Free Access to Kentucky Educational Television's (KET) Online SBDM 101
In partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education, KET is offering the online self-paced and facilitated SBDM 101 course free to the first 526 participants.
Free registrations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Please reach out to your district’s coordinator for the code to access your free seat.
Starting Points
Most of Kentucky’s schools align their council terms with the beginning of each academic year. With the 2024-2025 academic year right around the corner, school-based decision making council members should have been elected for each school and its first meeting scheduled. At those initial meetings, there are some important documents to review to ensure the council runs efficiently.
Every school council member should have copies of these basic documents governing the school’s work. These can be placed in a binder, with room to add others as needed, or on a thumb drive or cloud drive. The following items are a place to start:
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School council policies: Policies are the written guidelines and procedures for the school to follow. These policies are developed and adopted by the school council. A checklist of the required policy areas and the date in which they were last reviewed and/or revised should be included with the policies. Policies need to be reviewed annually. You can find sample policies, including an updated Portable Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Use Policy, within the SBDM Handbook.
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School council bylaws: Bylaws are the operating procedures of the school council. These bylaws will help to conduct meetings effectively and efficiently. Include the last date of review and/or revision with the bylaws, which need to be reviewed annually.
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Comprehensive School Improvement Plan: Comprehensive School Improvement Plans define the school’s goals for the future. The plan includes a needs assessment that points out the priority needs of the school. It lays out the strategies and activities that are implemented to address these priority needs, including the staff’s professional learning requirements.
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Monthly Agenda Item Topics: To assist in planning the monthly meeting agendas, there is a Monthly Agenda Item Topics suggestion guidance document. The topics and reminders are suggestions for consideration when planning agendas for monthly SBDM meetings. Please be mindful that some topics are associated with specific due dates and should be planned for accordingly.
We also recommend that councils use their first meeting to:
- Determine regular meeting dates, times and locations and share the meeting schedule with the public.
- Collect dates of completed/anticipated council member trainings.
- Approve final master schedule.
- Allow new council members the opportunity to review the previous year’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.
- Begin revisions of the SBDM curriculum and consultation policies
- Review/revise the school’s Safety and Emergency Plan
As always, please remind council members that the goal of their work is to increase student achievement and that this should be at the forefront of every discussion, policy and decision.
KDE SBDM Training Opportunities
KDE offers SBDM training modules at no cost to Kentucky's schools and districts.
On the SBDM Training webpage, you’ll find free materials for SBDM 101, Equitable Decision-Making, Rise to Proficiency, Roles and Responsibilities, and Decisions with Data. You also can find the online, self-paced Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement and Roles and Responsibilities.
For more detailed information on each KDE module, as well as other KDE-approved SBDM training modules that are offered by individuals and organizations outside of KDE, please review the SBDM Training Modules Flyer. SBDM trainings are to be conducted by KDE-endorsed district coordinators and trainers.
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. Participants can explore a variety of topics and engage in conversations that will enrich their 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, attendees will enhance their 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 their unique challenges in the journey of continuous improvement.
To receive early bird pricing, please register before Sept. 2.
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