Question of the Week
Q: What are the training requirements for the Train-the-Trainer for BRIGANCE K Screen implementation?
A: District staff designated to lead BRIGANCE K Screen training must complete the Train-the-Trainer (TtT) course—a one-time, six-hour training session facilitated by Curriculum Associates in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). Registration for this year’s trainings can be found on the Common Kindergarten Entry Screener webpage.
After completing the initial TtT course, trainers are required to view the annual K Screen refresher video to stay current with updates and best practices. Upon successful completion of the training, participants gain access to official training materials that can be used to develop and deliver presentations to district and school staff. These resources are available online at www.brigance.com/kentucky and can be accessed using the password BRIGANCEtrainers2025.
For questions, please contact Ben Riley and Tiffany Christopher.
DAC and BAC of the Year Award – Nominations Open
The Kentucky Association of Assessment Coordinators (KAAC) Board is now accepting nominations for District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) of the Year and Building Assessment Coordinator (BAC) of the Year awards. Winners will be recognized at the Scott Trimble Workshop in October.
Please consider nominating a deserving BAC or DAC using the links below:
DAC of the Year Nomination Form
BAC of the Year Nomination Form
For questions about the nomination forms or process, please contact KAAC Board Manager, Bethany Jones.
2025 Scott Trimble Workshop
The KAAC announces Charting the Course as the theme for the 2025 Scott Trimble Workshop. The event will take place October 27–28, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville. Forty-five-minute breakout sessions on Tuesday, October 28, will showcase district-led assessment strategies and best practices to enrich professional learning statewide. Schools and districts interested in presenting should complete the Proposal Form on the KAAC website for consideration.
For questions, please contact KAAC Board Manager, Bethany Jones.
Reminder: School Reconfiguration Changes for 2025-2026 School Year
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) requests that DACs submit information on A1 schools with service area changes for the 2025-2026 school year by Monday, June 30. Changes to school service area (reconfiguration) requests need to be made if any of the following situations apply:
- the grade range in an A1 school changes
- a new A1 school is opened
- an A1 school is closed
- an A1 school boundary changes
- a shift in student population of more than 40% occurs
The reconfiguration spreadsheet, instructions, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Forms page located on the Assessment and Accountability section of the KDE website.
In addition, changes must be submitted through the District and School Collection Repository (DASCR) application. Please see the DASCR User Guide, if you are unfamiliar with this web application. The district Web Apps Admin Point of Contact (WAAPOC) handles access. WAAPOCs may contact the KETS Service Desk with questions/issues with DASCR at (866) 538-7435.
Reminder: Deadline for G-Codes to be Entered into Infinite Campus (IC) for 2024-2025 School Year
The end of the school year is a very busy time, and there are many actions to take to complete the year. As a reminder, the Graduation Codes (G-Codes) are due soon. Rodney Bennett, with the Division of District Services, monitors G-code entry, and OAA will use that data for Graduation Rate reporting this fall in the School Report Card. The deadline for the G-code end status and graduation tab to be entered in IC for regular graduates is Tuesday, June 30. The G-code end status and graduation tab must be completed in IC for all summer school graduates by Thursday, July 31. OAA will run and provide districts with initial graduation rates based on final-year G-codes as of June 30. OAA will monitor for any data quality issues and follow-up with DACs in July and calculate final graduation rates in early August based on any changes from summer graduates.
For assistance with cohort questions, in the Student Data Review and Rosters (SDRR) application, click on the I NEED HELP button and choose Cohort. For questions, please contact KDEassessment or call (502) 564-9853.
Featured Resources: Kick Off Summer Learning with WIDA Webinars
Find inspiration as educators reflect on this last school year and get ready for the next with WIDA Webinars. This webinar series offers insights and resources on a variety of topics relevant to educators of multilingual learners. Here are a couple WIDA thinks educators should check out this summer:
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Strategies for Supporting Multilingual Newcomers: Watch the recording for a discussion of the latest trends related to the fastest growing demographic across U.S. school systems. Learn how to engage in research-backed approaches to center on multilingual newcomers’ learning and participate in goal setting with multilingual newcomers and their families in mind.
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The Key Language Uses in Bilingual Writing: Explore an analysis of bilingual writing examples and mentor texts using the lens of the Key Language Uses in the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition and los usos clave del lenguaje del Marco DALE. This webinar is presented bilingually.
Find the entire list of WIDA Webinar recordings on the Resources/Recursos page of the WIDA website. For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
2025-2026 WIDA Webinars are Available
Topics and dates for the 2025-2026 WIDA Assessment Webinars are now available in the WIDA Secure Portal. WIDA Assessment Webinars are a series of live webinars presented by WIDA and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). The webinars help test administrators; test coordinators and technology coordinators administer WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Screener and are designed to supplement the official assessment training courses. Add these webinars to the calendar from the Webinars page of the WIDA Secure Portal (login required).
All WIDA Assessment Webinars are recorded and will be available in the WIDA Secure Portal approximately one week after the initial presentation. For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
2025-2026 WIDA Screener Online Administration Opens in WIDA AMS
The 2025-2026 administration of WIDA Screener Online opens in WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) on Friday, June 27. Permissions for the new WIDA Screener administration will be assigned to existing users prior to this date. All Speaking and Writing responses from the 2024-2025 administration year must be scored by Thursday, June 26, before the 2024-2025 administration changes to read-only.
WIDA and DRC held a webinar on WIDA AMS and DRC Technical Enhancements for 2025-2026. Review the recording in WIDA Secure Portal to learn about:
- A new streaming audio feature for WIDA ACCESS Paper.
- A new accommodation for students with low vision who take WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten.
- A new unregistered student export feature in WIDA AMS Test Management.
- Information about upcoming software updates.
For questions related to WIDA AMS, please contact DRC Customer Service or phone (855) 787-9615.
For questions about WIDA screeners, please contact Chris Williams.
WIDA NDUA Agreement
The first-time educators log in to the WIDA Secure Portal on or after July 1, educators will be prompted to agree to the Non-Disclosure and User Agreement (NDUA). As a reminder, educators will not be able to view secure materials and resources or proceed with screener trainings without first agreeing to the NDUA. The NDUA must be on file in the district office with the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) before any administration begins for the 2025-2026 school year.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
June Monthly DAC Webcast
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) hosted its live monthly DAC Webcast on June 12 at 11 a.m. ET.
The meeting was led by Shara Savage, Education Administration Program Manager, in the Division of Assessment and Accountability Support. She was joined by Tiffany Christopher and Chris Williams who provided important information pertaining to assessment and accountability. The agenda topics included:
- Spring 2025 Testing Highlights
- K Screen Updates
- Nominations for the Kentucky Association of Assessment Coordinators (KAAC) DAC and BAC of the Year Award
- Celebrating Rhonda Sims
The June 2025 DAC Webcast PowerPoint and recording along with previous DAC Monthly Webcast materials are available on the KDE Meetings and Trainings webpage.
Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET. For any questions, please contact KDE DAC Information.
KDE Offices Closed
The Kentucky Department of Education offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.
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