Assessment

Click to open printable PDF version

Notification of Testing Transparency
October 2021

Dear Parent or Family, 

Sections 1112(e)(2)(A)-(B) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the following regarding testing transparency. 

(2) TESTING TRANSPARENCY.—

(A) IN GENERAL. – At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving funds under this part that the parents may request, and the local educational agency will provide the parents on request (and in a timely manner), information regarding any State or local educational agency policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by section 1111(b)(2) and by the State or local educational agency, which shall include a policy, procedure, or parental right to opt the child out of such assessment, where applicable. 

(B) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. – Subject to subparagraph (C), each local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall make widely available through public means (including by posting in a clear and easily accessible manner on the local educational agency’s website and, where practicable, on the website of each school served by the local educational agency) for each grade served by the local educational agency, information on each assessment required by the State to comply with section 1111, other assessments required by the State, and where such information is available and feasible to report, assessments required districtwide by the local educational agency, including— 

(i) the subject matter assessed;

(ii) the purpose for which the assessment is designed and used;

(iii) the source of the requirement for the assessment; and 

(iv) where such information is available—(I) the amount of time students will spend taking the assessment, and the schedule for the assessment; and (II) the time and format for disseminating results.

Information about these requirements can be found on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Assessments webpage (https://education.ky.gov/AA/Assessments/Pages/default.aspx). For further questions or to obtain a hard copy of this material please direct your inquiry to Leslie McKinney, District Assessment Coordinator by email at leslie.mckinney@oldham..kyschools.us

______________________________________________________________________________________________
6165 W. Highway 146, Crestwood, KY 40014 ● Phone: (502) 241-3500 ● Fax: (502) 241-3209 ● www.oldham.kyschools.us

 Click to open printable PDF

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

300 Sower Boulevard • Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone: (502) 564-3141 • www.education.ky.gov

Kentucky’s public school statewide accountability system depends on the testing of each and every student. Testing all students helps the state and local districts ensure that schools are serving all students and that gaps in categories of students are identified, addressed, and closed.

In Kentucky, districts are not permitted to honor a parent’s request to opt-out of the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) or statewide testing. There is no authority in state or federal law
allowing parents to opt-out of the standards or statewide assessment system. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires 95% participation of all students and each student group in the federally mandated state assessments. If fewer than 95% of students participate federal funding and waivers could be jeopardized. Testing all students allows us to identify trends for student groups that may otherwise go unseen. This provides educators the information needed to ensure all students’ educational needs are being met. Based on the data from our state assessments, we can identify the disparity in performance between groups and work toward closing achievement gaps.

State Academic Standards
Senate Bill 1 (2009), which was overwhelmingly supported by a bi-partisan majority of the Kentucky House and Senate, mandated common standards. Senate Bill 1 (2017) reaffirmed the requirement of common standards for the purpose of increasing transition readiness. The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) is charged with approving and implementing such standards, and it has adopted new standards in reading/writing, mathematics, health education, physical education, as well as science. Since the standards are passed in regulation, the expectation is that all students are provided instruction and opportunity to learn these standards in the public schools.

State Assessments
In 1997, the Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed the state’s authority to require all students in public schools to participate in standardized assessments.¹ While the 14th Amendment gives parents the general right to direct the upbringing and education of their children, the federal courts have not expanded this right to include controlling every aspect of a child’s public school education. Parents have the right to choose between public and private schools or home schools, but they do not have the right to pick and choose the provisions of public education with which they will comply.²

Students may only be excused from statewide assessments upon completion and approval of the Medical Nonparticipation Form or Extraordinary Circumstances Nonparticipation Form. Both forms can be found on the KDE website.

Schools will not provide alternative learning activities during the state assessment testing times. ALL students are expected to make a good faith effort to complete the state assessments to the best of their ability. Students who do not participate in the statewide accountability system will receive a “0” score which will be included in the school’s accountability calculation. The student also may be subject to discipline under school or district policies including the code of conduct or behavior.

Data Sharing
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and local schools and districts in Kentucky adhere to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Pursuant to 34 CFR Part 99, FERPA does not prohibit transmission of testing data from the local school to the KDE. In fact, the department has instituted policy and protocol which expressly protect against the disclosure of student information.

Questions
If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Assessment and Accountability at dacinfo@education.ky.gov.

1 Triplett v. Livingston County Board of Education, 967 S.W.2d 25 (Ky. App. 1997)
2 Parker v. Hurley, 514 F.3d 87, 102 (1st Cir. 2008)

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a federal law, parents or legal guardians have the right to request information from Oldham County  Public Schools about their student’s participation in statewide assessments required by the Kentucky Department of Education.  The statewide assessments required by the state assessment include grades 3-8 and 10 in Reading and Math on the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA), Science at grades 4,7 and 11 via the KSA, Social Studies and On Demand Writing at grades 5,8 and 11 on the KSA.  Additionally Kentucky Juniors are administered the ACT.  Finally, the ACCESS assessment is administered to our English Language Learners.  ESSA also requires the district to make additional information on each statewide assessment publicly available. This information includes (i) the subject matter assessed; (ii) the purpose for which the assessment is designed and used; (iii) the source of the requirement for the assessment; (iv) the amount of time students will spend taking the assessment and the schedule for the assessment; and, (v) the timeline and format for disseminating results.   This information can be found on the KDE website Accountability - Kentucky Department of Education. If you would like to request additional information about your child’s participation in the assessment(s) mentioned above for the current school year, please email leslie.mckinney@oldham.kyschools.us.   You may also reach us by phone at 502-241-3500.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as Amended governs access to records and data maintained by an educational institution and the release of such records or data.  Each staff member is accountable for ensuring the confidentiality of all student records in accordance with FERPA.