Question of the Week
Q: When will the data and reports for the ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration be finalized?
A: The data and reports from the ACT Fall 2024 Optional Senior State Administration can be accessed within ACT’s online reporting system at success.act.org. School and district staff should have received an email from ACT, on Dec. 5, which provides additional supporting information. Step 7 of the ACT-hosted website contains comprehensive information about how to access data in online reporting and understanding score reports.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
ACT Spring 2025 Junior State Administration – Preparing Devices for Online Testing
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and ACT strongly encourage schools to conduct the appropriate pretest activities to verify that the local network and devices are properly configured to administer the ACT online successfully. A best practice for schools and districts is to complete all site readiness requirements and lock down (freeze) devices prior to the start of testing. This ensures no operating system updates or other updates are pushed to the devices that could potentially negatively impact the test administration itself. The recommended date to lock down devices is Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Note that site readiness activities can still be done beyond this date, even leading up to the day before testing, but completing the site readiness requirements prior to testing is recommended.
Step 2 of the ACT-hosted testing website contains helpful resources about completing site readiness for online testing, to include the Technical Coordinator Checklist, Technical Guide for Online Testing, Site Readiness Plan, Mock Administration Guide, and various training tutorials.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
Kindergarten Screen (K Screen) 2024-2025 Results Currently Available
The 2024-2025 Kindergarten Screener (K Screen) results were released today, Monday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. ET. Districts can access the data through the KDE Secure Web Application, where the results are organized in district and school breakdowns. The ZIP files follow the naming protocol: SD25[_###_K Screen_District Name_2024####. The data includes composite scores from the Core Assessment, Self-Help and Social-Emotional Skills Survey, and Prior Settings data reported in Infinite Campus. These insights aid stakeholders in supporting student growth.
For questions, contact Tiffany Christopher.
Updates and Reminders: 2024-2025 CTE EOP Assessment and TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment
The 2024-2025 Career and Technical Education (CTE) End-of-Program (EOP) Assessment and Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky (TRACK) Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment testing windows are Feb. 24 – Mar. 28. Schools have selected a consecutive two-week school testing window to conduct the assessment administration. All 2024-2025 CTE EOP Assessment and TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment testing must be completed by Mar. 28. These assessments are available in person and must be proctored in person in accordance with 703 KAR 5:080 (February 2014), Administration Code for Kentucky’s Educational Assessment Program and 703 KAR 5:070 (April 2021), Inclusion of Special Populations in the State-Required Assessment and Accountability Programs.
UPDATES:
The 2024-2025 CTE End-of-Program (CTE EOP) Assessment Coordinator and Test Administrator Manuals are now available on the CTE EOP Assessment webpage.
Refer to the 2024-25 TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment resources for specific TRACK details and the TRACK Process Document information. The TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessments only apply to schools with TRACK pathways.
The 2024-25 CTE EOP Online IT Requirements updates are now available, including best practices related to technical preparations. Ensure District/School Information Technology Directors are aware of these requirements and technical guidelines.
REMINDERS:
Schools must meet CRITICAL DEADLINES for students to be eligible to test.
For the CTE EOP Assessment, a student must be identified as a concentrator in Infinite Campus AND have at least two valid credits for the pathway on their official home high school transcript, AND that data MUST be imported to TEDS before Feb. 1 to be eligible to test in 2024-2025. Run the EOP Test Ticket Report in TEDS to verify students’ registration prior to Feb. 1.
For the TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment, a student must be identified as a concentrator in Infinite Campus AND have at least four valid credits in the specific TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship pathway, AND that data MUST be imported to TEDS before Feb. 1 to be eligible to test in 2024-2025. Run the TRACK Test Ticket Report in TEDS to verify students’ registration prior to Feb. 1.
Refer to the latest TEDS Monthly Notes - Kentucky Department of Education for additional information regarding TEDS data. Test tickets will be generated in E-SESS after Feb. 1 using the data from TEDS.
All concentrator students in a pathway, with a CTE EOP Assessment available, whether they are currently in a class in the pathway or not, will receive a test ticket and will be eligible to test.
The complete list of 2024-2025 Valid CTE End-of-Program (EOP) Assessments is available on the CTE EOP Assessments webpage and are aligned to Career Pathway Standards.
All individuals participating in the administration of the CTE EOP Assessment shall comply with 703 KAR 5:080 (February 2014), Administration Code for Kentucky’s Educational Assessment Program and 703 KAR 5:070 (April 2021), Inclusion of Special Populations in the State-Required Assessment and Accountability Programs. Assessment Regulations Training must be completed by all individuals participating in the administration of the assessments prior to testing at the local level. Nondisclosures and Group Signature Sheets verifying training should be kept on file locally.
Please visit the CTE EOP Assessment webpage for more information and contact KDE EOP Support at kdeeopsupport@education.ky.gov or Sherri Craig, Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE), at 502-564-4286 ext. 4226 with any questions.
Reminder: Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Office Hour #2
The second AKSA Office Hour, titled Preparing for the End of Window 1, is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. This session is designed for District Assessment Coordinators (DACs), Building Assessment Coordinators (BACs), Directors of Special Education (DoSE), and all teachers or test administrators involved in the AKSA administration. Participants will have the opportunity to ask specific questions about the administration and receive guidance as the testing window approaches its conclusion. Use the following link to join the Teams meeting:
AKSA Office Hour (Preparing for the End of Window 1)- Wednesday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
Please direct any further inquiries to Krista Mullins.
Need Help Finding Information on ACCESS for ELLs
District and school staff can find answers to the questions about ACCESS for ELLs before contacting the WIDA Client Services Center (CSC). Please scan the need help news article to get answers to top ACCESS questions. In the article, CSC staff cover where to find required training, state testing windows and exit criteria, and so much more.
For more information, please contact Chris Williams.
New WIDA Reading Snapshot Series
Learn how to effectively use multilingual learners’ knowledge, skills and strengths in literacy instruction. This five-part series of WIDA Snapshots provides insights from relevant research and suggests ways to engage the significant strengths that multilingual learners bring to literacy development.
For more information, please contact Chris Williams.
Featured WIDA Resource: Five Strategies to Welcome Newcomers into the Classroom
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 WIDA's article to learn how school and district staff can help welcome newcomers into the classroom. Explore the resources in the article and when staff are ready, dive deeper with WIDA’s virtual, self-paced offering, “Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice.”
For more information, please contact Chris Williams.
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