Recording of March 2023 Leadership Meeting Available 

In order to provide equitable learning environments for all students, it is important for schools and districts to translate the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) into a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Additionally, it is critical that students receive strong, standards-aligned instruction supported by evidenced-based instructional practices. 

The regional educational cooperatives, in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), hosted live virtual meetings in March for district and school leaders to examine tools and resources available to create equitable learning environments at the local level. The session focused on the importance of developing a strong local curriculum supported by a primary high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) to help strengthen Tier 1 instruction. Key topics included: 

• Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports self-assessment tool;
• Importance of a common instructional vision;
• The role of HQIRs;
• Stakeholder communication and inclusion; and
• Science and social studies standards update.

A new tool, the Communication Plan Template, was shared to support districts in the area of stakeholder communication and inclusion regarding local curriculum work in alignment with KRS 160.345.  

A recording of the March Leadership 2023 meeting is now available. The accompanying materials can be found in the March 2023 Participant Folder. Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit is available for this session. 

Apply by April 28 for Developing a High-Quality Local Science Curriculum Pilot  

According to research, schools that demonstrate increased curricular coherence also show marked improvements in student outcomes (Newmann, Smith, Allensworth and Bryk, 2001). The first step in creating curricular coherence is to translate the standards into a local curriculum anchored in high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs). 

While the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) establish what students must know and be able to do, the district is responsible for developing a curriculum that addresses how learning experiences are to be designed and selecting the HQIRs that will assist student learning.  

The Kentucky Department of Education is seeking up to nine districts and 27 schools, representative of 8 regional cooperatives, to implement the Curriculum Development Process as they develop their local science curriculum. This would account for the participation of 2-3 schools per district. This two-year pilot will begin in the fall of 2023 and end in the summer of 2025.   

The pilot will focus on supporting local implementation of the four phases of the Curriculum Development Process outlined in the Kentucky Model Curriculum Framework. 

The application process will run through April 28 and consists of answering a few questions and uploading artifacts. Districts and schools will be notified of acceptance on or around May 15. 

More information, including application instructions, is available in the Developing a High-Quality Local Curriculum Pilot Application document.  

For more information, email KDE professional learning coordinators Misty Higgins or Fox DeMoisey.