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Dear Colleagues,
Since the General Assembly’s session has ended, we at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) have turned our focus and efforts toward reviewing and assessing the legislation that has been passed.
From this, KDE staff members have created a guidance document that clarifies the legislation and how it will impact your schools and district.
Thank you all for your support and your diligent work over the session to help improve what is happening in our classrooms and schools.
In recognition of Public Service Recognition Week, please allow me to thank you for all that you do to support your school districts, students and each other. I am proud to work alongside each of your districts and the varied issues that we tackle together each day.
This week is also Teacher Appreciation Week. One of the most exciting things I’ve gotten to do as interim commissioner of education has been speaking with educators who are out in our schools, doing the work of preparing the youngest members of their community for the future.
This week is dedicated to honoring our educators and the significant role they play in the lives of our children. I encourage you to take this opportunity to lift teachers up and commend them for the hard work and sacrifices they make to ensure the next generation is well-educated.
As we progress toward the end of the year, consider those teachers in your district who have had a positive impact in your life and let them know how much they mean to you.
Together, we need to make sure they have all the resources needed in the classroom so they can continue to have a positive impact for their students and reinforce what being a teacher is all about.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Robin Fields Kinney
Interim Commissioner of Education
Registration for the Kentucky Reading Academies: Cohort 3 of LETRS Professional Learning Now Open
Registration for the third Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) cohort of the Kentucky Reading Academies will be open through August 30, 2024.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has an exciting partnership that brings the LETRS professional learning to educators across the Commonwealth, called the Kentucky Reading Academies. This course of study was chosen because of its demonstrated success on a national scale in bringing significant increases in literacy achievement.
The Kentucky Reading Academies is a comprehensive no-cost professional learning opportunity open to all K-5 public school educators.
Two different courses are being offered through the Kentucky Reading Academies: LETRS for Educators and LETRS for Administrators. Interested educators can join the Kentucky Reading Academies by registering for the course that pertains to their role:
More than 4,000 Kentucky educators and administrators are completing the LETRS professional learning. Participants in both cohorts have stated that LETRS is a comprehensive professional learning that is enlightening, eye-opening and life-changing.
Jim Masters, superintendent of Henry County Schools, shared his experience with the LETRS for Educators course and the impact it has had on his leadership.
"As a superintendent, my participation in the LETRS for Educators training has equipped me with essential background knowledge, empowering me to make more informed, evidence-based decisions regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessment,” said Masters. “This training has broadened my perspective, enabling me to consider the viewpoints of both students and teachers."
Please note: Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 participants will not need to register for Cohort 3 as they are already enrolled in the professional learning.
Find out more about the Kentucky Reading Academies on the Kentucky Reading Academies webpage.
For questions about the Kentucky Reading Academies, please email KDE Director of Early Literacy Christie Biggerstaff.
Interdisciplinary Literacy Practices Video Series Now Available
How can educators of all grades and content areas engage students in meaningful, relevant reading and writing?
The Interdisciplinary Literacy Practices are embedded within the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Reading and Writing to give teachers of all grades and content areas tools to promote a literacy-rich environment that empowers independent, lifelong learners who think deeply and critically about text. The practices should not be confused as additional standards, but they should guide teachers in providing intentional opportunities for students to practice the behaviors of a literate citizen.
As districts adopt high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs), Kentucky’s Interdisciplinary Literacy Practices may serve as powerful levers to increase student engagement with complex texts across all disciplines, promote text-based writing and create space for meaningful student collaboration, all within the context of an HQIR.
Videos available in this series all feature Kentucky teachers using HQIRs and grade-level, complex texts:
The Interdisciplinary Literacy Practices in Action video series landing page provides a module and participant guide that’s adaptable for synchronous and asynchronous learning. Participants may receive up to three hours of professional development or Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit for completion of the module.
Please contact ELATeam@education.ky.gov for more information.
FY 2025 Mathematics Achievement Fund Math Coaching Cohort 2 RFA
The KDE Office of Teaching and Learning is issuing a Request for Application (RFA) for Kentucky public school districts to apply on behalf of individual schools for the FY 2025 Mathematics Achievement Fund (MAF) Math Coaching Cohort 2. The Kentucky School for the Blind and the Kentucky School for the Deaf also are eligible to apply.
As specified in KRS 158.844, the MAF was created to provide developmentally appropriate diagnostic assessment and intervention services to students, primary through grade 12, to help them reach proficiency in mathematics.
The MAF grant provides funding for professional learning and release time for teachers to serve as coaches. The mathematics coach will improve mathematics teaching practices aligned to the KAS by working with teachers in their classrooms:
- Observing and providing feedback to them;
- Modeling appropriate evidence based instructional practices;
- Conducting workshops or institutes;
- Establishing professional learning communities; and
- Ensuring high quality instructional resources are aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Mathematics in order to meet the needs of primary students and other students who are struggling to meet grade level standards in mathematics.
The school level mathematics coach shall engage in ongoing professional learning for the two-year renewable grant focused in four areas:
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KAS for Mathematics implementation;
- Mathematics coaching;
- Cognitive coaching; and
- Enrollment and completion of the elementary mathematics endorsement.
MAF Math Coaching Cohort 2 RFA important dates:
- May 6, from 10-11:30 a.m. ET, Technical Assistance Webinar via Microsoft Teams. Attending or watching this recorded TA session is recommended.
- The questions deadline is May 8, at 4 p.m. ET. All questions must be sent to KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
- The application submission deadline is June 4, at 4 p.m. ET. All applications must be sent to KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
- Please review the links within the RFA for further guidance when writing the submission. If you have any questions, please contact KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
- Please pay close attention to the blinding or redacted language within the RFA. Improperly blinded grants WILL be deemed non-responsive and NOT eligible for award.
Request for Information on District Plans to Administer the 2024 KIP Youth Survey
The Kentucky Department of Education has a long-standing partnership with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) in support of the safety and behavioral health needs of students. One such initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is administration of the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Youth Survey.
The KIP Youth Survey fact sheet and attached letter from DBHDID Commissioner Katherine Marks gives more detail about the KIP Survey, which in its last administration in 2021 involved over 93,000 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th-graders and 127 school districts.
The KIP Survey will be administered again this fall. Although the Commissioner’s letter requests a response by May 1, districts have until Aug. 30 to request to participate in the survey. We encourage you to opt in earlier, so that information about the survey and active consent forms can be included with back-to-school packets.
For more information about the uses of the KIP Youth Survey and how the results can benefit your district, email Paula Brown, branch manager for prevention and promotion at DBHDID, or Lisa Crabtree, KIP survey project director at REACH Evaluation.
Kentucky School Report Card Finance Domain Open for Review and Data Entry
Districts are required to validate/approve district-level financial data entered by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and calculate/enter school-level spending per student data in the Kentucky School Report Card Finance Domain. The site opened April 1.
Again, this year, districts have the option to enter a financial narrative to be displayed on the school report card. KDE strongly encourages districts to create a narrative.
The 750-character narrative will be displayed on the district’s financial transparency page under the header: A message from the superintendent. This narrative will give parents, community members and researchers a better understanding of the district’s financial picture, which cannot be gathered by looking at the data alone.
Finance officers were provided guidance on calculating spending per student data last week and the guidance can also be found on the KDE’s School Report Card Resources webpage. Additional guidance on entering the data and narrative has been provided to finance officers. Data entry must be completed by May 17.
Please reach out to your finance division to ensure this is completed. With KDE changing SRC vendors, there will be no extensions this year for entering data. All data entry MUST be completed by May 17.
Contact Jessi Carlton at (502) 564-3930, ext. 2468, with questions.
FY 2023-2024 Independent Auditor Contract Is Available and Audit Acceptance Statement Window is Open
The FY 2023-2024 Independent Auditor Contract is available and the Audit Acceptance Statement window was opened on April 15.
A minor typo was identified and corrected on the second page of the contract. The contract was updated on the Kentucky Department of Education's Financial Audit Contract Information webpage on April 16. Please make sure you’re using a copy downloaded after April 16.
Also, the completed contract and peer review documents are due and the Audit Acceptance Statement window closes May 31. Please submit all items by this date.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach email Marshall Smith or call (502) 564-3846, ext. 4463.
Students Can Still Get Money to Help Pay for College and Postsecondary Training
As the school year wraps up, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) wants students to know there is money available to help with all types of education beyond high school. Both the federal and state governments have need-based funds for students attending two-year, four-year and technical and trade schools. There are also financial aid resources for families who may not be eligible for need-based funds.
The only way for students to know how much money is available is to complete a 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA collects information from students and their families to determine how much money they may qualify for to help pay for college.
It is important for families to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA as soon as possible to ensure they have access to the maximum amount of federal and state aid, as some programs are first-come, first-served. There may also be additional steps they need to complete before it’s time to attend college in the fall.
There are many resources to help students and families understand the FAFSA process and even get hands-on assistance:
Coming Soon
Get in-person help every Wednesday in June from 2-4 p.m. local time at sites across Kentucky. Check KHEAA social media for locations and updates.
If you’ve filed your FAFSA and need to know what’s next, join us and our partners at GEAR UP Kentucky for the June webinar. Check back on KHEAA and GEAR UP’s social media for links to register.
The Facebook event, GEAR UP + KHEAA FAFSA First Aid Virtual Parent Night Webinar, is on June 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Coalition for English Learners Presents the 2024 Summer Institute
Registration is now open for the Kentucky Coalition for English Learners 2024 Summer Institute. The Summer Institute will be held virtually on June 4-5.
Empower, engage and elevate with strategies, resources and insights designed to support and inspire educators working with multilingual learners at all proficiency levels.
Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just beginning your journey, consider attending the institute to help shape brighter futures for English learners across the Commonwealth.
The institute will feature two well-known national presenters: Andrea Honigsfeld will be leading two sessions, one focusing on co-teaching for English learners and the other focusing on dual-identification - multilingual learners with disabilities. Marie Heath will be leading three sessions, each focusing on various aspects of support and instruction for newcomers.
The remainder of the Summer Institute agenda features speakers from Kentucky Department of Education, Kentucky educators and specialists.
The registration link, agenda and additional details can be found on the coalition’s professional learning webpage.
Registration Open for Certified Evaluation Training
Registration is now open for the 2024-2025 Initial Certified Evaluation Training.
As required by KRS 156.557 and 704 KAR 3:370, administrators newly assigned the role of evaluator of certified personnel must complete this two-day learning experience and pass the corresponding assessment.
Registration information and additional details are available on the Principal Partnership Project (P3) webpage.
Direct questions to Stacy Noah.
Schools Encouraged to Submit Best Practices
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Best Practices and Sustainability website is open for submission of best practices from schools and districts.
The Best Practices website is designed to serve as a clearinghouse to promote practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in student learning, achievement and school/district processes. Any aspect of a school system that can impact student outcomes through improved instruction or operations can be submitted as a best practice.
Best practices should be submitted to the Best Practices database by May 10 to be considered for acknowledgement at the Continuous Improvement Summit, scheduled for Sept. 23-24. For more information, email Natasha Stein.
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