The Kentucky Alternate Assessment was developed in 1990 as a result of the Reform Act of 1990 to provide schools and programs with a valid and reliable means of assessing the instruction provided to students with moderate and significant disabilities (i.e., for the less than 1% of the total student population for whom traditional assessments would be an inappropriate measure of progress).
In 2011 all content areas of the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment were represented by attainment tasks and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR) for students in grade 11. These assessments continue to meet federal requirements for the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA).
Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment is based upon two components: Attainment Tasks (AT) and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR). These components play vital roles in the assessment of the individual student.
The Office of Assessment and Accountability often sends out communications for the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment. Communications between KDE and districts/schools occur on a regular basis with staff who have elected to be a part of the Alternate Assessment E-mails.
Teachers may sign-up to receive these messages automatically, by sending a request to: dacinfo@education.ky.gov