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Dear Colleagues,
At the Kentucky Board of Education’s (KBE’s) meeting on June 5-6, several students came to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) for a student defense of learning showcase hosted by the Office of Continuous Improvement and Support.
Students from the Shelby County school district and William Wells Brown Elementary in Fayette County presented portfolios that reflected how they achieved their intended learning outcomes. Both districts have developed a series of aspirations for their students called the Portrait of a Graduate, which is similar to the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner.
Students presented to panels made up of KBE members and KDE staff, including myself. We were able to ask questions and provide feedback on the students’ presentations. It was such a joy to see how students plan to incorporate what they’ve learned as they prepare for the next stage of their lives while also seeing firsthand the hard work districts have been putting into their accountability systems.
It was also my last Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) last week as members discussed a new teacher induction and mentor program and the impact of recent legislation.
Senate Bill (SB) 265 removes references to the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) and directs that teacher certification shall be awarded upon successful completion of an educator preparation program or alternative certification pathway and passing of the required assessment.
Part of SB 265 tasks the EPSB with developing standards and guidance for local districts to implement new teacher induction and mentoring programs. All school districts shall provide an induction program for teachers in their first year of teaching. The programs should include several elements, including an orientation program, mentor assignment within the first two weeks, a support team and workshops.
KDE will work with EPSB to develop evaluations and rubrics for the induction and mentoring programs that align with state academic standards based on curriculum, content mastery, planning, assessment, teaching all students and family engagement. EPSB will have to provide a report to the legislature on the programs by Oct. 1 of each year.
EPSB also gave an update on House Bill (HB) 300, legislation that creates stricter timelines on the review and processing of complaints of educator misconduct. I encourage you to use the KDE Legislative Guidance webpage as a resource as we work through the impacts of these recent legislations.
I will say that attending last week's KBE meeting for the final time as the interim commissioner was a bittersweet feeling. I am genuinely excited about the future of the department under the leadership of our incoming commissioner, Dr. Robbie Fletcher.
Dr. Fletcher has a vision and dedication to guiding KDE toward new heights of success and innovation, making sure students in each of your schools are getting the education and opportunities they need to succeed in life.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Sincerely,
Robin Fields Kinney
Interim Commissioner of Education
Districts Sought for Work on New Teacher Mentor and Induction Program
Senate Bill 265, passed by lawmakers during the 2024 legislative session, creates a new teacher mentor and induction program.
The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) is tasked with developing standards and guidance for the program, and districts are directed to provide an induction program for teachers in their first year of teaching.
The Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness seeks districts willing to share successful models as resources to inform the work. Please reach out to Todd Davis and Sharon Salsman with any information you feel will be helpful.
Streamline Administration of Your District’s Title I Program
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has contracted with Public Consulting Group (PCG) to provide Title1Next, a Title I, Part A document management solution, at no cost to all Kentucky school districts. School districts may register for the solution until June 14.
To opt-in, please complete the Title1Next Opt-In June 2024 form. Once the registration period has ended, free training will be provided.
Benefits of Title1Next include:
- Increased operational efficiency: From streamlined data and documentation to built-in program management and communication tools, Title1Next encourages more efficient, collaborative and productive Title I operations within districts and schools.
- Improved compliance and accountability: The integrated monitoring and alert system within Title1Next helps ensure that Kentucky schools submit documentation for monitoring on time, without second-guessing contents of paper folders or crates in schools. This documentation is also stored in the cloud for multiple academic years, which is pivotal for districts selected for monitoring!
- Supports Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation: Whether soliciting feedback from community and parent engagement initiatives or analyzing and reporting the effectiveness of expenditures on student impact and achievement, Title1Next provides the tools Kentucky districts need to facilitate ESSA implementation.
The Title 1 Next informational video also provides an exciting summary of the Title1Next program.
For more information, feel free to contact Erin Sudduth, David Millianti or Jennifer Jones or visit KDE’s Title I, Part A website.
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