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Dear Colleagues,
Tomorrow marks my first Superintendents Webcast as the Kentucky commissioner of education, which I am looking forward to. We have a lot planned, so I hope you will get a chance to join us.
Among the numerous items on the agenda, I would like to draw your attention to the work of the Kentucky United We Learn Council.
As I said last week, I will continue to support the work of the United We Learn vision, as Kentucky’s assessment and accountability system will be a top priority of mine. Prototypes will be presented during the webcast tomorrow aimed at exploring alternatives to our state's current assessment and school accountability systems. These prototypes are designed to foster discussion and refinement while also keeping the standards of accountability that define our education system top of mind.
As many of you are aware, the council identified a moonshot that is both ambitious and achievable, aiming to support the launch of a new accountability system that is meaningful and useful to all learners. This vision includes vibrant learning experiences for every student, encouraging innovation, especially around assessment, and creating a bold new future for our schools through collaboration with our communities.
Throughout these prototypes I am introducing below, there will be numerous options within the systems that are still being discussed as to which will be the best and most effective methods. The moonshot goal is to have an approved, reimagined accountability system by the summer of 2026.
The first prototype will be an accreditation-style accountability system that will emphasize transparency by providing families and communities with information on a broad set of school quality domains through a locally customizable data display.
This system would allow for ongoing collection and submission of evidence throughout the school year, where schools would submit evidence to an external evaluator and receive ratings on rubrics with feedback for improvement.
This prototype would eliminate the state school color labels and create only three levels of school ratings for federal accountability, with hopes of creating an inclusive, collaborative process to set goals and strategies for school improvement.
The second prototype values vibrant learning experiences. This system would focus on making sure students, families and communities are engaging in authentic, joyful and relevant learning opportunities. This system also allows students to be creative in their learning and applying their knowledge and skills through their personalized projects and experiences.
There are some policy considerations for each of these prototypes and data the council is still working to collect. We also want your feedback on these systems as you are leaders within your districts, schools and communities.
Our kids need and deserve our best, and we can achieve this together by creating an accountability system that is widely supported and accurately reflects the values that your communities hold dear for your students and has the immediate potential to improve education.
Once again, I appreciate your support during this transition period and I look forward to speaking with many of you tomorrow.
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
KDE’s Communication Skills for School Leaders Series
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Communication Skills for School Leaders Series, facilitated by Mike Rutherford, consists of three one-day conference experiences offered in Lexington at the Central Bank Center and in Bowling Green at the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time.
The Lexington sessions are scheduled for Oct. 8, Nov. 19 and Dec. 10. The Bowling Green sessions are scheduled for Oct. 9, Nov. 20, and Dec. 11. Each conference experience is designed for optimal engagement, relevance and applicability. The conference series comes at no cost to participants.
Communication skills are learnable. Everyone can become a better communicator. This three-part series will engage school leaders in a rigorous and lively examination of the skills necessary to be a clearer and more compelling communicator.
Topics will include public speaking; presentation skills; interpersonal skills; difficult conversations; communicating with individuals, small groups and mixed groups; communicating with varied constituent groups; communicating with print, social and on-camera media; how to interview and be interviewed; how to advocate for a cause; how to be a keen listener; how to be more influential and persuasive; how to facilitate learning for adult professionals; and even how to talk to yourself in a more positive and productive way.
The three sessions will be interactive, engaging and filled with opportunities to practice skills with immediate feedback in a safe, supportive environment.
Registration for the Communication Skills for School Leaders Series is required by Sept. 30. Questions regarding the training should be directed to Haley Ralston.
District Trauma-Informed Plans for 2024-2025 School Year
Pursuant to KRS 158.4416, each local board of education must develop a plan for implementing a trauma-informed approach in its schools.
Senate Bill 2 requires that the trauma-informed plans be reviewed and updated annually, incorporated into the annual Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (CDIP) and submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
Districts are strongly encouraged to use the template developed by KDE to ensure their plans address all the required components identified in KRS 158.4416. More information on requirements as well as the Trauma-Informed Toolkit can be found on KDE's Trauma-Informed Practices website. This survey is a temporary collection for 2024-2025 school year and the plan will be incorporated into the CDIP in Cognia for the 2025-2026 school year.
For more information, please contact Christina Weeter, division director in the KDE Office of Continuous Improvement and Support.
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