FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Education is seeking public comment on a request to the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver related to the number of students participating in an alternate assessment designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

The assessment, known as AA-AAAS, is aligned with alternate academic achievement standards on the annual Kentucky Summative Assessment. Under federal regulation, no more than 1% of the total number of students participating in a statewide assessment may take the AA-AAAS in each tested subject area.

Data from the 2025-2026 school year shows that slightly more than 1% of Kentucky's students were eligible to participate in AA-AAAS. Kentucky has routinely requested and received one-year extended waivers from the federal government, and KDE plans to submit a waiver request for reading, mathematics and science.

The department is implementing multiple oversight measures to ensure only students with significant cognitive disabilities participate in the alternate assessment, including monitoring data from school districts exceeding the 1% threshold and requiring justification for those exceeding the cap in any subject.

The public comment period runs from July 21 through Aug. 4. Written comments can be submitted to Jarrod S. Slone, Director of the Division of IDEA Monitoring and Results at the Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Blvd., Fourth Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601. Additional details on the proposed waiver and plan to reduce participation are available on KDE's website.