Career Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) Menu

The DLM® project is guided by the core belief that all students should have access to challenging grade-level content. The DLM Alternate Assessment System will let students with significant cognitive disabilities show what they know in ways that traditional multiple-choice tests cannot. The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The system will use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction. In this way, testing happens as part of instruction, which both informs teaching and benefits students.

Dynamic Learning Maps for Kansas: http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/kansas (external link)
Resources on Manuals and Blueprints, Videos, Training, and Educator Resources, Templates, Scoring & Reporting, and more.

Essential Elements are grade-level-specific expectations about what students with the most significant cognitive disabilities should know and be able to do. Essential Elements are related to college- and career-readiness standards for students in the general population at a reduced depth, breadth, and complexity.

• Currently tested Essential Elements for ELA (External PDF)
• Currently tested Essential Elements for Math (External PDF)
• Currently Tested Essential Elements for Science (External PDF)
• Kansas Essential Elements Blueprint/Selection Record Math and English Language Arts by Grade (PDF)
• Kansas Essential Elements by Linkage Level Data: Grade 3-Grade 11 (PDF)
• K-2 Essential Element Data (PDF)
• Kansas Alternate Early Literacy Screener (PDF) Webinar (Vimeo) / Slides (PowerPoint)
• Kansas Early Math Alternate Assessment Rubrics KDG-3rd grade (PDF)
• History, Government and Social Studies Alternate Rubric and Information (PDF)

Tools and Resources for IEP teams

• Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Fact Sheet (PDF)
• 1% Threshold Fact Sheet (PDF)
• IEP Team Resource Making Decisions about Participation in the Alternate Assessment (PDF)
• AA-AAAS 1% Threshold FAQ (PDF)
• DLM Test Administrator Checklist (PDF)
• How to Create Instructional Plans for the DLM Alternate Assessment (PDF)
• Kansas Alternate Assessment Flow Chart (PDF) 
• Kansas Alternate Assessment Notification (PDF) / Spanish (PDF)
• Parent Information Brochure about DLM (PDF)    Spanish (PDF)
• Participation Guidelines (PDF)
• Rubric for Determining Student Eligibility for the Kansas Alternate Assessment (DLM) (PDF) (Companion document to the DLM Participation Guidelines)
• Submitting Student Writing Samples in Educator Portal (PDF)
• Alternative Assessment; Roadmap to Determine Eligibility (PDF)
• Instructionally Embedded Assessments Infographic (PDF)

Tools and Resources for the WIDA Alternate ACCESS English Language Proficiency Assessment

• WIDA Alt Access Q&A (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• What is WIDA Alternate Access? (external link) Available in multiple languages.
• WIDA Alternate Proficiency Level Descriptors (PDF)
• KS Participation Decision Tree (PDF)
• Individual Characteristics Questionnaire (PDF)
• Accommodations Checklist (PDF)
• KS Alternate ACCESS Checklist (PDF)
• Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing Sample Items (external link)
• QuickStart Guide for Preparing to Administer (PDF)
• Test Administrator Essentials (PDF)
• WIDA Alternate Access Updates (external link)

Tools and Resources for Test Coordinators

• DLM Test Coordinator Checklist (PDF)
• DLM Test Administration Timing Considerations (PDF)
• Add a Student Record Manually (PDF)
• Creating a Roster Manually (PDF)
• Data Management Manual (External PDF)
       supports data managers with managing user, student, and roster data in Educator Portal
• Manage Special Enrollments (PDF)
• Special Circumstance Codes for Kansas Districts (PDF)
• DLM-Upload Enrollment Template (PDF)
• Test Administration Observation
  • Kite Collector Questions for Test Administration Observations
  • Using Kite Collector for DLM Test Administration Observations

For information about Kansas and Dynamic Learning Maps please contact Cary Rogers at crogers@ksde.org

DLM Training Webinar (Vimeo link) / Slides (PowerPoint)
Kansas Student Information Sheet (Word)
Alternate Assessment Participation Monitoring (PDF)
DLM Red Flags Fact Sheet (PDF)

The KSDE SETS team will continue to provide communication for special education teachers administering the DLM during school year 2024-2025. Communication will occur via an online meeting platform using Zoom. Participants will be asked to log in to view and download materials and engage with presenters. There will be opportunities for questions and the webinars will be recorded for future reference or for those unable to attend. The recordings will be posted on the KSDE website.
Brad Schwartz will produce the webinars and provide technical support as needed.
   Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89779273623?pwd=UW5JeUw3N2xDZlBSWFJteW9JSzJMdz09
   Meeting ID: 897 7927 3623
   Passcode: 947213
   One tap mobile: +13462487799,,89779273623#,,,,,,0#,,947213# US (Houston)

DLM Webinars

Register for entire 2024-25 Webinar Series
**Content is subject to change at any time due to current events**

• August 22 What do I need to do to get ready for the fall test window? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• September 4 How do I write instructional plans? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• October 10 October 10 DLM resources – How do I prepare my students for the DLM? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• **November 14** Instructionally Embedded Assessments to Guide Classroom Instruction (Vimeo)
• December 5 DLM fall test window wrap-up What needs to be finished by Dec 20th?Webinar Registration
• February 6 DLM spring window Webinar Registration
• April 10 DLM wrap-up What needs to be finished by April 25th? Webinar Registration

2023-2024 Webinars

• August 24, 2023: What do I need to do to get ready for the fall test window? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• September 14, 2023: How do I write instructional plans? (can be accessed from Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) & Essential Elements)
• October 12, 2023:  DLM resources – How do I prepare my students for the DLM? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF) / Alt ACCESS ELP Assessment (PDF)
• December 7, 2023: DLM fall test window wrap-up – What needs to be finished by Dec 22? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• February 8, 2024: DLM spring window (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
• April 11, 2024: DLM wrap-up – What needs to be finished by April 26? (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)

Early Literacy Instruction for Students Taking the DLM Webinars

August 31, 2023: Assessment of Early Literacy Skills (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
September 7, 2023: Alphabet Knowledge and Phonological Awareness / Slides (PDF)
September 21, 2023: Shared and Independent Reading (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF)
October 19, 2023: Predictable Chart Writing and Independent Writing (Vimeo) / Slides (PDF) / 2-Is It Writing-Sturm Infographic (PDF) / 5-Tips for Supporting Student Writers (PDF)

The Special Education Assessment Listserv is used to send out information about standard, assessments, and professional development for students with disabilities.

This listserv has information about the general and the general assessment with and without accommodation for students with disabilities as well as information about the alternate assessment for students with disabilities.

To sign up, send this information:
Subject line: KAA Listserv
Body of message: Email address, First Name, Last Name, USD Number, USD Name, Work Phone Number
Send to this address: crogers@ksde.org

You should get a confirmation email within 10 days.