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Dear Colleagues,
What a week!
From rigorous in-person interviews on Monday to an exciting public announcement on Thursday, we certainly finished the search for Kentucky’s next commissioner of education on a strong note. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is excited to welcome Dr. Robbie Fletcher this summer and I am thrilled with the Kentucky Board of Education’s (KBE’s) choice for our new leader!
Dr. Fletcher has been the superintendent of Lawrence County since 2014 and has held various positions throughout the years. In addition, he has also worked with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) in several different ways: Lawrence County participates in the Kentucky Innovative Learning Network (KY ILN) and the Local Laboratories of Learning (L3s), and Dr. Fletcher currently serves as chair of the Local Superintendents Advisory Council (LSAC) and as a member of the Superintendents Advisory Council.
Dr. Fletcher also has experience working with state lawmakers as a member of the School Funding Task Force in 2021 and with the U.S. Department of Education as chairman of the Appalachia Regional Advisory Committee.
We are excited to welcome Dr. Fletcher, who will begin his role on July 1, pending confirmation by the Kentucky Senate.
Continued updates and more information can be found on the KDE 2023-2024 Commissioner Search webpage.
As always, the department appreciates all that you did every single day, for your students, staff, families and communities. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Robin Fields Kinney
Interim Commissioner of Education
Applications Accepted Through April 4 for Summer Boost
The Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program, in partnership with The Children’s Reading Foundation and the Summer Food Service Program, is an opportunity for summer food service programs to receive – at no cost to them – reading and mathematics resources to share with families through the summer months.
The resources will promote family engagement in reading and math by providing families with children’s books, tips for reading with children at home, parent/caregiver education, motivational items and a collection of online math games suitable for different ages.
Summer Food Service Program directors interested in participating in Summer Boost should complete an application no later than March 29. For more information, email Danielle Ward or view The Summer Boost program flyer.
Public Comments Open for IDEA Part B Funds
Each year, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) must submit an application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
As part of this application process, KDE is required to make the application available for public comment for 30 days prior to its effective date of July 1. The draft application is located on KDE’s IDEA Application for School Year webpage.
Questions or comments may be submitted to Karla Miller in KDE’s Office of Special Education and Early Learning by 4 p.m. ET on April 22.
Western Kentucky University To Host Grow-Your-Own Educator Apprenticeship Summit
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is hosting the 2nd annual WKU Teacher Apprenticeship Summit on April 17.
The summit will provide school districts with an understanding of teacher and principal apprenticeship programs and the step-by-step process to establish a viable program in their own district. The summit is an opportunity to bring people together to learn about the full spectrum of grow your own educator programs in Kentucky.
The summit is open to all school districts and educator preparation programs, and registration is free. Visit the 2024 WKU Teacher Apprenticeship Summit website for more information, including how to register.
Kentucky Writing Project Hosts Summer Writing Institutes
The Kentucky Writing Project will be leading Summer Writing Institutes in Ashland on June 10-14 and in Lexington on June 17-21.
The Kentucky Writing Project Summer Writing Institutes are open to all teachers and administrators in K-12 schools. Participants will be immersed in strategies for teaching writing including on-demand writing, reading like a writer, content-area writing, real-world writing and student revision and reflection.
You can register by following the Ashland registration link or the Lexington registration link. More information can be found on the Kentucky Education Development Corporation (KEDC) website.
Nominations Open for Kentucky Exemplary Educators Program
The Kentucky Department of Education is seeking recommendations of exemplary educators and leaders in the Commonwealth’s public schools to join the 2024 Kentucky Exemplary Educators Program (KEEP). Qualified individuals recommended for KEEP will receive a certificate of excellence from KDE and may be considered for other recognitions and opportunities, including invitations to sit on advisory councils and committees.
District superintendents, district curriculum and professional development supervisors, principals, representatives from teacher training institutions and other education leaders are invited to recommend up to three individuals. Recommended individuals must be certified teachers, teacher specialists, assistant principals and/or principals currently serving in Kentucky’s public schools.
To receive the recognition, recommended individuals should be early- to mid-career professionals with at least five years of experience and whose contributions to education are largely unheralded, yet worthy of the spotlight. Individuals also should demonstrate all of the following:
- Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective and innovative instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school;
- Exemplary educational accomplishments and leadership beyond the classroom that provide models of excellence for the profession;
- Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community; and
- Strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership.
Recommendations for exemplary educators should be submitted via the online KEEP recommendation form by April 15. Refer to the KEEP Information Sheet for required information and additional details about the recommendation process.
For more information, email awards@education.ky.gov or call (502) 564-2000, ext. 4616.
Deadline Approaching For Work-Based Learning Applications For Accountability
To be included in 2023-2024 accountability reporting, the deadline for a school or district to apply to the Kentucky Board of Education to earn accountability for a student’s school-sanctioned individual work experience that was not associated with a course code is May 1.
To be considered for approval, the school must demonstrate direct involvement in the preparation and technical skill attainment the student received prior to and throughout the student’s work experience. Verification of hours worked, an employer evaluation and signatures from the employer, principal, student and parent or guardian are required with the application submission.
Fill out the non-course cooperative or internship approval request form and submit it to SharePoint. For cooperative education and internship placements that are associated with a valid course code, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Co-ops and Internships for State Accountability Document and adhere to traditional accountability data reporting requirements.
LRC Requesting Student Information
The Legislative Research Commission (LRC) is requesting student information from all districts for the purpose of completing the annual graduation citations for 8th- and 12th-grade students from Kentucky legislators in your communities. The graduation citations are typically handed out by schools during graduation ceremonies and recognize the academic achievement of your students.
LRC is requesting the following student information: name, grade, district, district number, school, school number and academic year for all 8th- and 12th-grade students. KDE previously provided this information to LRC. However, upon further review of the applicable federal law, KDE determined that this information should instead be shared directly by districts to the LRC using the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Kentucky Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (KYFERPA) directory information exception. See 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, 34 C.F.R. 99.31(a)(11), and KRS 160.720(2).
To meet this LRC request, KDE has developed a standard ad hoc reporting tool that is available in the Infinite Campus (IC) system for each district’s KSIS point of contact to use to gather the data for the graduation citations. Each district’s Kentucky Student Information System point of contact must verify that the exported data aligns to their local definition of FERPA directory information and remove the students that are opted out of the district disclosing directory information before sharing the CSV file with LRC.
The CSV file should be sent to grad.data@lrc.ky.gov. Districts should have submitted the CSV file by March 15 to ensure that they have sufficient time to complete the graduation citations prior to 2024 graduation ceremonies. LRC will send the completed paper graduation citations to each district for distribution to students.
Please continue to work with your schools and families to ensure the information has been submitted to recognize the hard work of your students and schools. KDE appreciates the commitment of Kentucky legislators to recognize the academic achievement of the Commonwealth’s students and is hopeful all districts will be able to share this information with the LRC so that your students can receive the recognition they deserve.
If you have any questions, you may contact KDE Associate Commissioner David Couch. who can address your technology-related questions or can point you to the right person at KDE or the LRC to answer your non-technology questions.
Registration Open for 2024 Continuous Improvement Summit
The Kentucky Department of Education and Cognia™ invite you to the annual Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 23-24 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. Please join us for an opportunity to explore a variety of topics and engage in conversations that will enrich your understanding of continuous improvement.
Keynote speaker Marck Abraham, the author of “What Success Looks Like,” is a transformational leader with a wealth of experience in education. He is committed to providing a world-class educational experience that ensures all students achieve their goals of post-secondary college and fulfilling careers. His mission has been to create environments that assist students in reaching their maximum potential in life.
During this two-day event, you will enhance your professional learning, make new connections and build upon existing relationships with peers across Kentucky, hear up-to-date information from KDE leaders, and learn how Cognia can help address your unique challenges in your journey of continuous improvement.
To receive early bird pricing, please register before Sept. 2.
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