Question of the Week
Q: When does PAN open for the spring 2026 KSA?
A: PearsonAccessnext (PAN) opens today, Monday, March 30, for the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA). Although testing is still several weeks away, opening now allows District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) and Building Assessment Coordinators (BACs) to complete the administrative tasks necessary for the 2026 spring assessment.
Trainings for both PAN and TestNav are available on the Meetings and Trainings page on the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) website. Resources and guidance documents for PAN and TestNav are available on the KY Portal.
Districts are encouraged to start completing the tasks listed below as soon as possible:
- Update district and school profiles
- Familiarize staff with PAN navigational instructions
- Create user accounts (DACs)
- Order accommodated kits via the additional order option in PAN (DACs)
- Create test sessions (DACs and BACs)
- Prepare the online testing environment with technology staff
- Complete student transfer work requests (indicated by a red bell)
Please Note: For help placing accommodated kit orders, refer to the Create an Order for Materials directions.
If a student cannot test online due to a medical disability, there are a small number of paper kits printed that can be sent to districts for special situations. These can only be obtained with KDE approval and cannot be ordered in PAN. To gain approval, please submit a KSA Paper Test Request.
Text-to-Speech (TTS) and IEP/504 Calculator Instructions are located on the KY Portal Resources Tab under Guidance Documents.
Please refer to the KSA Important Dates and KSA Roadmap to Success for important reminders and timelines for completing all KSA tasks.
For questions regarding PAN or KSA resources, please contact Jessica Brumley.
K Screen Ordering Window Closing Soon
The ordering window for K Screen materials will be closing on Friday, April 3. District K Screen contacts or DACs will submit orders to KDE using the K Screen Submission App.
If guidance is needed, ordering instructions are available on the Common Kindergarten Entry Screener webpage. If further guidance is needed or there are questions about replacement items, please contact Tiffany Christopher.
BRIGANCE K Screen Refresh Training Office Hour
The Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA), in partnership with Curriculum Associates (CA), will host an office hour session on Thursday, April 16, at 1:00 p.m. ET. During this session, representatives from OAA and CA will be available to answer questions regarding the K Screen Implementation Guide, the K Screen Refresh Training and the screening process.
Questions can be submitted prior to the office hour using the K Screen Office Hour Form. A link to the Teams meeting will be provided in an upcoming Monday DAC email.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tiffany Christopher.
SRD and CRD Deletion Requests
Districts needing to delete students from the Student Registration Database (SRD) or the Career Readiness Database (CRD) will need to complete the 2026 SRD/CRD Student Deletion Request form. Please allow 1 to 2 business days for KDE to review the request. A follow-up email will be sent to districts after the request has been processed. Approved requests will be completed beginning Monday, May 11.
Deletion requests are for students who no longer meet Kentucky’s eligibility criteria for the alternate, have moved out of state, or have passed away. If a student has moved to another district in Kentucky, please email the Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) number to Krista Mullins and include the new district and school the student attends for the student to be transferred in SRD. If a student has transferred to homeschool, please wait until closer to the end of the second window to request the deletion in the event the student re-enrolls.
For questions about the SRD, please email Krista Mullins.
Please email Sherri Craig in the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) for questions regarding the CRD.
AKSA and TAR Makeup Requests
Districts need to submit a request for each student who needs to make up Window 1 of the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) or retake the Transition Attainment Record (TAR) using the Spring 2026 Window 1 and TAR Makeup Request form. Please allow 1 to 2 business days for KDE to review and approve the request. Districts may not administer Window 1 until after the request has been approved by KDE. An approval email will be sent to districts once the request has been processed. As a reminder, all students participating in the AKSA must complete both Window 1 and Window 2, regardless of when the student became eligible for the AKSA. Once the second window begins (Tuesday, April 14), test administrators will administer the Window 1 Attainment Tasks (ATs) before Window 2 ATs.
For questions, please contact Krista Mullins.
New WIDA Article: Advocating for MLs With Disabilities
Students who are Multilingual Learners (MLs) with Disabilities have legal and civil rights. In the article Advocating for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities, WIDA Professional Learning Curriculum Specialist Emily Kurth and Melissa Frans, Special Education Multilingual Coordinator for Portland Public Schools in Maine, outline three key approaches to advocating for students who need both language and disability services at school.
Bonus Resource: The flyer Advocating for My Child’s Language and Disability Needs helps caregivers understand the child’s rights to language and disability supports. The flyer is also available in Spanish.
For questions, please contact Chris Williams.
Spring 2026 SAT Junior State Administration – Score Release Schedule
With over 90% of all Kentucky grade 11 students having completed tests, it is now time to shift focus to score release. SAT scores will be released to educators in the K12 Reporting Portal beginning on Tuesday, March 31 for students who submitted tests March 2-13. Students will have access to scores through their College Board account or through the BigFuture School App (if opted in during the readiness check) beginning on Thursday, April 2. College Board is currently in the process of adding DACs to the K12 Reporting Portal as access managers. College Board will send an email to all DACs with specific instructions on how to access the Managing Access Tool (MAT) once the work is complete.
If testing staff already have access, or want to add/edit access for staff, please refer to K-12 Reporting Portal Help Center for more information.
For any questions, please contact Christen Roseberry.
Assessment Scores in IC
KDE strives to publish student results data in Infinite Campus (IC) as it becomes available. Last week, KDE published 2025-2026 scores for Kentucky Online Testing (KYOTE) scores from February. Please email KDE data services inbox with any questions.
KDE Offices Closed
The Kentucky Department of Education offices will be closed the afternoon of Friday, April 3, in observance of Good Friday.
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