Spreadsheet using the provided link
- Open the Google Sheet
- Select File>Download>Microsoft Excel
- Edit the address if it is not correct in Excel using the following steps
- Check the address to ensure it is correct. If not, please correct it.
- Update the status of each address by selecting one of the choices in the column titled “Verification Status” by using the drop-down menu. Those choices are: "Yes" "I have updated this address" "Remove this address"
Register for ACT Test Administration Training Feb. 2
ACT is hosting the second of two test administration training sessions, which will focus on test day and post-test activities, on Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. ET. DACs and BACs are encouraged to register for this event even if they are unable to join the session in real-time. By completing the registration process, DACs/BACs will be notified when recorded content is available to view as time allows. For more information, please contact Shara Savage.
ACT State Testing Additional Order Window Open
ACT will package and deliver materials based on the student enrollment associated with each school as of Jan. 21. If schools have had an enrollment increase after that deadline or need more materials, schools can order additional materials, including non-college reportable accommodations materials, for the initial test date through PAN. The deadline to request additional materials for Test Window 1 is Feb. 25. Instructions for entering an additional order are within the Configuration step of the ACT hosted website. For more information, please contact Shara Savage.
ACT Requesting Non-College Reportable Accommodations
If a school has a student(s), who were not authorized for accommodations and are not eligible to obtain accommodations and/or supports during the ongoing Qualified Exceptions to the Deadline window, schools can place an order for non-college reportable (NCR) accommodations materials during the additional order window. For instructions on placing an order for NCR materials, please refer to instructions for entering an additional order within the Configuration step of the ACT hosted website. For more information, please contact Shara Savage.
ACT Test Window 1 Materials Arriving Soon
ACT State Testing materials for Test Window 1, including personalized non-test instructions documents, will arrive at schools based on the materials receipt week chosen during the Select Test Dates task.
Within 24 hours of receiving test materials, please inspect and check all materials. Refer to the test date flyer when checking materials to ensure all materials have been received for the correct test date. If materials are missing, please contact ACT immediately by phone at (319) 337-1270.
ACT Creates Online Test Sessions for Window 1
The window during which testing staff can create online test sessions and add students to those sessions for the online test window 1 opens today, Jan. 31. Detailed instructions for creating online test sessions can be found on step four, Preparation, on the ACT hosted website. The published deadline to complete this activity is the final day of the online test window within window 1. ACT recommends schools create sessions and add students to those sessions at least one day prior to the planned administration date. For more information, please contact Shara Savage.
ACT National Assessment Scores in Infinite Campus (IC)
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) strives to publish student results data in IC as it becomes available. KDE will publish Oct. 2021 ACT National scores to districts beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Please email KDE data services inbox with any questions on this matter.
“Breckinridge County Schools enroll over 2,600 students in six schools. The schools which comprise the Breckinridge County School District are Breckinridge County High, Breckinridge County Middle, Ben Johnson Elementary, Custer Elementary, Hardinsburg Elementary, and Irvington Elementary. In addition, the Breckinridge County Area Technology Center also provides services for high school students, and starting this school year, we have launched the first-ever completely virtual learning platform known as our BRAVE (Breckinridge Remote and Virtual Education) Academy.
“Breckinridge County is the sixth largest county geographically in the state of Kentucky with 572 square miles, is located approximately sixty miles west of Louisville, forty miles east of Owensboro, and borders the Ohio River to the northwest. Although agricultural related jobs are a major source of income, the Breckinridge County Board of Education is the largest employer in the county with over 400 employees. The tool and die industry and local hospital are the next largest employers in the community. Recent data from the Breckinridge County United Economic Development Office indicates that over 70% of the adult workforce in Breckinridge County must travel to neighboring counties for employment.
“With the adoption of new mission and vision statements in 2017-2018, Breckinridge County Schools have promoted the competencies of our Profile of a Tiger Graduate; whereby, a graduating student demonstrates the following characteristics: resiliency, effective communication, critical thinking, team player, and initiative taking. This profile is part of the district’s four-year strategic leadership plan developed in 2018-2019 and on target for meeting timelines in 2021-2022 for the areas of 21st Century Student Learning, Develop & Retain a Premier Workforce, and Effective & Equitable Organizational Systems.
“The focus for the 2021-2022 school year will be to continue to make-up learning loss from the Pandemic and loss of instruction over the last couple of years. The 2021-2022 Breckinridge County Schools Comprehensive District Improvement Plan will focus on much of the same work as in 2020-2021, but there will be intentional focus on reading and mathematics interventions across all grade levels, Social Emotional Learning for all students, and credit and course recovery.
“The Breckinridge County School District will continue rigorous instruction based on analysis of student work to continue to help our students achieve higher academically from preschool through grade 12 in all content areas. Students performing below benchmark or grade level will receive targeted interventions to assist with achieving a minimum of one year’s academic growth. Intervention services will be systematic and intensive at all levels for all students. Leadership teams and professional learning communities in each school, as well as, district leadership will participate in analysis of student work and professional learning designed to enhance classroom instructional practices. Alternate coursework opportunities will be provided to students which may be in the form of dual credit courses, Advanced Placement classes, subject and grade level acceleration, cluster grouping, work-based learning, and on-line learning opportunities. District and school leadership will engage in virtual meetings, walkthroughs, and site visits throughout the school year to measure the effectiveness of instructional practices. This data will be shared at both the school and district levels and next step recommendations will guide schools along with their CSIPs in getting to the next level. Working together, we will continue to be Breck Strong!”
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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