Question of the Week
Q: Where can information and the registrations for the 2026 Feb. DAC Training Question and Answer (Q&A) Sessions be found?
A: The Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS) looks forward to the annual Feb. District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) Q&A hybrid meetings to prepare for the spring administration of the state assessments.
Video recordings will be released prior to the hybrid Q&A sessions. Each training topic will include a recorded video to watch at the viewer’s convenience prior to attending one of the Q&A sessions for each topic. All training videos are approximately 30 minutes.
To make the most of the allotted time, the Q&A sessions will not include full presentations of the content covered in the recorded videos. Staff from the DAAS, other KDE offices, Pearson and College Board representatives will be available to assist with questions.
For in-person Q&A Sessions, participant sign-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be followed by the Q&A Sessions scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon (local meeting location time).
Feb. DAC Trainings Hybrid Q&A Sessions Highlights:
9 a.m. Welcome and Updates
Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA), including PAN & TestNAV
10:15 - 10:30 a.m. Break
Kentucky Alternate Assessment & Accommodations
High School and Test Security
SDRR
Open Floor Questions
Noon Conclusion
Please Note: The February DAC Q&A sessions will follow the same topics and timeframe at each location. The agenda and times above will be followed; however, once an agenda item has no additional questions, staff will move on to the next topic. Participants planning to attend should plan for the entire meeting.
Dates, times and registration links to the Feb. DAC training Hybrid Q&A Sessions are below. Registration is now open. Everyone planning to attend must register. Please carefully consider the in-person or virtual option and register just once for the appropriate session. In the event of inclement weather, the Q&A session will become an all-virtual session. Meeting links will be sent out via email to registrants containing details on attending virtually.
Feb. 3 In-Person Registration: KDE, 300 Sower Blvd. Frankfort (Capacity 85) – No virtual option for this location
Feb. 11 In-Person Registration: Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KDEC) in Ashland (Capacity 85) or Feb. 11 Virtual Registration: KDEC
Feb. 16 In-Person Registration: Southeast/South Central Education Cooperative, 55 Waco Drive (SESC) in London (Capacity 40) or Feb. 16 Virtual Registration: SESC
Feb. 18 In-Person Registration: Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) in Bowling Green (Capacity 65) or Feb. 18 Virtual Registration: GRREC
We welcome BACs to attend, but please keep in mind that DACs will receive preference in the event that a venue is booked to the total capacity.
The DAAS believes that the safety of the participants is of the utmost importance. Therefore, the in-person meeting may be canceled due to weather or other circumstances. In case of cancellation, the in-person sessions will be held virtually. A Special DAC Email will be sent with the appropriate links.
Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit will be offered for viewing the Feb. DAC Training videos. EILA credit will not be offered for Q&A Session attendance. More details on EILA credit will be shared soon.
Please contact Christen Roseberry with any questions or concerns regarding the Feb. DAC Trainings.
Dropout Rosters in SDRR
Dropout rosters opened today in the Student Data Review and Reporting (SDRR) applications. The rosters will close for new tickets on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m. ET. The rosters will be prepopulated; districts will be able to make changes to demographics, dropout locations (where the student dropped out) and reporting location (where the dropout is located). There is a Dropout Determination Guidelines document on the Dropout landing page. The Dropout Accountability Tool and Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page in SDRR under the I Need Help button has additional resources to assist districts with the dropout data.
For questions about dropout, please contact email KDE Assessment.
Medical Nonparticipation Request Form Updated for the 2025-2026 Assessment Year
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) has released an updated Medical Nonparticipation Request Form. The form is housed on the KDE Assessment Support Forms webpage, the same location as before, so any bookmarked links DACs currently use will continue to work.
The new form is a fillable PDF with improved usability for both digital and printed completion. It provides clearer guidance, more structured space for responses, and a dedicated section for school and district input. The revised format also requests more detail upfront to support a more efficient review process.
The form is now available, and DACs may begin using it as needed. Once Spring Rosters open in SDRR, use of the new form will be required.
For any questions about the new Medical Nonparticipation Request Form, contact DACInfo.
2025-2026 K Screen District Data Available
The K Screen results for the 2025–2026 administration are now available. Districts may access K Screen data through the KDE Secure Web Application. ZIP files will be formatted as follows: SD26_###_K Screen_District Name_20261211. The data contains the composite score of the Core Assessment, the Self Help and Social Emotional Skills Survey, and Prior Settings data reported in Infinite Campus (IC). Data files include spreadsheets organized by district and school-level breakdowns.
The 2025–2026 K-Screen data may be shared publicly within the district for instructional planning, data analysis, and continuous improvement purposes. The data are intended to support educators in understanding students’ strengths and areas of need to inform instruction and early interventions. In addition, individual student K-Screen results may be shared with families to promote clear communication, support collaborative discussions, and strengthen family engagement in a child’s early learning and development.
Please email Tiffany Christopher with any questions.
Free WIDA Webinar Explores Using WIDA MODEL Test Scores to Inform Planning
The next WIDA Webinar, “How to Use WIDA MODEL Test Scores to Inform Instructional Planning,” is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 2-3 p.m. CT. Participants will learn how WIDA MODEL test scores can support instructional planning. Presenters will provide resources to better understand and use test scores, including using the resources to help predict scores on WIDA ACCESS and to support instruction for Multilingual Learners in grades K-12.
Register for the MODEL webinar. For questions, please contact WIDA Client Services.
Additional Materials Orders Reminders for WIDA ACCESS Assessments
After districts receive the initial WIDA ACCESS materials order, DACs may need to place an additional materials order in the WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). DACs will be assigned permissions to place additional orders. School staff may have new students or determine that a student needs a special test form due to an accommodation. Here are some additional materials ordering tips:
- Check the district or school’s overage first. Most schools receive overage with the initial order and an additional materials order may not be necessary.
- Writing response booklets are used for grades 1-3; please make sure the student has tested in the Listening and Reading domains first, then check the tier level report in WIDA AMS before ordering additional materials. Grades 4-12 will not need Writing response booklets, as all domains are tested online.
- Place only one additional material order each day. DAC will place the additional materials from all schools in the district.
Order only what the school needs. Unused test materials without labels may be used within the same district, but not shared across districts. Find more information on additional materials ordering in the District and School Test Coordinator Manual, located in the WIDA Secure Portal.
For questions about additional orders, please contact Chris Williams.
January DAC Webcast Highlights
The Office of Assessment and Accountability, Division of Assessment and Accountability Support (DAAS), hosted its live monthly DAC Webcast on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 11 a.m. ET. Director Shara Savage, along with Christen Roseberry and Chris Williams, shared timely updates on assessment and accountability, including:
- College Admissions Exam – SAT Reminders
- WIDA ACCESS Assessments Reminders
- Kentucky United We Learn - Reimagining Assessment and Accountability in Kentucky
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: Science Instruction and KSA Assessment Survey
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has partnered with research contractor HumRRO (Human Resources Research Organization), which is conducting a survey among Kentucky teachers, principals and district staff who provide or oversee science instruction. Individuals currently in one of these roles are encouraged to complete the survey.
All responses will be used as part of a study exploring the alignment between science instruction and the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) in Kentucky. Please note that participation is voluntary and, to respect privacy, all responses will remain anonymous. The results of the survey will be analyzed and reported in the findings.
The Kentucky Science Study survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and will close on Friday, Jan. 23. Participation in this important research effort is encouraged.
For questions regarding participation in this study, please contact Emily Dickinson at edickinson@humrro.org.
State Offices Closed
KDE will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19. A Special DAC Email will be sent on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
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