“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
– Leo Tolstoy
Needs Assessments and Data
Needs assessments can be conducted for a variety of reasons by the state education agency (SEA), state agency, local education agency (LEA) or facility. They can focus on a single area of interest (e.g., transition) or take a broader perspective to identify gaps throughout a system.
If selected for monitoring, the Kentucky Department of Education will require evidence to be submitted to show a needs assessment is being conducted annually by the district and facility coordinator to ensure current needs are met. Student data should help inform the needs identification process for the program. Student data should be reviewed a minimum of three times a year (beginning, middle and end) to ensure the educational program needs are being evaluated and to determine any necessary changes.
The completed needs assessment document should be kept on file at the facility and sent to the state agency or LEA, depending on the subpart, to be kept on file there as well. A needs assessment document template is provided under Related Documents in GMAP. The needs assessments will be submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education with the application through GMAP. There is a needs assessment template on the Title I, Part D webpage if you need a tool to use.
For more information, contact your state coordinators.
(This guidance is issued by the Title I, Part D: Neglected, Delinquent and At-Risk Youth; Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At-Risk (N or D). Although issued under No Child Left Behind, the U.S. Department of Education still considers this a valid resource.)
Local education agencies (LEAs) with a program for youth who are neglected, delinquent or at-risk (under Subparts 1 and 2) must evaluate the program, disaggregating data on participation by gender, race, ethnicity and age. The purpose of the evaluation is to measure the program’s effect on the ability of participants to do the following:
- Improve and continue educational achievement;
- Earn credits that meet state requirements;
- Transition into a regular program (or other education program) operated by an LEA;
- Complete secondary school (or secondary school equivalency requirements);
- Become employed after leaving the correctional facility or institution for neglected or delinquent youth and pursue postsecondary education and job training.
- Use multiple measures of student progress. LEAs must do the following: Complete the annual performance report (which submits evaluation results to the state agency and the U.S. Department of Education);
- Use evaluation results to plan and improve programs for participating youth.
Title I, Part D programs should be focused on ensuring that youth have the opportunity to meet the same challenging state academic standards as all children. Evaluations should be tied to the same standards and assessments that the school district has in place for all students. During monitoring, KDE will require evidence to be submitted to show that an annual program evaluation is being conducted.
Engagement with Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning (PBL) opportunities can provide engaging methods for students in delinquent facilities to benefit from social-emotional learning and foster communication skills while mastering academic standards.
PBLWorks defines project-based learning as, a “teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem or challenge.”
The Scaling Gold Standard PBL Kentucky initiative aims to bring high-quality project-based learning to the state by providing training and support to the Commonwealth's educators, principals and district leaders through a blend of face-to-face workshops, personal online coaching, school site visits and deep collaboration via a peer network of Kentucky PBL leaders.
There will be PBL 101 Summer Regional Conferences for educators. These events will include keynote speakers and teacher presentations. They also will feature an intensive three-day PBL 101 Workshop, PBLWorks’ foundational course in project-based learning.
PBL Summer Regional Conferences will take place in all of Kentucky’s regions and online through partnerships with school districts and educational cooperatives.The training is free for Kentucky K-12 public school educators. Register online if you are interested in attending one of the PBL Summer Regional Conferences.
The 2023 Summer Regional Conference dates are:
- June 6-8, Bullitt County
- June 13-15, Allen County
- June 20-22, Paducah Public Schools
- June 27-29, online
- July 11-13, Boone County
- July 18-20, Rowan County
- July 25-27, Scott County
- Aug. 1-3, Floyd County
Educators may sign up for any session, even if it is outside of their local school district.
|