A FAMILY GUIDE TO ANNUAL STATE TESTS IN KENTUCKY - One of Many Measures of Student Learning

Sep 29, 2026

A family guide explains how Kentucky annual state assessments fit into a broader approach to measuring student learning, emphasizing that tests are only one measure. It outlines ESSA requirements and which grades take K-PREP in English language arts, math, and science or social studies. It describes K-PREP alignment to grade-level standards, available formats, and question types. The guide also explains how families, teachers, school/district leaders, and state leaders can use K-PREP reports, including practical questions for interpreting results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

State Assessments 101

ESSA requirements and K-PREP testing by grade

A Focus on Grade Level Skills

Format and question types

Useful Information for All

Families: Understanding Grade Level Performance

Questions to ask the teacher about the K-PREP report

Teachers: Informing Instruction

School & district leaders: Informing decisions

State leaders: Helping schools improve

A FAMILY GUIDE TO ANNUAL STATE TESTS IN KENTUCKY: One of Many Measures of Student Learning There are many ways to measure academic performance, and annual state tests are only one of them. These tests are not meant to tell the whole story. They are meant to be combined with other measures, including teacher feedback, classwork and projects, and report card grades. Together, these measures can give families a more complete picture of a student’s performance so they can better support learning at home and advocate for their child. State Assessments 101 The Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA, requires students to take state tests in reading and math every year in third through eighth grade and once in high school. In Kentucky, students in third through eighth, 10th and 11th grades take the Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) in English language arts and math. Students in fourth, seventh, and 11th grade also take a test in science. Those in fifth and eighth grade take K-PREP in social studies. A Family Guide to Annual State Tests in Kentucky A Focus on Grade Level Skills Unlike other tests, K-PREP is focused on grade level material and is aligned to the state standards. The test questions match what students do and learn in the classroom every day throughout the year, which are the skills that are most important for students to learn in order to move on to more challenging content. K-PREP can be taken online or with paper and pencil. Districts decide how students will take the test. The test includes a variety of different types of questions, including traditional multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions that require students to explain their answer. Grade 6: Math Which point on the number line represents the opposite of – ~~72~~ ? Select a place on the number line to plot the point. -3 0 3 Grade 3: ELA Which details in paragraph 5 and 6 of the passage best show the main idea that Bat uses the sense of hearing for hunting? Select two correct answers. [5] Over bushes, under trees, between fence posts, through the tangled hedge she swoops untouched Bat is at home in the darkness as a fish is in the water. She doesn’t need to see—she can hear where she is going. But in the dark, good ears are more useful than eyes. [6] Bat shouts as she flies, louder than a hammer blow, higher than a squaek. She beams her voice around her like a flashlight, and the echoes come singing back. They carry a sound picture of all her voice has touched. Listening hard, Bat can hear every detail, the smallest twig, the shape of leaves. Gliding | and fluttering back and forth, | she shouts her | | --- | --- | | torch of sound among the trees, listening for | | her supper. A Family Guide to Annual State Tests in Kentucky Useful Information for All FAMILIES: Understanding Grade Level Performance The K-PREP report gives families information on how well their child performed on different sets of skills in each subject. Families can use this information to identify where their child is doing well and where they may need support or practice. This helps families better support learning at home. It can also help them start meaningful conversations with teachers, set goals for each student’s areas of improvement and identify resources and strategies that can be used at home and in school to help students make progress. Questions to Ask the Teacher about Your Child’s K-PREP Report: • What does this mean about my child’s learning? • Is my child on grade level? • Where does my child need more support or improvement? • What short-term learning goals should my child meet to show progress? • How can I support learning at home? ? TEACHERS: Informing Instruction Students take different types of tests throughout the school year. Some students take benchmark or diagnostic tests, such as MAP Growth or i-Ready. These are taken several times a year and measu

FAQs

What is K-PREP and what subjects and grades does it cover in Kentucky?

K-PREP is Kentucky’s performance rating assessment. In Kentucky, it is taken in English language arts and math for third through eighth, plus 10th and 11th grade; science is also taken in fourth, seventh, and 11th grade, and social studies is taken in fifth and eighth grade.

How should families interpret K-PREP results?

K-PREP reports give information on how a child performed across different sets of skills in each subject. Families can use it to find strengths, identify where support is needed, discuss goals with teachers, and select resources or strategies for home and school.

How do teachers and leaders use K-PREP results?

Teachers use results to understand each student’s needs and improve instruction by looking for trends and identifying which skills were learned and which content was challenging. School and district leaders use scores to target additional support and resources, while state leaders identify schools needing extra help and focus on groups performing lower than others.

Sep 29, 2026

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