Six Kansas districts to pilot new quarterly testing program
Kansas Department of Education to pilot new assessment system
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas State Department of Education is set to pilot a new assessment system in six school districts in the state.
KSDE announced it has received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to pilot a new approach to statewide assessment through the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA).
What is IADA?
According to a KSDE press release, the IADA is “a federal provision under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that allows states to design, pilot and gradually scale innovative assessment systems while maintaining accountability for student achievement.”
Kansas is one of seven states approved to participate in IADA.
KSDE will start implementing the Kansas Through-Year-Curriculum-Directed Assessment during the 2026-2027 school year, in six school districts: Kansas City, Kansas USD 500, Olathe USD 233, Geary County USD 475, Dodge City USD 443, Great Bend USD 428, and Humboldt USD 258.
Moving away from year-end testing
Annual state assessments help measure student achievement and support accountability; however, KSDE says results aren’t typically available until the end of the school year, too late to guide instruction for the students.
The Kansas Through-Year Curriculum-Directed Assessment seeks to address that issue, allowing students in participating districts to complete brief, rigorous assessments each quarter, rather than relying on one end-of-year assessment.
Results will be returned within 72 hours after each assessment window closes, allowing educators the chance to address learning needs.
KSDE says the assessments will remain aligned with the Kansas Academic Standards. The results of each quarterly assessment will be combined to produce an annual determination of student performance.
“Our goal is to ensure Kansas has the right assessment system, one that gives educators the right information at the right time to strengthen instruction and better meet the needs of every student,” Commissioner of Education Dr. Jake Steel said. “We believe the Kansas Through-Year Curriculum-Directed Assessment can do just that by providing timely, meaningful data educators can use to guide high-quality instruction.”
KSDE plans to add more districts over the five-year pilot as the assessment shows technical quality, comparability, accessibility and effectiveness.
Throughout the first year, Kansas City, Kan., and Olathe districts will use the new system in place of the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) summative assessment in participating grades and subjects.
Geary County, Dodge City, Great Bend and Humboldt districts will administer both assessment systems during the first year to provide additional evidence of technical quality and comparability.
IADA requirements
IADA requires that states participating in the new system provide evidence that their assessment systems produce valid, reliable, and comparable results. They must also maintain transparency for families and the public and be accessible to all students, including students with disabilities and English learners.
KSDE says it will evaluate the new systems’ comparability, report its progress annually, and add participating districts based on established readiness requirements.
Before transitioning to statewide use, Kansas must receive additional federal authorization.
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