Question of the Week
Q: When will the Test Administration Manual (TAM) for the Spring 2022 administration of the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) be available?
A: The Test Administration Manual (TAM) for the Spring 2022 administration of the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) is now available. It can be found on the KDE KSA webpage and on the Kentucky Portal.
KAAC Nominations for BAC and DAC of the Year
The Kentucky Association for Assessment Coordinators (KAAC) is now accepting nominations for the annual Building Assessment Coordinator (BAC) and District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) of the year awards. To submit a nomination, please complete the appropriate nomination form at the link below by the close of business on July 20, 2022. Winners will be recognized at the annual Scott Trimble workshop in October.
2022 District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) of the Year Nomination
2022 Building Assessment Coordinator (BAC) of the Year Nomination
ACT EOS Opt-In Opportunity
Students who had conducted the non-test activity in MyACT prior to 9:30 am EST today (3/7) did not have the opportunity to opt into the Educational Opportunity Service (EOS). As a reminder, examinees 17 or younger who obtain parental consent are eligible to opt into EOS and select score recipients during the non-test activity.
If students have not completed the non-test activity yet, the option to opt into EOS will be present to them during the activity by clicking through the on-screen prompts during the non-test session.
If students have already completed the non-test task and therefore need to log back into MyACT to update their opt-in status, they should select the ‘Update Responses’ option after logging into MyACT.org. Updating this opt-in status will take no more than a few minutes. Because the update is so brief, ACT has confirmed that this activity can take place on the day the assessment is administered.
Making this selection will take the examinee to the Demographics page. At the bottom of this page, examinees will be presented with the opportunity to select ‘yes’ to opt-in or ‘no’ to remain out of EOS.
Please note that, as with all other non-test information, the deadline for students to opt into EOS is no later than two calendar days after the exam is administered. For questions or additional information, please contact ACT customer care at 800.553.6244 X 2800.
K Screen Online Ordering for the 2022-2023 School Year Coming Soon
Curriculum Associates and the Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) have developed a new ordering process for the upcoming school year. District BRIGANCE contacts or District Assessment Coordinators will submit orders to Curriculum Associates through the OAA. The proposed ordering window will begin on March 14 and close April 1. This is an effort to ensure the materials will be delivered early May-June, prior to summer break.
District Test Window Collections Opening Soon in SDRR
School and District level users will see the spring summative testing window dates in the Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) application. When SDRR opens on March 15 at 9 a.m. ET, District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) will need to enter the date of the first day of Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) testing for elementary, middle and high schools in the district.
Please note that the first day of the spring summative testing window must fall within the last 14 days of the school year. That date range information is pulled from Infinite Campus (IC) calendars. It is crucial that all IC school calendars are checked for accuracy early (prior to March 11 to allow for updates in IC), including preschools/alternative programs that may impact the district calendar. There will only be a few times (Monday, March 21 and 28) that IC will refresh any changes made to school calendars during the KSA District Test Window collection in SDRR.
There can only be one date for each level. School level users can view the test window dates provided by the DAC, but they cannot change the information. Only District level users can make changes to these dates. SDRR will close on March 31 at 5 p.m. ET for District Test Window collection for KSA.
If the district’s testing windows change for any reason, SDRR must be updated to reflect the correct dates. The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) uses the testing window dates provided by DACs and student enrollment information in IC to calculate and pre-load 100 days for students whenever possible, for site visits in the spring and for nonparticipations. If the testing dates are incorrect, the pre-loaded 100 days may be incorrect, and school and district users will have to do more work to correct student 100 days during spring rosters, or during the data review period in the fall.
WIDA and DRC Customer Service Hours
Beginning Monday, March 14, the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Client Services Center will return to its regular spring/summer hours of operation: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT.
As a reminder, Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) Customer Service is available 7 a.m.-6 p.m. CT year-round.
Updated ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Interpretive Guides for Score Reports
This year’s ACCESS for ELLs Interpretive Guide for Score Reports and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Interpretive Guide for Score Reports have been posted to the Resource Library on the WIDA website. Educators can find these documents, along with other resources related to score reporting, on the ACCESS for ELLs Scores and Reports and the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Scores and Reports pages on the WIDA website.
Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs and WIDA Screener Online
Updated Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs Online and WIDA Screener Online have been posted to WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). These system requirements are valid for Feb. 2022 – June 2022.
Contact DRC Customer Support or phone (855) 787-9615 with any questions.
Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs and WIDA Screener Online
Updated Supported System Requirements for ACCESS for ELLs Online and WIDA Screener Online have been posted to WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). These system requirements are valid for Feb. 2022 – June 2022.
Contact DRC Customer Support or phone (855) 787-9615 with any questions.
ACT State Testing Window 1 Opening Soon – Updates and Reminders
With the first test date and corresponding online and accommodations windows approaching, KDE and ACT want to remind testing staff of crucial information and resources. School and district testing staff will receive an email from ACT on March 8 with information and resources to help conclude testing during Test Window 1 and begin planning for Window 2.
Customer Care Phone Number, (319) 337-1577
New this spring, there is a Kentucky-specific ACT Customer Care phone number. If you call this number during test dates and during test windows, your call will be prioritized. Testing staff should consider using this number should they have questions or needs during testing. The number is (319) 337-1577. Please note: this number is not a toll-free phone number.
MyACT/Non-test Activity
The window to conduct the non-test activity in MyACT is now open. Students should be provided with copies of their personalized non-test instructions document and the Taking the ACT booklet. All students, whether testing online or paper, are expected to complete the non-test in MyACT. Students who do not have parental consent should be monitored during the non-test activity to ensure they do not select score recipients. Students without parental consent should still be directed to conduct the non-test activity. ACT recommends that the non-test session take place outside of the actual test administration date. The deadline to complete the activity is two days after the test is administered.
Window 1 Standard Time Paper Material Pick Up
The prescheduled material pickup for Window 1 standard time paper examinees will take place on Wednesday, March 9. Testing staff should work to ensure any standard time paper materials are ready for transit back to ACT. Additional information about packing materials for return can be found within step 6 of the ACT hosted website and within the appropriate section of the Test Coordinator Information Manual.
Window 2 Additional Order Window
The window in which testing staff can request materials to conduct testing during Window 2 will open on Tuesday, March 8 and closes on Friday, March 11. Additional orders for standard time and non-college reportable accommodations materials, as well as online testing materials return kits, can be placed in PearsonAccessNext (PAN). ACT authorized accommodations materials for usage in Window 2 can be requested by contacting ACT’s Accommodations team.
Just a reminder, if a school opted into paper testing during the initial test Window 1, all testing conducted in the Makeup Window 2 will be online.
Additionally, it is the expectation of KDE that test windows 1 and 2 are used as the initial and makeup test windows. Districts will only select two windows to administer the ACT. Therefore, testing in the Emergency Window 3 is not a viable testing option at this time. If you have made plans to test in the Emergency Window 3, please contact Shara Savage to discuss alternative testing options.
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