Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment

Kentucky Alternate Assessment Combined Resources

Published: 7/20/2026 3:59 PM

The Kentucky Alternate Assessment is the assessment provided to Kentucky students with the most severe cognitive disabilities who meet Kentucky's alternate assessment eligibility criteria. This page provides important information, trainings and resources to assist both students participating in the Alternate Assessment and educators administering the Alternate Assessment.

Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program System

The Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program System (KAAP) homepage, which houses the Online Training System (OTS), Student Registration Database (SRD), and the Career Readiness Database (CRD), requires everyone needing access to either register in the system as a new user and provide a detailed password with security questions or log in if already registered. Access to the KAAP System is essential for test administrators to complete the qualification quiz, access videos or animations for test administration, and enter student scores. Test administrators must update their profile to reflect the current district, school, and grades taught in order to have access to necessary information during the testing windows.

Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment Training

The AKSA training is a requirement for the certified teacher administering the two testing windows to any student participating in Kentucky's Alternate Assessment. This training includes specific information regarding content areas tested, accommodations permitted, simplification of materials, proper handling of secure materials and what to do after an assessment window ends.

In combination with the training, the certified teacher must also successfully complete the AKSA Qualification Quiz. Once District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) have received the quiz certificate from the certified teacher, teachers may have access to testing materials to begin preparing for the assessment. All testing materials must be stored in a secure, double-locked location when not actively being used per 703 KAR 5:080.

Transition Attainment Record Training

The Transition Attainment Record (TAR) assessment training is required for the lead team member of the student’s Admissions and Release Committee (ARC) or Individual Education Program (IEP) Team. All members of the team must complete the Administration Code Training and the Inclusion of Special Populations Training found on the Assessment Regulations Training webpage. Once the lead team member has completed the TAR Training, the lead team member must also complete the TAR Qualification Quiz. When DACs have received the TAR quiz certificate from the lead team member and all members of the team have completed required trainings, the TAR may be administered to the student.

Kentucky Alternate Assessment Abbreviations

AT - Attainment Tasks

LCI - Learner Characteristics Inventory

OTS - Online Training System

PLD - Performance Level Descriptor

SDRR - Student Data Review and Rosters

SRD - Student Registration Database

TAR - Transition Attainment Record

AKSA Alternate Academic Achievement Standards/Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs)

Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) Released Items

The released Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) items are examples of the use of the Kentucky Academic Standards in the Alternate Assessment and the application of the Alternate Assessment targets for the purpose of assessment. The items and statistics presented represent the performance of students in the assessment cycle, from the content standards in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Development of assessment items is an ongoing process that takes approximately eighteen months from the initial stakeholder item writing to the use of the item in an assessment. Following the same procedures, new items are developed to replenish the item bank on an ongoing basis.