Transition Accountability: Kenton County

In its monthly Excellence Report, Kenton County offers this "Assessment and Accountability Update":

With the passage of Senate Bill 1, there are questions and concerns about testing in May. Here is what the changes mean for students who attend the Kenton County School District.

• Students will take Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT) assessments in Reading (grades 3-8, 10), Math (3-8,11), Science (4-7, 11), Social Studies (5,8,11), and Writing on-Demand (5,8) in May 2009.
• Students will not take tests in Arts/Humanities or Practical Living/Vocational Studies in May.
• Students will complete writing portfolios in grades 4,7, and 12. These portfolios will be scored at the school level, and the scores will be presented to the Kenton County Board of Education. Parents will also receive the student's score.
• Each Kenton County school will be required by Senate Bill 1 to limit all testing to seven days. These days will occur in the District Test Window of May 4-19.
• Although school accountability is suspended until 2011-2012, scores from all spring assessments will be made public in the fall.
• All federal No Child Left Behind requirements are still in force. NCLB mandates all schools to test grades 3-8 in Reading, Math, and Science. These reports will be available in the fall by KDE. Title 1 schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) will be subject to federal requirements for improvement.

Please know that while the state works to create new content standards and a new state assessment, the Kenton County School District is committed to providing quality instruction every day in every classroom for every student (District Goal 2). Our goal has always been to have our students learning rigorous content, thinking at high levels, and writing to express their understanding and mastery of content. This will not change, no matter what the road to proficiency becomes for Kentucky.