KDE to Launch New Bond Sales Program July 1

A new workflow process for bond sales documents will be available beginning July 1. The KDE Bond Sales Program is on a SharePoint platform on the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) server, much like the Facilities Planning and Construction Process (FACPAC) system.

Fiscal agents will have primary responsibility for inputting documents into the KDE Bond Sales Program. KDE will require five documents to be uploaded, tagged and submitted for each bond sale at least 10 working days prior to the sale:

1. Plan of financing
2. Public offering statement
3. Notice of sale
4. Terms and conditions
5. KDE-approved FACPAC post-bid BG-1

Adequate planning must occur to ensure KDE post-bid BG-1 approval is obtained in order for it to be printed, attached and submitted before the 10th working day. Districts must work with their design professionals and KDE to ensure all post-bid documents have been reviewed and approved before the fiscal agent can proceed with a planned bond sale.

This new system will provide much improved communications and tracking mechanisms among the fiscal agents, districts, School Facilities Construction Commission and KDE, as well as provide an accessible document repository for future bond sales.

Email Jeff Coulter or call him at (502) 564-3930, ext. 4459, for more information. If you have questions about the Facilities Branch review process, email Greg Dunbar or call him at (502) 564-4326, ext. 4429.

Nominations Open for Kelly Award for Business and Education Partnership

The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) will present the Kelly Award for Business Partnership at its August board meeting. This yearly award honors a Kentucky businessperson or business that has partnered with a public school or district to provide outstanding leadership that promotes school improvement and student success.

Criteria for the award include:

• Creating or sustaining strategic partnership between a business and school or district that leads to improved student outcomes, including but not limited to, postsecondary success and workforce outcomes; and
• Making significant contribution to a school or a district that leads or will likely lead to increased or improved educational opportunities or improved educational, postsecondary or workforce outcomes for students.

The award is named for Joseph W. Kelly, who served as a member of the KBE from 1989 to 1998 and was board chairman for seven years during the fundamental early years of implementing Kentucky’s nationally recognized school improvement efforts.

The nomination deadline is July 19. Visit the Kentucky Department of Education’s website for more information about KBE awards or use this Google form to nominate someone.

KDE Offering Summer SBDM Training for Experienced Council Members

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will be hosting annual school-based decision making (SBDM) council trainings for any elected experienced council member.

Use this Google form to register. A maximum of 40 participants will be allowed at each session and the trainings are free.

Here are the dates, topics and locations (all sessions are 9 a.m.-noon local time):

• July 8 – “Bylaws and Policies,” Cold Spring, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, 5516 E. Alexandria Pike
• July 11 – “Bylaws and Policies,” Hazard, Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative, 412 Roy Campbell Drive
• July 12 – “Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement,” Owensboro, Logsdon Community Center, 2400 Friendship Drive, Suite B
• July 16 – “Roles and Responsibilities,” Campbellsville, Taylor County High School, 2705 Old Hodgenville Road
• July 18 – “Roles and Responsibilities,” Frankfort, Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Blvd.
• July 22 – “Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement,” Murray, Murray Middle School, 801 Main St.

English Learner/Title III Beginning of the Year Training

Regional trainings for English Learner (EL) and Title III coordinators have been scheduled. The sessions will focus on providing guidance to district coordinators of all levels. Topics covered during training will include changes under the Every Student Succeeds Act for ELs, the civil rights requirements that must be met by all districts regardless of its EL population or funding received, and requirements under federal programs such as Title I, Part A and Title III.  

English Learner, Title III and Title I coordinators are strongly encouraged to attend. However, at least one person from each district should attend one of the six training locations regardless of whether the district receives a Title III subgrant or the number of ELs currently enrolled in the district.

Each training will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. local time. Sessions may be canceled if registration is low. If your training location is canceled due to low registration, you will be contacted in order to select another training location. Register early to help ensure you get the location of your choice.

The dates and locations of each training are listed below along with the registration links.

• July 26 – Shelbyville, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, 100 Alpine Drive
• July 30 – Bowling Green, Green River Regional Educational Cooperative, 230 Technology Way
• July 31 – Lexington, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, 118 James Court, Suite 60
• Aug. 1 – Ashland, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, 904 Rose Road
• Aug. 2 – Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University, Perkins Building, 4436 Kit Carson Drive
• Aug. 5 – Eddyville, West Kentucky Educational Cooperative, 435 Outlet Ave.

For questions, email Jessica Sanderson or call her at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4004.

KDE Offering Evaluation Training for Administrators

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is the official provider for the 2019-2020 Initial Certified Evaluation Training for administrators newly assigned to the role of evaluator of certified personnel. The two-day training, including the assessment, is required per KRS 156.557 and 704 KAR 3:370.

All new evaluators of certified personnel are required to attend. Visit the Principal Partnership Project website for information about dates and locations, and to register.

KDE also will provide a separate, one-day, six-hour update training for experienced administrators. Districts may choose to fulfill the requirement by applying for their own EILA certificates and providing the training in their district, but KDE is providing regional options for districts that choose not to do their own in-house training. Six hours of update training is required annually for all experienced administrators per KRS 156.557 and 704 KAR 3:370.

Any experienced evaluator of certified personnel who has completed the two-day Initial Certified Evaluation Training is qualified to attend. Visit the Update Evaluation Training webpage for more information about dates, locations and to register.

There is no fee to participate in either training and the appropriate number of EILA credit hours – six for the update or 12 for the initial – will be awarded. Multiple training sites are located across the state. Advance registration is required.

All trainings are 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. local time.

High School Feedback Reports are available for review

The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYStats) has provided High School Feedback Reports (HSFR) for the graduating class of 2017 for district review. HSFRs are available for A1 schools only. The review window is through mid-July, with the public release planned for late July.

Only district assessment coordinators and superintendents have access to the reports through the HSFR web application. It’s recommended that one of these local contacts share with high school principals. For more information, see the June 17 Commissioner’s Monday Message.

Kentucky One of 22 States to Meet Section 616 Requirements

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs has released its annual determinations under Section 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and has found that Kentucky meets the requirements and purposes of Part B.

Determinations are made from a combination of compliance and results data, including the federal fiscal year 2017 state performance plan/annual performance report and other state-reported data, as well as other publicly reported information.

The 2019 determination is based on the data reflected in the “2019 Part B Results-Driven Accountability Matrix” (RDA matrix). The RDA matrix is individualized for each state and consists of:

• a compliance matrix that includes scoring on compliance indicators and other compliance factors;
• a results matrix that includes scoring on results elements;
• a compliance score and a results score;
• an RDA percentage based on both the compliance score and the results score; and
• the state’s determination.

Only 22 of 60 states and entities received meets requirement status last year.

App Available for Persistence to Graduation Summit July 9-10

The app for the 2019 Persistence to Graduation Summit: Safe and Supportive Learning is now available. The summit, scheduled for July 9-10 at the Lexington Convention Center, will include topics such as well-rounded educational opportunities, safe and supportive learning environments, effective use of education technology, student transition and re-engagement strategies, and alternative education.

Attendees will need the Guidebook app to view the schedule, which is available either by searching for Guidebook in your phone’s app store (the app logo is a lowercase “g” in a blue square) or by visiting Guidebook.com, which will text you information on how to download the app. Once in Guidebook, search for “persistence to graduation” and download the guide to see all related information. Remember that the app is still being updated.

EILA credit and CEUs for social workers will be available. Registration for the summit is free on a first-come, first-served basis. All attendees are responsible for registering themselves. Use the discount code PTG2019 when registering on the AdvancEd website to attend at no charge.

Registration Is Open for Continuous Improvement Summit

Join AdvancED|Measured Progress and the Kentucky Department of Education at the Continuous Improvement Summit Sept. 16-17 for practical information and inspiring stories to drive improvement.

Learn how Kentucky educators and administrators apply research-driven insights to their unique educational environment. Connect school quality to better outcomes for learners. The featured keynote speaker will be education author Anthony Muhammed.

The conference will be 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sept. 16, and 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Lexington Convention Center. Visit the AdvancEd website to register. For additional information, see this flyer.

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.