The Kentucky Division of Schooling’s (KDE’s) Faculty Curriculum, Evaluation and Accountability Council (SCAAC) mentioned the current standard-setting course of for Kentucky’s new accountability system throughout its Sept. 20 common assembly.

Rhonda Sims, affiliate commissioner in KDE’s Workplace of Evaluation and Accountability (OAA), and Jennifer Stafford, division director in OAA, gave the council a recap of the two-day customary setting assembly that occurred on Sept. 13-14. The usual-setting panel set reduce scores that outline efficiency expectations for every indicator and the general college score. The reduce scores decide how faculties are reported within the on-line coloured dashboard required by state legislation.

“Kentucky has … dedicated throughout the years to having a clear [standard-setting] course of, and never each state does that,” stated Sims.

Utilizing knowledge from the 2021-2022 college 12 months, Kentucky’s accountability system will present an general color-coded score for every college, district and the state starting from crimson (lowest) to blue (highest). The colour-coded score, together with different necessary schooling knowledge, shall be out there on the Kentucky Faculty Report Card, which is ready to be publicly launched on Oct. 18.

Facilitated by employees from the nationwide Middle for Evaluation, the standard-setting group mentioned efficiency stage descriptions (PLDs), that are efficiency expectations for every colour. PLDs had been mentioned for every indicator and general college rankings, and had been used to assist set the reduce scores that fall into every of the colours.

Sims pressured the significance of bringing a various group of voices to the desk on the standard-setting assembly. The panel was made up of 26 members, together with lecturers, principals, superintendents, mother and father, college students, state board members and different schooling stakeholders. It additionally included two SCAAC members: Artavia Acklin, principal of Painted Stone Elementary (Shelby County), and JanaBeth Francis, SCAAC chair and district evaluation coordinator for Daviess County.

“To be within the room with all people that was passionate … about accountability and doing what’s finest for teenagers, I couldn’t have had a greater expertise. I’m so grateful that everyone’s voice was heard,” stated Acklin.

Francis stated she appreciated the help from the Middle for Evaluation and KDE employees, and the discussions among the many panelists.

“I’m grateful KDE included two members of this council to be on that work,” she stated. “There wasn’t a single individual on the committee who didn’t take their job significantly, who didn’t commit to essentially digging into the information and making choices, after which in all probability most significantly, having the ability to voice why they made these choices.” 

Districts will have the ability to see their very own preliminary knowledge for the primary time on Sept. 22 throughout a top quality management exercise. District evaluation coordinators and different key employees will assessment for any system errors earlier than it goes reside on the Faculty Report Card in mid-October.

Replace on CSI, TSI and ATSI

Matthew Courtney, coverage advisor within the Workplace of Steady Enchancment and Assist (OCIS), joined the council to debate updates to the federal necessities of Kentucky’s accountability system.

Complete Assist and Enchancment (CSI), Focused Assist and Enchancment (TSI) and Extra Focused Assist and Enchancment (ATSI) are federally mandated college identifications which might be based mostly on the general college rating that’s generated by the state accountability system.

CSI standing faculties shall be recognized based mostly on two standards: If the college is within the backside 5% of all faculties based mostly on the general college rating, or if they’ve a commencement charge beneath 80%.

Usually, a 3rd standards is used to determine a CSI college, which incorporates any ATSI college that fails to exit the class inside three years. KDE secured a waiver from the U.S. Division of Schooling that enables KDE to not depend the earlier two years throughout the pandemic, so no faculties shall be recognized as CSI utilizing that class.

KDE additionally won’t be figuring out any new ATSI faculties this fall, however there should still be ATSI faculties that had been recognized previous to the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t meet the established exit standards.

TSI faculties are those that have a subgroup acting at or beneath the underside 5% of all faculties. TSI faculties shall be recognized this fall based mostly on one 12 months of knowledge.

In different enterprise, SCAAC:

• Heard an replace from Stafford on the standing of the Kentucky Educational Requirements for Science and science evaluation blueprint. The aim of the blueprint is to speak to educators and different stakeholders what to emphasise inside the requirements of their school rooms. The blueprint is also used as a framework for evaluation distributors to develop assessments and different gadgets used with assessments;
• Heard an replace on the Kentucky Studying Academies’ Language Necessities for Academics of Studying and Spelling skilled studying alternative from Christie Biggerstaff, director of early literacy in KDE’s Workplace of Instructing and Studying; and
• Heard an replace on the United We Study work from Sarah Snipes, program supervisor in OCIS.