Guidance on Providing School and District Report Cards to Parents

Kentucky’s 2017-2018 School Report Card is final with the exception of Finance data that is scheduled for release in May. School Report Cards are intended to provide parents information on the performance of their child’s school; promoting awareness of the school and district cards is required by KRS 158.6453 and 703 KAR 5:140. More specifically, KRS 158.6453 requires that: (1) The school report card shall be sent to the parents of the students of the district, and (2) information on electronic access to a summary of the results for the district shall be published in the newspaper with the largest circulation in the county.

School Requirement

To meet the requirement that the school report card must be sent to parents, the unique URL to the school’s report card may be shared with parents through electronic communication. Unless requested, the school report card does not have to be provided to parents in paper form. For parents who already communicate with the school in an electronic format, a URL of the school report card may be sent via e-mail, by using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal Notification Tool or other electronic communication methods. For those parents who do not communicate with the district via an electronic format, the school may provide a link to the URL of the school report card via paper. Attached is a template that may be used to inform parents of the availability of the school report card. Once printed, the page can be cut in half and mailed or sent home with students. 

District Requirement

The requirement that districts share information on electronic access also can be met by publishing the URL in the newspaper with the largest circulation in the county. If the local paper already has promoted the electronic access of your district's school report card, this requirement is complete. If the district has not communicated the district card, a second template is attached to assist with this communication. 

To use either of these templates, update the school/district name and the URL links to the applicable school or district. Also, you should update any links to the school report card from your school and district websites using the same URL links.

Feedback on the School Report Card

With Year 1 finished (except for Finance), KDE is already preparing for Year 2. BrightBytes is collecting feedback on the new School Report Card. The SRC Feedback Tool is being used to collect quick feedback or there are opportunities to volunteer to provide more in-depth feedback either through in-person focus group sessions or moderated virtual interviews. Please help us continue to improve the new School Report Card by sharing these links with parents who may want to provide feedback.

Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) – Open for District Data Entry

The verification period for review of Kentucky Department of Education-loaded data is now over and schools and districts can begin entering the remaining CRDC data before final certification.

Districts and schools are required to complete and certify their data before April 24. As a reminder, CRDC is a local reporting requirement. KDE is able to assist, but each school and district is responsible for the quality of its own data

Visit the KDE CRDC webpage for information and helpful resources. The webpage provides a description of the updated CRDC State Published ad hoc filters available in Infinite Campus that school and district staff may use to validate information for the CRDC. The 2017-2018 CRDC Flat File Specifications document details items districts are required to enter into the CRDC collection system; see the LEA Provides tab and the SCH Provides tab.

Visit the CRDC Resource Center for instructional videos, collection templates, technical assistance documents and data tips to assist in the submission of data. 

The CRDC Partner Support Data Center (PSC) is available to answer questions, help with usernames, update contacts and provide technical support between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET. When contacting the PSC, have your seven-digit LEA identifier readily available. Contact the PSC by email or phone at (855) 255-6901.

Elevating Evidence – Meeting ESSA’s Evidence-based Requirements

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) calls on education leaders to deepen their understanding and expand their use of evidence-based decision making. Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff will be hosting several workshops throughout Kentucky to introduce attendees to ESSA’s evidence-based provisions and facilitate conversations about common issues in educational research.

As part of this training, participants will evaluate a study that is relevant to their local setting and will leave with a completed study analysis that meets KDE compliance expectations. While all school and district leaders are welcome, this workshop is designed for principals and teacher leaders who want a deeper understanding of ESSA’s evidence-based practice provisions.

Three-hour morning and afternoon sessions will be offered at each location. To register, select the link below or visit KDE’s Evidence-based Practices website. Space is limited. EILA credit is available for this workshop.

Registration Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPWZHT7

The training session are:

• July 9: Elizabethtown, Regional Postsecondary Education Center, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
• July 11: Hazard, Hazard Community and Technical College
• July 23: Madisonville, The Brown Badget Sr. Energy and Advanced Technology Center, Madisonville Community and Technical College
• July 25: Florence, Gateway Community and Technical College
• July 30: Grayson, Rocky Adkins Pavilion, Ashland Community and Technical College

KDE’s best practices website taking submissions

The Kentucky Department of Education’s Best Practices and Sustainability website is open for submission of best practices from schools and districts.

The website is designed to serve as a clearinghouse to promote practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in student learning, achievement and school/district processes. Any aspect of a school system that can impact student outcomes through improved instruction or operations can be submitted as a best practice.

Best practices should be submitted to the Best Practices database by May 1 to be considered for acknowledgement at the Continuous Improvement Summit in September. For additional information, please feel free to contact Natasha Napier at Natasha.Napier@education.ky.gov.

Regional Kentucky Academic Standards Meetings Scheduled

In March, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will host regional meetings for school and district leaders to kick off a new professional learning series. The purpose of the meeting will be to assist districts with planning and the implementation of improved practice and strong instruction around newly revised standards.

The learning will be focused on understanding the revised Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading/Writing and Mathematics, orient participants to initial planning and team structures that need to be in place at the district and school level, and explore the digital platform designed for ongoing professional learning and support. Districts should send the leaders in their system that are most qualified to gather the information and bring it back to the larger team for dissemination and planning.

These sessions will be held in various locations across the state. Click on the date of the session to register for the session of your choice.

• March 7, Henderson – John James Audubon Park
• March 8, Paducah – Paducah Chamber of Commerce
• March 11, London – Southeast South-Central (SESC) London
• March 12, Hopkinsville – James E. Bruce Convention Center
• March 14, Russell Springs – Russell County Natatorium
• March 15, Frankfort – Capital Plaza Hotel
• March 18, Ashland – KEDC Ashland Location
• March 19, Hindman – Hindman Settlement School
• March 20, Morehead – Morehead Conference Center
• March 21, Prestonsburg – Jenny Wiley State Park
• March 25, Bowling Green – Green River Regional Educational Cooperative
• March 26, Elizabethtown – Pritchard Community Center
• March 27, Lexington – Central Kentucky Special Education Cooperative
• March 28, Fort Thomas - LAUNCH
• March 29, Shelbyville ­– Ohio Valley Educational Co-Op

Superintendent Webcast set for Wednesday

Commissioner Wayne Lewis will begin hosting monthly superintendent webcasts to provide timely information beginning Wednesday, February 27, at 2:00 p.m. ET. You can view the webcast here, and participate in the surveys or comments on https://app.gosoapbox.com Access Code: superintendent.

Agenda:

Legislative Update-Wayne Lewis and Jennifer Fraker

KCTCS Dual Credit Pathway to an Associate’s Degree in Arts or Science-David Horseman

Accountability and Standards Update-Rhonda Sims

Title I Meetings for District Coordinators and Staff

KDE staff will host a series of meetings to provide updates and assist districts with Title I planning for the 2019-2020 school year. Topics will include information about school staffing requirements, supplement not supplant methodology, new KDE guidance on district set-asides and more. Morning sessions (9 a.m.-noon local time) and afternoon sessions (1-4 p.m. local time) will be offered. Please visit the registration link to register for the session of your choice.

The date and location of the final meeting is:

Wednesday, Feb. 27, Green River Regional Educational Cooperative, 230 Technology Way, Bowling Green

Please direct questions about the meetings or registration to Tara Rodriguez at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042, or tara.rodriguez@education.ky.gov.

Working Conditions Survey Moved to Fall

The Kentucky Department of Education is working through the request for proposals process to identify a vendor to administer the state’s working conditions survey. Because of the timelines for completing this process, the spring survey for 2019 will not be administered. Instead, KDE anticipates a survey administration will occur in the fall of 2019.

Once a vendor has been secured, KDE will provide detailed communications with timelines and guidance for the fall administration.

Because some districts identified the working conditions survey as a source of evidence in their certified evaluation plan, the Leadership Surveys webpage has been updated to provide guidance to support districts through the transition of the administration timeline.

If you have questions, please contact: Christine Meisberger at (502) 564-5846, ext. 4510.

2019 Kentucky School Superintendency Survey

The 3rd decennial survey on school superintendency in Kentucky will launch March 1. All sitting superintendents will be invited to participate via email. 

This survey is designed to reflect the perceptions of superintendents on their educational preparation, nature of their administrative career and career pathway, relations with the community, job satisfaction and barriers to the superintendency. Questions can be addressed to Beth Rous (beth.rous@uky.edu) or Victoria Sherif (victoria.sherif@uky.edu).

Celebrate School Social Work Week March 3-9

The Kentucky Association for School Social Work has announced that March 3-9 is School Social Work Week. School Social Workers enhance the learning and success of students in Kentucky by:

Focusing on the whole child

• School social workers promote the social and emotional development of students;
• Consider barriers to learning and value relationship building;
• Empower students and offer a voice for marginalized youth; and
• Implement multi-tiered system of supports programs and practices.

Linking community resources

• School social workers promote a continuum of services;
• Mobilize resources and promote assets;
• Link and coordinate community services for families in need; and
• Honor the family’s cultural identity.

Contributing to a team approach

• School social workers enhance the professional capacity of school personnel;
• Facilitate engagement between student, family, school and community;
• Promote a school climate and culture conducive to student learning and teaching excellence; and
• Actively participate in team collaboration and problem-solving.

Making a difference in the lives of students, families, school communities

• School social workers are trained mental health professionals;
• Have a degree in social work;
• Provide services related to a person’s social, emotional and life adjustment to school and society; and
• Are the link between home, school and community in providing services to students, families and school personnel.

Please join us in celebrating our profession by acknowledging the work we do during School Social Work Week.

For more information, contact Lori Vogel, president of the Kentucky Association for School Social Work, at lori.vogel@fayette.kyschools.us.

Professional Learning Opportunities

Sign up to Attend PLTW Launch Showcase

Experience Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Launch in action in two special showcases scheduled for Feb. 28.

PLTW Launch empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. As prekindergarten through 5th-grade students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.

Teachers can attend either or both showcases, which are scheduled for 9-11 a.m. ET at Nancy Elementary School in Nancy and 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m. ET at Pulaski Elementary School in Somerset.

During the showcases you will experience:

• Students Demonstrating their Vex Robotics at Nancy Elementary
• Students STEM project Showcase at Pulaski Elementary
• Launch Classrooms
• Q & A with Launch Teachers                        

Space is limited, so be sure to register using this Google document. Feel free to bring a team or thought partner, but please have each attendee register.

3rd Annual KDE Leadership EdCamp: For Principals by Principals

The 3rd Annual Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Leadership EdCamp: For Principals by Principals will be held on Wednesday, March 27, at the Perkins Building on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU).

The Principal Partnership Project at the KDE is proud to partner with EKU and KyGoDigital to offer this free professional learning opportunity to all school leaders. The event is intended to support and promote networking for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, future school leaders and faculty in the principal preparation programs at local universities. EILA credit will be provided. Registration is available on this Google document.

Outside KDE

NCFL seeking presentation proposals

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is seeking presentation proposals reflecting best practices for engaging families in education for the 2019 Families Learning Conference, scheduled for Nov. 4-6 in Louisville.

This call for proposals closes 11:59 p.m. PT March 1. For more information, visit the NCFL website. We hope you’ll consider applying or sharing with your colleagues.

Those receiving this at KSB and KSD, please make sure all employees receive it. Also, ATC principals are asked to forward it to their staffs.

Please send your questions, comments and suggestions on Monday Message to Jennifer Ginn by 10 a.m. Friday to be published in the upcoming week.