Superintendent briefs board on proposed shifts to Kentucky assessment and accountability

Superintendent Bridal told the Nelson County Board of Education on Nov. 11 that the Kentucky Board of Education and Department of Education are rethinking assessment and accountability. Bridal described a possible model that would keep federally required reading and math measures while adding locally chosen components intended to provide more timely instructional feedback.

"The goal in the new model is to track the student," Bridal said, explaining that the state has historically tracked growth by cohort rather than by individual student across years. Bridal said advocates are pushing to use interim assessments such as iReady or MAP as growth measures so teachers can use data quickly rather than waiting months for separate statewide test score reports.

Bridal said the proposed changes could allow local districts to define how social studies and writing are monitored and to use interim local assessments in ways that align with competency-based learning and career-technical programs. He cautioned that the proposal is at an early stage and that new rules, definitions and funding implications remain unresolved.

Board members welcomed the potential for timelier instructional data but also noted the need for clarity on definitions and assurances that local systems will be comparable across districts. Bridal encouraged board and community members to provide feedback while the state solicits input and prepares to publish data under the current system in the coming days.