Monday Message – Aug. 3, 2020

Kentucky Department of Education sent this bulletin at 08/03/2020 04:12 PM EDT
Kentucky Department Of Education logo

Commissioner's Monday Message

Aug. 3, 2020

Commissioner's Comments

Dear Colleagues: 

As we close in on the start of the 2020-2021 school year, I have a few thoughts I would like for you to keep in mind.

Gov. Andy Beshear already asked districts to delay their return to in-person classes until after Aug. 15 due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, including a rapid increase in the number of young people being diagnosed. Although we are perhaps beginning to see a plateau in the number of new cases, I would like to remind all of you that there could be more requests coming if the numbers increase. We, and I include KDE here, need to remain nimble and willing to change our plans as the pandemic shifts to ensure we are meeting the needs of all of our public school students.

I also wanted to let you know that we have updated the Guidance and Safety Expectations and Best Practices for Kentucky Schools (K-12), the Healthy at School document produced by the Department for Public Health (DPH) in conjunction with KDE. The document was changed by DPH because of changes in recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can find the new changes on page 6 of the document. Additional updates will be made as the world learns more about the COVID-19 virus and advice from the CDC shifts.

Also, please join us for the weekly Special Superintendents' Webcast 2-4 p.m. ET Tuesday. The topics will include First Lady Britainy Beshear on “Coverings for Kids” mask campaign; an update from the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE) Division of Communications; an update on school sports from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Commissioner Julian Tackett; and another Q & A with KDE and DPH.

Thank you for all you do for Kentucky’s children. I am proud to be part of #TeamKDE and #TeamKentucky.

Kevin

 

Here are some helpful links to resources you might find useful:

School Report Card – Data Review Window Opens Aug. 5 

The School Report Card (SRC) Data Approval Tool opens Aug. 5. Data in the Overview and Education Opportunity domains, along with the School Safety domain that opened last month, are available for review. 

Schools and districts can begin verification of this data, add data through the collector tool, flag data issues and approve data within each of these domains. The review period for School Safety has been extended to Aug. 7. The review period for the other two domains ends on Sept. 4.

Navigate to Kentucky School Report Card Data Approval Tool to begin the SRC review process. NOTE: Locally designated reviewers that have been set up with access should use their Microsoft credentials to access the approval tool. 

The SRC Quality Assurance Worksheet can be used to help guide SRC users through the review process. It includes domain-level information that needs to be reviewed, details on tools to help with validation and KDE contacts to assist with questions. The SRC Collection Items document provides detail on data that must be entered locally to meet federal and/or state reporting requirements. 

Data on Limited Academic Performance and Transition to Adult Life will be available in September for district assessment coordinators to review prior to it being loaded to the School Report Card. 

Additional information is available on the SRC Resource Page. This includes prior communications and resources, including the following: 

Upcoming Training: An overview of the SRC Approval Tool is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET Aug. 7. This training will include an overview and opportunity to ask BrightBytes and KDE questions. The training is available using this Zoom link.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER 

  • Aug. 5: Overview and Education Opportunity domains open for data verification/validation
  • Aug. 7: Deadline for verification of School Safety data. 
  • Sept. 4: Deadline for entering data into SRC collection tool 
  • Sept. 4: Deadline for review and approval of Overview and Education Opportunity 
  • Oct. 1: School Profile Report should be complete with signatures and available in the district office
  • Fall 2020: Public release

CONTACTS: 

School Profile Report Collector Tool Open, Due by Oct. 1

Information was shared with districts on July 13 about the release of the School Report Card Collection Tool. To help support the completion of the tasks and provide clarity for meeting the timelines, please see information below. Please share this information with principals in your district.

As a reminder, the collection tool can be accessed through the SRC approval site. Additional information on the School Profile Report is available in the SRC Resource Page with the guidance documentation.

Statutory Requirement

KRS 158.6453 (Senate Bill 1, 2017) requires all principals to complete the School Profile Report by Oct. 1 each year for visual and performing arts, health and physical education (practical living), career studies and world languages.

The School Report Card is used to meet the requirement of, “The department shall include a link to each school’s profile report on its website.” The link to the school profile is at the bottom of the organizational landing page of the School Report Card.

The School Profile Report responses should reflect information from the 2019-2020 school year.

School Profile Report Timeline

  • July 15 – Collection Tool opened
    • Principals can begin completing the items for the School Profile Report based on information from the 2019-2020 school year. *Note this was erroneously communicated July 20 with the 2018-2019 school year listed here. The correct school year is 2019-2020.
    • School Profile Report items are numbers 26-54 in the “School Report Card – Collector Items” document shared with the July 15 release notification and available with the other guidance documents referenced above.
  • Aug. 5 – The course and teacher data will be populated by KDE and then the School Profile Report can be generated from the secure School Report Card website.
    • Review additional data points that will be loaded and available (courses offered, staffing) to ensure quality of data.
    • Refine data entered to complete the School Profile Report.
    • Approve data as displayed within the Education Opportunity/General Coursework.
  • After ensuring accuracy, print the School Profile Report for signatures.
    • Senate Bill 1 (2017) requires the School Profile Report be approved by the school-based decision making (SBDM) council and include signatures of all SBDM members, the principal and the superintendent. If the school does not have an SBDM, it should be signed by the principal and superintendent.
    • Once complete, schools should post the document to its school website.
    • A hard copy must remain on file at central office and be available upon request.

All collection items are due no later than Aug. 31.

Email questions related to Education Opportunities/General Education Coursework (School Profile Report) to the KDE Standards mailbox.

KDE Sets Event Moratorium for 2020-2021 School Year

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) each year sets a series of dates during which we ask our own staff and other organizations to avoid being in schools and scheduling events for teachers and administrators. The dates are selected because they are extremely busy times for schools and districts. Please make every attempt to avoid being in schools and scheduling conferences and meetings as designated below:

Note: KDE is monitoring discussions with the U.S. Department of Education on waivers from assessment and accountability. If offered, KDE plans to apply for waivers. If granted, the waivers could impact the moratorium dates. 

Beginning-of-School-Year Moratorium

August-September 2020 (all schools) 

Alternate K-PREP Assessment Attainment Tasks (AT)

  • Window 1: Feb. 15-March 26, 2021
  • Window 2: April 19-May 28, 2021

English Language Proficiency Testing (ACCESS for English Learners) – Late Winter/Early Spring 2021 (specific dates to be announced)

Fall 2020 ACT Test Administration – Note: this administration is for 2019-2020 junior students who missed their opportunity to take the ACT 2020 Spring Administration on March 10, 2020. (This will be a small number of students.) For districts and schools that were not able to test on March 10, the initial and makeup dates are:

  • ACT Standard Time Initial Test Date: Sept. 22, 2020
  • ACT Accommodations Testing Window: Sept. 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28, 29, 30; Oct. 1 and 2, 2020

Makeup Testing Window

  • ACT Standard Time Test Date: Oct. 6, 2020
  • ACT Accommodations Testing Window: Oct. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12, 2020. There will be no online testing option.

State Spring 2021 ACT Administration Dates (statewide, high school, grade 11)

  • Standard (paper): March 9, 2021
  • Accommodations (paper): March 9-12 and March 15-19, 2021
  • Online Standard and Accommodations: March 9-11 and March 16-18, 2021

State Spring 2021 ACT Makeup Testing Window

  • Standard (paper): March 23, 2021
  • Online: March 23-25, March. 30-31 and April 1, 2021
  • Online testing is available only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week.

2021 K-PREP Spring Testing Moratorium – (all schools, grades 3-8, 10 and 11)

Last 14 instructional days of the district calendar. (Districts have flexibility in choosing their K-PREP testing window, which must occur within five days of the last 14 instructional days of a district’s calendar. K-PREP testing will occur on various dates in different districts within an April to June time frame. Thus, before scheduling a meeting or training within a school district, make sure the event involving affected staff is not held during the local testing window.)

Advanced Placement (AP) Testing Moratorium

2021 AP Exams Testing Window: May 3-7 and May 10-14

International Baccalaureate (IB) Testing Moratorium

IB Testing Window: May 3-7, May 10-14 and May 17-21

End-of-School-Year Moratorium

Usually last month of the school year: May (could stretch into early June if school is extended due to inclement weather).

2020-2021 Comprehensive Improvement Planning Timeline for Districts and Schools

eProve will continue to serve as the platform for all comprehensive improvement planning work for the 2020-2021 academic year. When logging into eProve, administrators and users will notice that previous years’ diagnostics are still visible. To clarify those next steps for schools and districts and to ensure accurate reporting and compliance, KDE recommends taking the following steps:

  1. Prior to opening the new diagnostics for 2020-2021, please rename previous years’ diagnostics to include the year (i.e. 2019-2020 Title I Annual Review, 2019-2020 Closing the Achievement Gap, 2018-2019 Title I Annual Review, 2018-2019 Closing the Achievement Gap, etc.). In addition to renaming any documents to include the corresponding year, please lock the diagnostics to prevent additional changes. Modifying the name to include the year and locking the diagnostic will help to alleviate any confusion when attempting to distinguish this year’s diagnostics from any previous years. For additional tips on renaming and locking diagnostics, consult the eProve User Manual.
  2. After renaming and locking any previous year’s diagnostics, begin new diagnostics by following the steps outlined on pages 8 through 10 of the eProve User Manual. After beginning the new diagnostics, rename them to include the current school year to help distinguish these from the archived diagnostics (i.e. 2020-2021 Title I Annual Review, 2020-2021 Closing the Achievement Gap, etc.). Schools and districts must annually develop an improvement plan and therefore must begin new diagnostics.

The process and timeline for comprehensive school and district improvement planning outlined in 703 KAR 5:225 remain unchanged. Following the 2020 legislative session, a few new diagnostics have been added to the process. Additional information regarding each will be forthcoming from the KDE. Diagnostics in the eProve system have been identified by phases and include the following:

Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (CDIP)

Phase One (Aug. 1 – Oct. 1)

  • Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Districts

Phase Two (Oct. 1 – Nov. 1)

  • Needs Assessment for Districts
  • District Assurances
  • District Safety Report

Phase Three (Nov. 1 – Jan. 1)

  • Professional Development Plan for Districts — New
  • Comprehensive District Improvement Plan
  • Executive Summary for Districts
  • The Superintendent Gap Assurance

Phase Four (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31)

  • Continuation of Learning Plan for Districts (Due May 1) — New
  • Progress Monitoring

 

Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)

Phase One (Aug. 1 – Oct. 1)

  • Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Schools

Phase Two (Oct. 1 – Nov. 1)

  • Needs Assessment for Schools
  • School Assurances
  • School Safety Report

Phase Three (Nov. 1 – Jan. 1)

  • Professional Development Plan for Schools — New
  • Comprehensive School Improvement Plan
  • Executive Summary for Schools
  • Closing the Achievement Gap Diagnostic

Phase Four (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31)

  • Progress Monitoring

Due to current restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and out of an abundance of caution, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), in partnership with Cognia, has canceled its 2020-2021 Continuous Improvement Summit previously scheduled for Sept. 28-29 at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Planning already is underway for the 2021-2022 Continuous Improvement Summit to be held at the Lexington Convention Center on Sept. 22-23, 2021. Please mark your calendar and save the dates. We look forward to seeing and learning with you in person.

Prior to beginning planning work in eProve, please consult the “COVID-19 2020-21 Improvement Planning: Living Continuous Improvement” guidance document.

If you have questions related to eProve and improvement planning, please visit the Comprehensive Improvement Planning website or email Natasha Stein or Ruth Swanson.

Special Superintendents' Webcast Scheduled for Tuesday

There will be a Special Superintendents' Webcast 2-4 p.m. ET Aug. 3.

The topics will include include First Lady Britainy Beshear on “Coverings for Kids” mask campaign; an update from the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE) Division of Communications; an update on school sports from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Commissioner Julian Tackett; and another Q & A with KDE and DPH.

The webcast will be available on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Media Portal and will be archived shortly after the live webcast.

 

New Competitive Re-engagement Grant Funds Available

KDE’s Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, Division of Student Success, Student Engagement and Support Branch is pleased to make funding available to assist in student re-engagement efforts through a mini grant opportunity.

These funds are intended to provide specific, targeted supports and interventions for students who have a prior drop-out status, are at risk of dropping out or have been unreachable since the COVID-19 “Healthy at Home” orders. The primary aim of the grant is increasing the numbers of students becoming re-engaged in the educational process toward graduation.

These awards are being made as a part of KDE’s Persistence to Graduation dropout prevention and re-engagement initiatives under Title IV, Part A in the Revised Consolidated State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Funds are available to support activities in middle schools, high schools and alternative education programs.

Districts can submit one application. The project can propose work supporting students in multiple schools or alternative education programs, but should be focused enough to have the potential for significant impact on the number of schools or student groups targeted for intervention. These grants are competitive, and funding is up to $50,000 per district.

The full request for proposals is available on the KDE competitive grants webpage. For questions or more information, email Jennifer Bryant.

 

Senate Bill 158 Implications for Minimum High School Graduation Requirements

Kentucky's new minimum high school graduation requirements, set forth in 704 KAR 3:305, became effective on April 5, 2019. However, Senate Bill 158 (2020) requires changes be made to state and local graduation requirements for students who entered high school in the 2019-2020 school year and thereafter. 

See the “Senate Bill 158 Implications for Minimum High School Graduation Requirements” document for specific changes.

 

Transportation Annual Updates

The final pupil transportation annual updates have been scheduled and will be conducted using Microsoft Teams.

The school bus driver trainer six-hour update consists of three segments scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon ET on Aug. 10, 12 and 14. All three days must be attended to receive credit for the class.

The school bus inspector four hour update is scheduled for August 20, 2020, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET.

Transportation directors are encouraged to attend both the six-hour and four-hour updates. EILA credits will be available for both classes. To receive the six credits for the driver trainer class, all three days must be attended; partial credit will not be available.

For more information, email Elisa Hanley.

 

COVID-19 2020-21 Improvement Planning: Living Continuous Improvement

The COVID-19 pandemic has created many uncertainties for schools and districts. Approval of a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) allowed Kentucky to bypass standardized testing and the federal assessment, accountability and specific reporting requirements for the 2019-2020 school year. The cancellation of K-PREP assessments, along with legislative changes made during the 2020 session, will affect our accountability system moving forward.

The need for thoughtful planning has never been more important. Kentucky’s continuous improvement model remains an effective process to ensure systems are in place for the delivery of high-quality learning opportunities for all students. Stakeholder input gathered during this crisis, as well as the guiding questions available in the reopening guidance provided by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), can support the development of your Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (CDIP) and Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to guide district and school improvement planning, District 180, in the Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, created the “COVID-19 2020-21 Improvement Planning: Living Continuous Improvement” guidance document and supplemental webinar Forecasting Data to Inform Continuous Improvement Goals (transcript).

If you have questions related to eProve and improvement planning, visit the Comprehensive Improvement Planning website or contact Natasha Stein or Ruth Swanson.

 

Professional Learning Bulletin Board

TRAINING

2020 Impact Kentucky Training: Understanding & Reflecting on “Educating All Students”

As the first in a series of trainings supporting reflection and action planning in response to the 2020 Impact Kentucky Working Conditions Survey, Panorama Education will lead participants through a deep dive into the results of the “Educating All Students” topic of that survey.

In the process of thinking through personal, schoolwide and districtwide reflections on this topic, participants will consider the details of questions around race, cultural competency, differentiated learning needs and home language, as well as additional considerations on offering equitable education to students. Participants who opt into this training should expect to walk away with both a plan to support their school or district, as well as individual reflections on how they can grow in their role as an educator seeking to effectively support all students.

You can sign up for one of two sessions: 11 a.m. ET Aug. 11 or 2 p.m. ET Aug. 12. Participants will receive 1.5 hours of EILA credit. To register, use this Zoom link.

 

Campus Learning – Free Training Sessions

Infinite Campus is offering several targeted Campus Learning training opportunities for teachers, teacher coaches and curriculum designers through Aug. 14. Trainings will show teachers how to use Campus Learning to:

  • Create and use interactive form-based student discussion boards;
  • Give quick assessments;
  • Promote effective communication between students and teachers; and
  • Monitor student progress and much more.

Registration is not required; however, you will need to provide your contact information using this SurveyMonkey link to request EILA credit for participation.

Details have been shared with the KSIS administrators and CIOs in your district. Use of Campus Learning is free to districts for the next two years to help with social distancing, virtual and blended learning, creating efficiencies, and improving communication with students and families. Campus Learning resources and recorded training sessions are available in Campus Learning/Passport with the Campus Learning Implementation Materials. 

For more information, email Lisa Rhoton (Infinite Campus) or Lisa Keeter (KDE).

 

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.