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 Kentucky Alternate Assessment were represented by attainment tasks and field tests on the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) for students in grades 3-8, 10 and 11 and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR) for students in grade 11. These assessments continue to meet federal requirements for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA).
The Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program is comprised of alternate career readiness and the Kentucky Alternate Assessment for students who meet Kentucky's eligibility criteria for the alternate assessment. The Kentucky Alternate Assessment is based upon two components: the Alternate Kentucky Summative Assessment (AKSA) and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR). These components play vital roles in the assessment of the individual student. The AKSA is an alternate assessment for the
Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) and assesses reading, math, science and
social studies through attainment tasks which are comprised of operational
items and field test items. The TAR is an alternate for the college admissions
exam and assesses English Language Arts (ELA), math and science using a checklist. The TAR is administered to students in grade 11.
The TAR fulfills the requirement of an academic measure for postsecondary
readiness for students in the alternate assessment program.
The Employability Skills Attainment Record
(ESAR) and Career Work Experience Certification (CWEC) serve as the alternate
for career readiness for students who meet Kentucky’s alternate assessment
eligibility criteria. For more information on the ESAR and CWEC, please visit
the Working with Exceptional Children in CTE webpage.
The following graphic shows Kentucky's Alternate Assessment Program at a glance.
The Office of Assessment and Accountability often sends out communications for the Kentucky Alternate Assessment. Communications between KDE and districts/schools occur on a regular basis with staff who have elected to be a part of the Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program E-mails.
Teachers may sign up to receive these messages automatically by sending a request to: dacinfo@education.ky.gov