Question of the Week
Q: Has the date for Quality Control Day been scheduled?
A: Yes. Quality Control (QC) Day is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The purpose of QC Day is to allow District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) to identify systemic issues in accountability data prior to public release. Please note that individual student data will not be changed during QC Day, as those updates were addressed during the Fall Reporting Data Review from Aug. 13-21.
In preparation for QC Day, DACs will need to download and complete the QC Day Nondisclosure Form, then save it electronically. Saved nondisclosures should be uploaded to the DAC Nondisclosure Submission Form by the close of business on Wednesday, Oct. 22. A nondisclosure must be submitted via the submission form to have access to data on QC Day.
DACs are also encouraged to review the Indicator Metrics document, which includes links to Accountability Indicator trainings and details on metrics and accountability weights. Additional resources to support QC Day preparation will be shared in the Oct. 20 Monday DAC email.
Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration – School Onboarding and Access Codes
On Monday, Oct. 6, DACs should have received communication regarding College Board’s school onboarding process for the Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration.
School onboarding ensures that eligible schools are properly set up for state-funded testing through College Board’s SAT Suite Ordering and Registration (SSOR) system.
Please refer to the email to complete the survey. DACs should check spam folders if the email is not found in the inbox. For additional assistance with access, contact Christen Roseberry.
Timeline
- The school setup survey will remain available through Friday, Oct. 24.
- Schools may make updates after the initial submission in SSOR.
- The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and College Board will host an office hour on Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET to assist districts with any issues completing this specific task. Districts that complete the task without issue do not need to join the office hour.
Account Requirements
All staff who will use SSOR to support the Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration must have a College Board Professional Account.
A Kentucky-specific guidance document has been created and posted on the Kentucky College Board webpage.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration – Resources
To support Kentucky educators in preparing for the Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration, the following resources are now available:
For Families & Educators
College Board has many resources online to explain the benefits of SAT to educators and families. College Board has curated these flyers for DACs to share with schools for distribution and posting, if desired.
Direct Support
- Educators may email kentuckysat@collegeboard.org or call (866) 609-2430 with questions specifically related to the Kentucky SAT Junior State Administration.
- College Board has launched a Kentucky-specific webpage with helpful information and ongoing updates regarding the SAT Junior State Administration. This page will serve as a central hub for key dates, policies and resources to assist districts and schools throughout the testing process.
DACs, BACs and other testing staff are encouraged to bookmark these resources and share them with colleagues as schools prepare for testing.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
K Screen Online Management System (OMS) Closing Oct. 15
The K Screen OMS window for entering Brigance and Self-Help and Social-Emotional Skills data will close on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Any data entered into the system after this time will not be included in the final data collection for the K Screen process.
Additionally, prior settings data must be entered into Infinite Campus by this deadline. Ensuring that all information is complete and accurate before the system closes will help maintain the integrity of the K Screen data collection process.
OAA extends its gratitude to all educators, coordinators, and administrators for the contributions to this year's smooth K Screen implementation. The collective effort has made this one of the most efficient implementations to date.
For any questions or concerns, please contact Tiffany Christopher.
WIDA Webinar on Supporting Writing Growth for MLs
Writing instruction is an integral part of supporting Multilingual Learners’ (MLs) academic growth. The Supporting Writing Growth for MLs webinar explores how to leverage the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework, 2020 Edition, to guide explicit language instruction. District and school staff will leave with practical strategies to help MLs build the skills they need to be confident and effective writers. Access this webinar and accompanying resources for free on the WIDA website.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Upcoming Free WIDA Webinar on Instruction and Collaboration to Support MLs with Disabilities
In the next WIDA Webinar on Friday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CT, district and school staff will explore instructional planning and collaborative practices designed to meet the strengths and needs of MLs with disabilities. District and school staff will gain tools to support both language development and accessibility, along with strategies for fostering collaborative planning that bring together multiple perspectives to better understand the intersection of language and disability. Register for the WIDA Webinar today.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Featured Resource: ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? WIDA Webinar Recording
As district and school staff prepare for WIDA ACCESS in 2025-2026, it’s important to make sure each student has the appropriate accessibility supports and accommodations to show what they can do. For some students with disabilities, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams may need to decide whether WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS is the most appropriate English language Proficiency (ELP) assessment.
View the recording of the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS? WIDA Webinar to learn more about the test design of each of these assessments, characteristics of multilingual learners with disabilities, WIDA accessibility supports and accommodations and how to determine which test is most appropriate for English learners (ELs).
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
ALTELLA Project Resources for ELs with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on the WIDA Website
Since the Alternate English Language Learning Assessment (ALTELLA) grant project ended seven years ago, it was time to take down the ALTELLA website and preserve all the content on the WIDA website. Find links to all the same great ALTELLA research briefs and reports on the brand-new ALTELLA webpage.
In case educators didn’t know: The ALTELLA project examined instructional practices and policies for ELs with significant cognitive disabilities and paved the way for the Advancing ALTELLA project, which ran from 2019 to 2024. The Advancing ALTELLA project ended and had the project goals of redesigning Alternate ACCESS for ELLs, WIDA’s Alternate ELP assessment, and creating a brand-new Alternate screener.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
New York Joins the WIDA Consortium
WIDA is excited to welcome the state of New York as the 42nd member of the WIDA Consortium. “With over 250,000 multilingual learners, New York is a strong voice in support of the students and the education,” said Samuel Aguirre, WIDA Chief Consortium and Policy Officer. “WIDA is excited to have New York join the consortium and help New York give students and educators new tools, resources and opportunities to thrive.” Read more about New York on the WIDA website.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten Training Reminder
WIDA is excited to share that the WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten: Administration and Scoring training course is available in the WIDA Secure Portal (login required). As a reminder, WIDA redesigned the training course to complement the redesigned assessment. Learn more about what to expect with WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten this school year on the WIDA ACCESS in 2025-2026page.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Employability Skills Attainment Record (ESAR) Training/Quiz Opened Oct. 10
The online training and quiz for the Employability Skills Attainment Records (ESAR) opened Friday, Oct. 10 in the Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program (KAAP) Online Training System (OTS). The ESAR qualifying quiz will close on Monday, Dec. 22. The links below provide access to materials necessary to complete the ESAR training and quiz.
ESAR Administration Guide: Admin Guide
ESAR Training: PowerPoint | Training Video
ESAR Quiz: Online Training System
ESAR Document (Only available after successful completion of the quiz): Online Training System
For questions, please email Sherri Craig or call at (502) 564-4286.
ESAR Administration to Begin Nov. 17
The Employability Skills Attainment Records (ESAR) is a career readiness measure for the postsecondary readiness indicator of the Kentucky accountability system. It is administered to students participating in alternative high school diploma courses of study or alternate assessment and working towards career readiness. The ESAR is a rating scale that assesses student demonstration of skills linked to the Employability and Foundational Academic Standards-Alternate Assessment (EFAS-AA). The Career Ready Database (CRD) is scheduled to open Monday, Nov. 17 for data entry of the Career Work Experience Certification (CWEC) completion status and ESAR score entry.
The Qualified ESAR Administrator must pass the qualification quiz before ESAR administration begins. The CWEC and ESAR qualifying quizzes are now open and scheduled to close on Monday, Dec. 22. Teachers must pass both the CWEC and ESAR quizzes in the Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program (KAAP) Online Training System (OTS) to access the CRD for data entry. Administration of the ESAR must be completed by Friday, May 22, 2026. Due to data reporting timelines, the deadline to enter all CWEC completion status and ESAR scores into the CRD is Friday, May 29, 2026.
Refer to the Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program Calendar for more information related to CWEC and ESAR deadlines.
For questions, please email Sherri Craig or call (502) 564-4286.
October DAC Webcast Highlights
The Office of Assessment and Accountability, Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS), hosted its live monthly DAC Webcast on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. ET. Director, Shara Savage, along with Christen Roseberry, Krista Mullins, Tiffany Christopher and Chris Williams shared timely updates on assessment and accountability, including:
- New Kentucky Summative Assessment Consultant
- College Admissions Exam – SAT Update
- K Screen Reminders
- Alternate Assessment Reminders
- WIDA ACCESS/WIDA Alternate ACCESS Reminders
- Quality Control (QC) Day Schedule
The recording and presentation materials are now available on the KDE Media Portal and the KDE Meetings and Trainings page. Future broadcasts are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. ET.
Reminder: Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration – In-Person Training
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), in collaboration with College Board, will be providing the SAT State Administration training to help districts and schools prepare for the spring 2026 administration. Training will be offered in-person. Additionally, a recorded training will also be released after all in-person training has been completed.
Check-in at each location will begin at 8:30 a.m. (local time) and will be followed by the state administration training scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon (local time).
Below are the SAT State Administration training dates that still have availability. Registration is required.
Each training will cover key dates and policies, student registration, accommodations, digital readiness, testing irregularities, available resources, and provide time for questions.
- Nov. 5 (8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. CT) at West Kentucky Educational Cooperative (WKEC) in Eddyville (capacity 90)
- Nov. 7 (8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET) at Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) in Ashland (capacity 80)
- Nov. 10 (8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET) at Southeast/South Central Education Cooperative (SESC) in London (capacity 50)
- Nov. 19 (8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET) at Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC) in Hazard (capacity 100)
An Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit certificate will be offered for these trainings.
Registration for these trainings can be completed using the Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration In-Person Training Registration form.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
Reminder: Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration – Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Online
SSD Online is College Board’s system for managing accommodation requests for students with disabilities and supports for English learners.
Through SSD Online, coordinators can:
- Submit new requests or remove previously approved ones
- Monitor the status of each student’s accommodations via a dashboard
- View important announcements and policy updates related to accommodations
Upcoming SSD & Accommodations Webinar
Assessment Coordinators and SSD Coordinators are encouraged to attend College Board’s SSD and Accommodations webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.
This session will provide important information on accommodation requests for the Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration, including:
- Submitting accommodation requests
- Viewing accommodations in Test Day Toolkit
Important Reminders Before the Webinar
- SSD Coordinator designation: Each school must identify at least one SSD Coordinator (Schools may have more than one, but one must be designated as primary in SSD Online.)
- Professional Account required: Educators must have a College Board Professional Account to access SSD Online. Staff without an account can create one on the Professional Dashboard. A professional email address and phone number must be used when creating the account.
- Submit SSD Coordinator form: Once a College Board Professional Account is created, the SSD Coordinator form must be submitted along with written approval from a school administrator. Please allow up to five business days for processing.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
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