By Cary Rogers, KSDE Special Education and Title Services team 

The testing window for the Kansas Assessment Program will open in March. The following information outlines the federal requirements for taking the assessments and the importance of the tests including all student subgroups. 

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are required to administer annual assessments in grades 3–8 and at least once during high school to measure student achievement. These assessments provide essential information about how well students are learning and progressing toward state academic standards.  

Importantly, ESSA mandates the inclusion of all students in state testing—including students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities—groups that were historically excluded from statewide assessments. By requiring broad participation, ESSA’s annual measurement of achievement promotes equity, transparency, and a more accurate understanding of student performance across the entire student population. 

Under ESSA, the 95% participation threshold requires nearly all students and student subgroups take part in state assessments to ensure results accurately represent the student population. Meeting this threshold strengthens the reliability of assessment data and supports fair accountability. High participation promotes equity and visibility by capturing the achievement and needs of all subgroups, preventing historically at-risk populations from being overlooked in state reporting.  

The resulting data are actionable, providing schools with critical information to guide instructional decisions—particularly for students with disabilities—and giving parents transparent insight into school performance so they can better support their children’s learning. 

Districts can access participation rates by subgroup from the Kansas Report Card under ESSA – Participation Rate Summary Report. 

Contact Cary Rogers, cary.rogers@ksde.gov, with questions.