Question of the Week
Q: What is the process for requesting AKSA Visual Impairment (VI) materials?
A: The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will provide tactilely enhanced supplemental materials (e.g., maps, graphs) for some grades on the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Attainment Tasks (AT) to students who have visual impairments. KDE must verify that the student has VI marked on their IEP. If a student qualifies for these materials, please complete the following tasks: Verify a visual impairment has been clearly marked in the current IEP and the student is identified as participating in Kentucky’s Alternate Assessment. Once completed, move to the next step.
- Locate and download your District Spreadsheet using this link: Window 1 VI Orders
- Open the Google Sheet
- Select File>Download>Microsoft Excel
- Edit the spreadsheet with your district’s data.
- Once you have completed this spreadsheet, please save it as “DistrictName_Window1.XLSX and submit a copy to this Google Form.
- This needs to be completed by the close of business Sept. 4, 2024.
- Only one list containing all students who qualify for this accommodation should be provided per district.
All submissions must be made no later than Wednesday, Sept. 4, to receive these VI materials for the first Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment Attainment Task window. Districts who submit late information or do not follow the above instructions may not receive these materials for Test Window 1 (Nov. 12 – Dec. 18) on time. For any additional questions or concerns, please contact Krista Mullins or by phone at (502) 564-4394.
ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration - Upcoming Training Opportunity
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and ACT are partnering to offer testing staff the opportunity to attend an upcoming training session for the ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration. This training provides Test Coordinators with an overview of how to prepare for a successful test day. Participants will understand procedures for administering the ACT, including receiving and returning materials. Please ensure attendees register for the event using the link below.
Test Administration Training (Please register for this event)
Date: Aug.15, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
ACT State Testing Office Hour - Aug. 21, 2024
OAA and ACT will host an office hour session on Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. ET, which will focus on the Select Test Dates and Verify Enrollment tasks. 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 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 Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration – Select Test Dates Deadline
For the ACT fall 2024 optional senior state administration, ACT needs to know what the testing plans for schools within your district are. Please ask your schools to sign into ACT’s PearsonAccessnext (PAN) system and complete the Test Date Selection task by Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. Schools will make selections that will notify ACT if schools are testing or not and provide verification that the shipping address is correct. Step 1 of the ACT-hosted website contains comprehensive information about this task and includes helpful resources, such as the PAN User Guide and step-by-step training tutorials.
Please ensure testing staff involved with selecting test dates, choosing shipping dates, verifying shipping addresses, and managing testing staff user accounts are aware that this task should be completed by this date. If you have any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration – Verify Enrollment Deadline
ACT and OAA strongly encourage schools and districts to verify that the list of students enrolled is accurate in PAN by Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. On that date, ACT will use the student information in PAN to produce personalized non-test instructions for all students, no matter if they are testing online or paper, and barcode labels for students who have been approved to test on paper. It is important to keep accurate enrollment information in PAN as enrollment information will also influence what is printed and shipped to schools prior to testing.
Step 2 of the ACT-hosted testing website contains information about verifying enrollment counts and how to enroll or unenroll students if lists are not accurate. This includes helpful resources such as the PAN User Guide and Enroll/Verify/Update Students in PAN training tutorial.
ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration – Accommodations Request Deadline Extended
The deadline to submit initial accommodations requests or associations has been extended to Wednesday, Aug. 28. ACT and KDE encourage testing staff to request new accommodations and supports, or associate students who were previously approved for accommodations and supports in order to meet key deadlines in preparation for the ACT fall 2024 optional senior state administration. ACT’s Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) portal, accessed via success.act.org, is open for the ACT fall 2024 optional senior state administration.
Step 3 of the ACT-hosted website contains comprehensive information about requesting new or associating previously approved accommodations and supports. This includes helpful resources such as the TAA User Guide and Retesting with Accommodations.
Please ensure testing staff involved with requesting new or associating previously approved accommodations and supports are aware that TAA is open. For questions and assistance, please contact ACT at 800.553.6244, ext. 1788 or email ACTStateAccoms@act.org. Additionally, you may contact Christen Roseberry with any questions, concerns, or assistance.
ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior Administration – Training and Resources
ACT and OAA have partnered to create a resource for districts and schools. The KDE/ACT College Administration Guidance and FAQ Document contains KDE policy as it pertains to the Fall 2024 Senior Administration. Links to the training Video and PowerPoint can be found below.
Administrator Account Creation in Brigance Online Management System
In May 2024, the Office of Assessment and Accountability requested Staff File submissions from the current District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) in each district in the Monday DAC Email. These submissions were essential to establish access levels for district staff within the Brigance Online Management System (OMS).
The Staff Files were used to determine district personnel that required Admin account access or Data Entry access. Teacher-level access is granted automatically based on the Infinite Campus (IC) data extract between KDE and Curriculum Associates.
Admin-level accounts needed after the implementation of the Summer Staff file process in the OMS must be created by the DAC or another assigned district-level administrator. If an Admin-level account needs to be created, it must be done following the guidelines provided in Appendix B of the K Screen Implementation Guide.
If you have further questions or need assistance, please contact Ben Riley.
Prior Settings Child Care Facility Request Form
The Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) has provided a method for communicating the need to add specific childcare facilities when reporting prior settings in Infinite Campus (IC) for 2024 2025 K Screen Implementation
Please access the Child Care Facility Addition Request Form, fill out all required fields, including the facility name, address, contact information, and details about the childcare services provided. Review for accuracy, then click "Submit".
Collecting and inputting prior setting data in IC is crucial for documenting each child’s early learning experiences. This data must be entered into IC on the "Early Learning/Prior Settings" tab.
This form is designed to streamline the process, improve data accuracy, and enhance communication surrounding Prior Settings Facilities in IC. For more detailed information about Prior Settings please refer to the K Screen Implementation Guide and our training resources located on the Common Kindergarten Entry Screener Webpage.
For further assistance, please contact Ben Riley.
New K Screen Checklist Released for Efficient Administration
The Division of Assessment and Accountability Support is excited to announce the release of the K Screen Checklist. This essential resource has been meticulously developed to support District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) in effectively managing all aspects of K Screen administration.
Key Features of the K Screen Checklist:
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Preparation for K Screen Administration: The checklist provides comprehensive guidance on scheduling, preparing materials, and communicating effectively with staff to ensure readiness for the K Screen process.
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Administering the K Screen: DACs will find reminders that simplify the administration process, helping to ensure that screening runs smoothly and efficiently.
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Post-Administration Tasks: The checklist also outlines critical steps to verify that all data is accurately recorded and submitted, thereby maintaining the integrity of the assessment process.
The K Screen Checklist is now available on the KDE website. DACs are encouraged to thoroughly review this resource and share it with their teams to ensure a successful K Screen administration.
For additional support or questions, DACs can reach out to Ben Riley, who is available to provide further assistance.
WIDA Alternate Screener Validation Study: Recruitment is Open
The recruitment window for the WIDA Alternate Screener Validation Study is officially open! WIDA needs English Learners (ELs) with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are in grades K-12 and who participated in the 2023-2024 Alternate ACCESS test administration to participate.
During the validation study, which takes place from Oct. 1 through Nov. 29, participating educators will administer a pre-release version of the WIDA Alternate Screener to students and then reply to survey questions about each student's performance.
Learn more about the study and apply to participate on the WIDA Alternate Screener Is Coming in 2025-2026 webpage. After filling out the validation study participation survey, WIDA will contact selected participants on a rolling basis through Aug. and Sept.
Featured Resource: WIDA ELD Essentials
Understand how WIDA’s English language development (ELD) resources fit together with WIDA ELD Essentials. This one-page resource shows how WIDA assessments, standards resources, professional learning and research all connect through the WIDA ELD Standards Framework and serve as an entry point for any educator interested in learning more about WIDA. Find this resource on the Resources/Recursos page of the WIDA website or linked at the top of the WIDA Consortium page.
National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application for Category 1, 2, and 3
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) – formerly the National Title I Association – selects examples of superior, federally-funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program.
Each year, states can identify up to two Distinguished ESEA Schools in three possible categories:
Category 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years.
Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups for two or more consecutive years.
Category 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g., homeless, migrant, English Learners, etc.).
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is now accepting applications for schools for Categories 1, 2 and 3. Schools may apply for recognition in only one category, and anyone interested in applying should fill out the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program application. The application must be signed by the school principal and district superintendent and submitted by the deadline of Aug. 15.
If selected as a finalist, KDE staff will conduct a site visit to interview the principal and selected staff.
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