Question of the Week
Q: When can online test sessions be created for ACT Spring 2024 Junior Administration Window #2?
A: Test coordinators may begin creating and adding students to online test sessions for ACT Test Window 2 on March 22. ACT recommends schools create sessions and add students to those sessions at least two days prior to the planned administration date. The published deadline to complete this activity is April 5.
Step 4 of the ACT hosted testing website contains helpful resources about creating online test sessions. This includes the ACT Administration Online Manual and training tutorial on how to create and assign test sessions. For questions or assistance, please contact Christen Roseberry.
ACT State Testing Office Hour - March 20
OAA and ACT will host an office hour session on March 20 at 11 a.m. ET, which will focus on highlighting the remaining test preparation activities that staff should consider completing as the Window 2 test date nears. The session will be hosted via a Microsoft Teams meeting. While the content will be focused on highlighting those activities, KDE and ACT encourage testing staff to attend and ask any questions they may have at this time. Please Note: If testing staff attended the March 6 office hour, it is not necessary to attend the upcoming event as the content will be very similar.
Please be sure to provide testing staff with this Microsoft Teams Link for the session. Attendees will not have to register for office hours specifically but will want to mark time on calendars to avoid any scheduling conflicts.
If you have any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
ACT Spring 2024 Junior Administration - Test Window #1 Concluding
With test window 1 closing soon (online testing and accommodations and supports paper testing concluding on March 22), testing staff may find particular interest and value in being aware of the following information:
- Prepare Materials for Return. Return test window 1 test materials as soon as testing is completed. Per the Schedule of Events, the pre-scheduled pickup date is March 25, and the receipt deadline is March 29. Additional information about preparing materials for return can be found in the Test Coordinator Information Manual and its section titled “Collecting, Packing, and Returning Materials after Testing.” There are resources and training tutorials posted within Step 6 of the ACT-hosted testing website that testing staff should review to ensure there is awareness of the process for collecting, storing, and returning materials after testing concludes. This includes the training tutorial on How to Return Online Test Materials.
- Schedule Online Test Sessions (if needed). If there are students who will test later in the window, schedule those online test sessions. Step 4 of the ACT-hosted testing website contains helpful resources about creating online test sessions. This includes the ACT Administration Online Manual and training tutorial on how to create and assign test sessions.
- Track Test Materials Shipments. Testing staff can track test materials shipments using Orders and Shipment Tracking in PearsonAccessnext (PAN). Instructions can be found in the “View Status and Shipment Information” section of the PAN User Guide.
For questions or assistance, please contact Christen Roseberry.
K Screen Online Ordering for the 2024-2025 School Year
District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) or District K Screen contacts may submit orders to Curriculum Associates through the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). The ordering window begins on March 15 and closes on March 29.
Curriculum Associates anticipates shipping to begin the week of May 13. If this is during the district’s summer vacation, consider shipping all of the materials to a central location, such as the Board of Education office, to ensure a signature upon delivery.
The 2024-2025 K Screen Order Submission Form is housed on the Common Kindergarten Entry Screener webpage. The order form is a continuation of the Google Form used in previous years. Once the Google Form sections are complete, download and save the order form following the directions provided. After finalizing the spreadsheet, you will upload it into the Google Form before submitting it.
If further guidance is needed, ordering instructions will be available on both websites, or you may contact Lisa Jett.
What is a WIDA Cognitive Lab, and How Does It Work?
A lot of work goes into developing an assessment. Cognitive labs are an important component of the test development process. They allow researchers to gather detailed information about students’ test-taking experiences. Read the article to hear from WIDA researcher Mark Chapman on his experience conducting ACCESS Online Speaking cognitive labs at one school in Colorado.
Five Strategies to Welcome English Learner (EL) Newcomers into the Classroom
EL newcomer students come to the classroom with rich and unique experiences but also with new and varied linguistic, academic and social-emotional needs. Check out our article to gain insights into actionable ways to welcome newcomers into the classroom and how educators can dive deeper with WIDA’s virtual, self-paced offering — Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice.
March Monthly DAC Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) hosted its live monthly DAC Webcast virtually Thursday, March 14, from 11 a.m. – 12 noon ET.
The meeting was hosted by Jennifer Stafford, Director, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support. She was joined by Lisa Jett, Krista Mullins, Ben Riley and Christen Roseberry who provided important assessment and accountability updates. The agenda topics included:
- ACT Updates
- Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) Office Hours
- Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Update
- Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) Updates
- ACCESS Updates
- K Screen Update
The March 2024 DAC Webcast PowerPoint and video recording are available on the right-hand side of the KDE Meetings and Trainings webpage.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET.
Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Window 1 Makeup Requests
For students needing to make up AKSA Window 1 during Window 2, please complete the AKSA Window 1 Makeup during Window 2 Spring 2024 form. For any questions, please contact Krista Mullins.
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