Category: General

 To: School Principals and Test Coordinators

From: Dr. Patrick Jefferies, Assessment Supervisor, Assessment & Evaluation

Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director, Teaching & Learning

Date: July 23, 2026

Subject: KEEP administration for Fall 2026-27 addendum

Thank you for the questions and feedback during our recent online meeting. As discussed, KEEP administration has changed following recent SLEA negotiations to ensure that kindergarten teachers are not required to return to work prior to the start of their contract calendar. Below are several important updates and clarifications. The original memorandum from May 26, 2026 is copied in full at the end.

School-Day Expectations

• School days are not shortened to conduct the KEEP assessment. Students should attend a full school day that follows the same schedule as the other grades. KEEP administration should take place outside the classroom where possible, however when this is not possible depending on your staffing and available space, the KEEP may be administered within the classroom as long as appropriate supervision and activities are provided to the remaining students.
• Please schedule KEEP administration in the afternoon, after lunch, whenever possible to protect the literacy block.
• When a paraprofessional or substitute administers the KEEP, the classroom teacher may continue providing instruction to the remaining students.

Funding and Administration

• Funds to support KEEP administration will be allocated to Program 1033 before August 1. Funding is based on each school’s kindergarten enrollment from the previous year’s October 1 count, and may be used in the way you see best supports the administration of the KEEP at your school. The attached Excel workbook includes your school’s allocation and budget information.
• Schools will administer only the 14 questions included in the KEEP Test Administration Manual and Entry Profile. We will not include the additional math questions this year to simplify the process and support consistency across schools.
• Anyone administering the KEEP must complete both the testing ethics and KEEP administration trainings before working with students. Test administrators must also register for access to the USBE Data Gateway to enter results. Brittany Dimick, KEEP Assessment Specialist, will provide additional instructions and information.
• Because the KEEP window overlaps with beginning-of-year Acadience testing, please coordinate with the Assessment Department to minimize disruptions for kinder students.

Possible Administration Models

We advise schools to spread testing across the full three-week window, starting as close end of week 1 as possible. Schools may create a plan to use teachers, trained paras, subs, or a combination to administer the KEEP. Possible approaches include:

• Teachers should not be required to write substitute lesson plans, but may assist in developing the plan for administering the KEEP at your school.
• Para leading activities: Having paras lead structured classroom activities while the teacher administers the KEEP to individual students. Additional hours can be provided for a teacher or substitute to prepare classroom activities that can be shared.
• Rotating classroom coverage: A trained para or sub rotates between classrooms and administers the KEEP while each teacher remains with their class.
• Grade-level team rotation: Teachers rotate responsibilities, with one teacher administering the KEEP while another teacher or para supervises combined activities for the remaining students.
• Specialist-supported coverage: During art, PE, or library, the classroom teacher administers the KEEP while students participate in their special.
• Parent support: Inviting parent volunteers to support the classroom while a paraprofessional administers the assessment.

Literacy coaches will be focused on supporting new teachers, organizing materials, and assisting multiple schools during the first weeks of the year. They may help complete a small number of remaining assessments, but schools should not plan to use literacy coaches as their primary KEEP administrators.

Thank you for your planning and flexibility as we implement these changes. Please contact the Assessment Department with questions about scheduling, training, or access to the Data Gateway.

Original Memorandum (May 26, 2026)

During the negotiations for the 2026-27 school year, SLCSD and SLEA agreed to find a method to administer the Kindergarten Entry and Exit Profile (KEEP) in a way that could be completed during the school day. This is a change from the way we have done this in previous years; no profiles will be completed before school starts.

For 2026-27, KEEP will be administered within the regular school day. The testing window for the beginning of year KEEP is August 18 - September 5, 2026. Schools are asked to:

• Not give the KEEP assessment during the literacy block – the afternoon (after lunch) is preferred.
• Be aware that the Acadience Reading testing team will also be scheduling assessments at the same time.
• KEEP will be entered into the Data Gateway; the five additional SLCSD math questions will be entered into Performance Matters.

KEEP assessments shall not be conducted prior to the first day of school, and there will be no funds to pay for extra time outside the regular school day contract hours.

Schools should plan coverage for teachers to assess students. This may require creative scheduling within the regular school day. Please prepare to have half-day substitutes or paraprofessionals to help with student management or activities.

Title:               Assessment Plan for SY 2026-27

Date:              July 16, 2026

To:                   School Administrators

From:              Assessment & Evaluation
                                Teaching & Learning Department

Subject:         Assessments Conducted in SLCSD

Summary:

Student assessments are an essential part of an effective educational system because they provide meaningful information about student learning, growth, and instructional effectiveness. When used thoughtfully, assessments help educators ensure that every student receives the support, challenge, and opportunities they need to succeed. No single assessment provides a complete picture of a student’s learning.

This document is the comprehensive overview of assessments. For specific dates of testing windows, questions about administration, or training on administration, please contact Dr. Patrick Jefferies, Assessment & Evaluation Supervisor.

Assessment Plan 2026-27

Title:                   Manifestation Determination and PSSP Admin Training

Date:              6/11/26, 6/24/26, 6/25/26

To:                  All administrators in a building

From:             Erin Anderson, Director of Special Education

Subject:        Manifestation Determination Training

Action required: Register for a training day

Background:
A manifestation determination (MD) is required within 10 school days of a code-of-conduct violation that may result in discipline to determine if the conduct in question was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the student's disability. In an MD, the district, parent, and relevant IEP team members review the IEP, teacher observations, parent input, and other relevant information to determine whether the conduct was related to the disability or resulted from the school’s failure to implement the IEP.

School administrators need to be prepared to conduct an MD because these meetings protect student rights, ensure the district follows special education requirements, and help teams make appropriate decisions about discipline, services, behavior supports, and placement. A well-conducted manifestation determination keeps the focus on both student safety and the school’s responsibility to provide supports required by the IEP.

Summary:
Completing this training will equip administrators to manage MD meetings and navigate components of PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP). After completing this training, administrators will be able to access PSSP to send notices and record meeting notes and decisions. This training will be offered in July in a hybrid format. Make-up sessions will be available in August for administrators who are newly hired or unable to attend the July sessions.

All administrators are required to:

• Complete the MD course pre-work in Canvas (link to class will be sent when you register)
• Attend a 3-hour in-person training session

Registration for training sessions is available in KickUp (click on Clever > KickUP > Special Education PD - MD and PSSP – Option 1 or Option 2)

Training Dates (Pick ONE):

• Thursday, July 2 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Board Room
• Wednesday, July 15 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Board Room

Rationale: 

This training is designed to equip administrators with the knowledge and skills necessary to independently facilitate Manifestation Determination meetings without the required presence of a Special Education or 504 Consultant. Building this capacity will provide school teams with greater scheduling flexibility and improve overall understanding of when and how MD meetings should be conducted.

Expectations for Implementation: 

1. Pre-Training Requirement
   1. Complete the Manifestation Determination (MD) course pre-work in Canvas prior to attending the in-person training session.
2. Training Completion
   1. Attend and actively participate in the 3-hour in-person training.
3. Application of Learning
   1. Apply acquired knowledge and skills during all Manifestation Determination (MD) meetings throughout the school year.
   2. Conduct site MD meetings with support from a SPED Consultant, SPED Coordinator, or Director (up to five times before moving to independent MD meetings).
   3. Record information correctly on MD documents in PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP).
   4. After demonstrating proficiency, independently facilitate MD meetings (support from the Specail Education division is always available in cases that are particularly complex).
4. Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
   1. Conduct monthly reviews of the Stop-Light Report to ensure timely completion of evaluations and IEPs.