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Dear Colleagues:
By now I am sure you have heard about the U.S. District Court’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order regarding the governor’s executive order requiring face coverings in schools. In addition, the Kentucky Supreme Court entered an order this weekend to lift an injunction on two laws that will limit the governor’s power regarding emergency orders and regulations, and the governor has withdrawn his executive order.
We have received many questions over the weekend regarding how all of these events impact the Kentucky Board of Education’s (KBE) emergency order on Aug. 12 that requires face coverings for all students, teachers, staff and visitors in public schools.
The state board acted under authority set forth in KRS 156.160 to promulgate administrative regulations necessary or advisable for the protection of the health and welfare of public school students. Neither the U.S. District Court nor the Kentucky Supreme Court’s orders are applicable to the KBE regulation, 702 KAR 1:195E. Furthermore, the KBE regulation was separate and distinct from the governor’s executive order. Therefore, the KBE regulation requiring face coverings in schools is in effect and should be implemented in all public schools.
I know all of you are facing some tremendous challenges already. We’ve had significant numbers of teachers and students quarantined already because of exposure to COVID-19 and this is something everyone will be dealing with throughout the school year. I admire the grit and determination all of you have shown in the face of these challenging times to do what is in the best interests of your students.
I want you to know that we at the department are exploring all legally viable options to provide you with as much flexibility as possible. We do not have anything to announce at this time, but I will keep you informed as situations change.
My best recommendation for you right now is for your schools and communities to deploy all the virus mitigation strategies at your disposal to try and bring community transmissions under control. Wearing face masks is just one part of those strategies, which also include social distancing, good hygiene, encouraging vaccinations for everyone who is eligible for them and improving the air flow in school buildings. You already have proved that these strategies are very effective in minimizing disruptions to your students when you used them last school year.
I want to remind you that you can be a big influence on the health of your community. At the heart of each town or city are its schools. By encouraging your parents and the rest of your community members to get the COVID-19 vaccination, you improve the chances that your students will spend more days in the classroom and fewer days in quarantine.
We must remain vigilant to keep in-person learning going as much as possible this school year. Yes, there will be disruptions, but every day we can keep students in their classrooms is a win.
By working together and staying focused on what’s important – keeping our students healthy and learning – we can keep moving ahead. Now more than ever, thank you for everything you do for Kentucky’s kids.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner & Chief Learner
DPH Releases Documents to Assist Schools After COVID-19 Exposure
The Kentucky Department for Public Health has released two documents to assist with COVID-19 prevention and control in school settings. The documents are:
Guidance on Closing a School or District Due to COVID-19
For the 2021-2022 school, the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) have prioritized a return to the in-person instructional model. To this end, the KBE and KDE have recommended school districts adopt layered virus mitigation strategies and adhere to guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH). The KBE also has adopted an emergency regulation requiring the use of facemasks by students and staff in school buildings.
However, KDE realizes that virus mitigation efforts are not foolproof, and it may be necessary for a district to close a school, or even the entire district, due to spread of the virus and its impact on the ability of a school or district to operate. Protecting the health and safety of students is paramount for KBE and KDE.
Guidance has been created to assist districts that can no longer feasibly continue to operate a school, part of a district or the entire district. In these cases, a district may wish to consider closure for a period of time. This guidance was emailed to directors of pupil personnel on Aug. 20. For more information, email Ronda Devine or call her at (502) 564-5279, ext. 4444.
Does Your District Have a DEI Officer?
School districts in Kentucky want to ensure that public education is equitable and inclusive to all students. The role of a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer is to lead school districts as they move forward in that endeavor.
Deputy Commissioner Thomas Woods-Tucker, who also serves as the Kentucky Department of Education’s chief equity officer, is conducting a two-question survey to gather data concerning the employment of a DEI officer in districts.
School Report Card: Timeline Extended One Week
The School Report Card timeline for approval and collection is being extended to Sept. 10 to allow more time for data review, approval and data entry.
The Kentucky School Report Card (SRC) Data Approval Tool Overview and Education Opportunity domains opened on Aug. 3, with data for district review and approval by Sept. 3. The SRC collection period, which opened July 15 and was scheduled to close on Aug. 31, also is being extended through Sept. 10.
Academic Performance, Education Opportunity/ Career Pathways and Transition to Adult Life data will be available in mid-September for review before a public release in late September. The School Safety review period is complete; that data will be shared with the Kentucky Center for School Safety and the Office of Education Accountability on Aug. 31.
National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application for Category 3
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) – formerly the National Title I Association – selects examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program.
States can identify up to two Distinguished ESEA Schools every year in three possible categories. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) reviews student performance data to identify Distinguished ESEA Schools in Category 1 and Category 2. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, KDE will begin accepting applications for schools from Category 3, Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homeless, migrant, English learners).
Schools interested in applying for consideration as a Distinguished School in Category 3 must submit a completed application signed by the school principal and district superintendent by the deadline of Sept. 17, 2021. If selected as a finalist, KDE staff will conduct a site visit to interview the principal and selected staff. See the attachment for further information and the application for Category 3.
Two National ESEA Distinguished Schools (one from Category 1, 2 and/or 3) will be notified by email of their selection in November. For more information, email Tara Rodriguez or call her at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042.
2021-2022 Comprehensive Improvement Planning for Districts and Schools
Improvement planning for the 2021-2022 academic year will be critical for student and staff success. While many things have changed over the past 18 months, proven systems and processes will continue to support quality teaching and learning. A collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders is essential to identifying priority needs and the resources and actions to best address them.
The process and timeline for comprehensive school and district improvement planning outlined in 703 KAR 5:225 remain unchanged, but there have been a few changes to the required diagnostics. This year will include a new English Learner Plan for Districts (Lau Plan) in Phase Four. The Closing the Achievement Gap diagnostic is no longer required as a separate document, but the school’s yearly targets for eliminating any achievement gap are embedded in the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan Template. The 2021-2022 Improvement Planning guidance provides additional information on goal-setting options for schools and districts.
While comprehensive improvement planning is a continuous process and plans may be reviewed and revised at any time, the 2021-2022 timeline identifies the diagnostics included in each phase of the planning process and their statutory due dates.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will continue to utilize the Cognia platform for all comprehensive improvement planning diagnostics, but you will begin to see a transition in name from eProve to the Cognia Comprehensive Improvement Platform. For more information, see the Continuous Improvement Platform user manual.
We hope you will join us for the Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 22-23 to learn more about improvement planning and continuous improvement.
For more information about the Cognia Comprehensive Improvement Platform (formerly eProve) or improvement planning, visit the Comprehensive Improvement Planning website or email Ruth Swanson.
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