Question of the Week
Q: When will the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) scripts be available?
A: The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and Pearson have released all 2025 KSA and Quality of School Climate and Safety Survey (QSCS) scripts for this spring’s summative assessment. Scripts for grades 3-8, 10 and 11 are currently available on the Resources tab of the KY Portal.
2025 February DAC Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Addendum
OAA has incorporated frequently asked questions from the 2025 February DAC Training Q&A sessions with an addendum section. The addendum section begins on page 23 of the February DAC Training FAQ document.
For questions, please contact dacinfo@education.ky.gov.
KSA Office Hour
OAA, in collaboration with Pearson, will be hosting office hour sessions for the spring 2025 administration of the KSA. Pearson will provide a tutorial to assist DACs and BACs with the tasks required in PearsonAccessnext (PAN). DACs, BACs and all test administrators will be able to ask questions and receive assistance during this time. Questions can be submitted prior to the office hour using the KSA Office Hour Form. Please use the Teams link below to access the meeting.
KSA Office Hour Session 1 – Wednesday, March 26, 10-11 a.m. ET
Dates for additional Office Hours are listed below. Links to these sessions will be provided in a future Monday DAC email.
KSA Office Hour Session 2 – Wednesday, April 16, 10-11 a.m. ET
KSA Office Hour Session 3 – Wednesday, May 14, 10-11 a.m. ET
Please note that the questions asked during the office hour sessions should be specific to the KSA administration.
For questions, please contact Melissa Chandler.
ACT Spring 2025 Junior State Administration – Test Window #1 Concluding
With test window 1 closing soon (online testing and accommodations and supports paper testing concluding on March 21), testing staff may find particular interest in the following information:
- Prepare Paper Testing Materials for Return. Schools are to prepare accommodations and supports paper testing materials from test window 1 as soon as testing is completed. Per the Schedule of Events, the pre-scheduled pickup date is Monday, March 24 and the receipt deadline is Friday, March 28. 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 Standard and Accommodations Test Materials.
- Online Test Materials. Schools will not need to return online test materials, as this is an ACT policy change for this spring’s administration. Testing staff can refer to the ACT Administration Online Manual and the section titled “Collecting and Securely Destroying Materials after Testing” for information on how to manage the online materials after testing is complete. This includes instructions on how to upload the seating diagram in PearsonAccessnext (PAN) using the Support Request functionality, as this specific test administration form is still required to be provided to ACT electronically.
- Track Paper Test Materials Shipments. Testing staff can track accommodations and supports paper test materials shipments using Orders and Shipment Tracking in PAN. Instructions can be found in the PAN User Guide by referencing the section titled “View Status and Shipment Information.”
For questions and assistance, please contact Christen Roseberry.
ACT Spring 2025 Junior State Administration – Create Online Test Sessions for Window #2
The date that testing staff can create online test sessions and add students to those sessions for the ACT online test window 2 opens on Wednesday, March 19. 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 the final day for online testing of window 2.
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.
After test sessions have been created and examinees added to those sessions, the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC), Building Assessment Coordinator (BAC), or Technical Coordinator needs to prepare those sessions in PAN for testing. For Test Window 2, the “Prepare Session” button will appear in PAN on Friday, March 21.
Testing staff can find instructions for on how to prepare test sessions within the ACT Administration Manual - Online Testing in the section titled “Prepare Test Sessions.”
For questions and assistance, please contact Christen Roseberry.
Reminder: Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Office Hours Scheduled
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) is pleased to announce its office hour sessions for the spring AKSA administration. Office hours will address questions specific to the Window 2 administration. The first session will occur prior to Window 2 opening, and there will be a second session prior to the close of the window.
District Assessment Coordinators (DACs), Building Assessment Coordinators (BACs), Directors of Special Education (DoSE), and all teachers/test administrators will be able to ask questions and receive assistance during this time. The dates, times, and links to the Teams meetings below may be forwarded to any school personnel who may benefit from attending these sessions:
AKSA Office Hour #1 (Preparing for the Assessment) - Thursday, Mar. 20, 2025, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. ET
AKSA Office Hour #2 (Preparing for the End of the Assessment) - Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. ET
Please note that the questions asked during the office hour sessions should be specific to the AKSA administration.
Please contact Krista Mullins with any questions.
March Monthly DAC Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) held its live monthly DAC Webcast on Thursday, March 13, 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 Chris Williams, Christen Roseberry, Krista Mullins, Melissa Chandler and Tiffany Christopher who provided important information pertaining to assessment and accountability. The agenda topics included:
- ACT Reminders
- Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) Updates
- K Screen Reminders
- Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Updates
- Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) Updates
- ACCESS Updates
- Kentucky United We Learn (KUWL) Update
The March 2025 DAC Webcast PowerPoint and video recording are available on the right-hand side of the OAA Meetings and Trainings webpage.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET.
ACCESS for ELLs Data Validation in WIDA AMS
The ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS-online and paper, WIDA Alternate ACCESS, Kindergarten, Accommodated -Large Print and Braille) Data Validation window for English Learners (ELs) is March 19-April 2. Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) communicated instructions for logging into the WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) and completing this process to District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) on March 12. This is the last opportunity with DRC to correct any student demographics prior to districts receiving the ACCESS for ELLs reports online in WIDA AMS on April 28 and printed reports in the districts starting on May 7-8. Resources on ACCESS for ELLs Data Validation- (March 4) recording can be found on the webinars page under the WIDA Secure Portal, March DAC Webcast (March 13), Knowledge Articles and WIDA AMS User Guide Supplement-Data Validation in WIDA AMS.
Districts will need to make sure the following tasks have been completed so that the ACCESS for ELLs reports will be accurate:
Verify that all student demographics are correct except the district and state-defined optional data fields. If any information is incorrect or missing for a student, please update.
Fix all duplicate student records and students who tested in grades 1-3 that may have two records. Please do not delete any records. To do this, the following fields must be the same and have no blanks for both records:
- Student’s Last Name and First Name
- Birthdate
- SSID - no Social Security numbers or District IDs
- Grade
- District
- School
Student records needing invalidated (do not score code), contact Chris Williams.
Save all changes.
For assistance or any questions with the ACCESS for ELLs Data Validation process, please contact Chris Williams.
Updated ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS Interpretive Guides for Score Reports
The ACCESS for ELLs Interpretive Guide for Score Reports and WIDA Alternate ACCESS Interpretive Guide for Score Reports for the 2024-2025 test year are now available on the WIDA website. Find these documents, along with other resources related to score reporting, on the ACCESS for ELLs Scores and Reports and the WIDA Alternate ACCESS Scores and Reports pages on the WIDA website.
For assistance or any questions, please contact Chris Williams.
ACCESS for ELLs Theme Generator Recruitment
WIDA and the test development partners at the Center for Applied Linguistics are looking for educators to serve as Theme Generators for new ACCESS for ELLs test items in April 2025. This is a chance for educators to be a part of the test development process.
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Activity format: Virtual
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Anticipated time commitment: 3-6 hours (asynchronous, can complete work over multiple days)
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Level of experience needed: Any educator who has had experience with students in grades 1-12 in a WIDA member state during the previous two years.
For more details, review the theme generator recruitment flyer. To apply, complete the participation survey by March 24. This is optional for educator participation.
For assistance or any questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Featured Resource: WIDA Snapshot Helps Educators Use WIDA Proficiency Level Descriptors
Create multimodal supports more intentionally for multilingual learners at all stages of English language development by identifying what the students can do and building on the linguistic assets. Check out the WIDA Snapshot on the WIDA Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) for ideas on how to apply the PLDs as educators consider scaffolding practices that support multilingual students in meeting grade-level content learning goals.
For assistance or any questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Reminder: 2024-2025 CTE EOP Assessment Testing Window Closes March 28
The 2024-2025 Career and Technical Education (CTE) End-of-Program (EOP) Assessment testing window closes March 28. All 2024-2025 CTE EOP Assessment testing must be completed by March 28.
CTE EOP Assessment performance results and certificates are scheduled to be released on April 16. More details are forthcoming to assessment coordinators.
Please visit the CTE EOP Assessment webpage for more information and contact the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) at kdeeopsupport@education.ky.gov, or Sherri Craig, OCTE, at 502-564-4286 ext. 4226 with any questions.
Reminder: 2024-2025 TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment Testing Window Closes March 28
The 2024-2025 Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky (TRACK) Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment (Carpentry, Electrical, Welding) testing window closes March 28. All 2024-2025 TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment (Carpentry, Electrical, Welding) testing must be completed by March 28. A retest window will be available for TRACK Pre-Apprenticeship Assessment April 15-30. More details are forthcoming to assessment coordinators.
Please visit the Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky (TRACK) and CTE EOP Assessment webpage for more information and contact the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) at kdeeopsupport@education.ky.gov, or Sherri Craig, OCTE, at 502-564-4286 ext. 4226 with any questions.
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