Dear Colleagues,
Exciting things are happening this week in education!
With a focus on vibrant and hands-on learning experiences, many of you, myself included, have seen the beneficial effects that Future Farmers of America (FFA) has on our students, communities and educational system.
The Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center in Hardinsburg has established a venue where students can participate in a variety of FFA events all year long, such as local chapter leadership conferences. On Thursday, they will host a groundbreaking for the construction of the Rising Sun Center. The center was funded by the Kentucky General Assembly during the 2022 and 2024 budgets and will replace the old administration building, which was constructed in the 1950s.
The Rising Sun Center will include meeting space, restroom and shower facilities, and an indoor recreation space for use during inclement weather. The name was selected because the rising sun represents a new era in agriculture and a look toward the future!
I look forward to the opportunities this new center will have for our students. Construction is slated to begin in early fall and should be completed in the spring of 2026.
Also on Thursday, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), along with No Kid Hungry and Feeding Kentucky, is celebrating the 2024 Summer Hunger Hero at Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent), a location that currently serves about 14,000 meals weekly with the Summer Food Service Program.
In June, No Kid Hungry announced 10 Summer Hunger Heroes for their outstanding commitment to children’s summer hunger relief. This includes expanding summer meals in rural communities and helping set the new Summer EBT program in motion.
This year’s honorees came from nine states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and one of those heroes is one of our very own here at the department: Cathy Gallagher, manager of the Summer Food Service Program at KDE, provides support and resources for the staff behind the scenes who make the summer meals happen for our students.
The Summer Food Service Program has helped students across the Commonwealth stay fed during the summer months to ensure they continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Unfortunately, students attaining a nutritious and healthy meal during the summer months can be difficult for some. Having these programs in place is highly important to connecting children with the meals they need while school is out.
With the recent congressional changes to the Summer Food Service Program, Kentucky’s program operators are providing more ways than ever before to reach kids through group meal sites for children and to-go and delivered meals in rural communities.
It’s always a great week when we can celebrate the positive impacts education is having on our students, together we are creating lifelong success for all our students.
I hope you all have a great week!
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Plan Now to be School Report Card Ready
The Kentucky Department of Education will release the 2023-2024 School Report Card (SRC) Suite in a phased approach this fall. The assessment and accountability data will be released in datasets before the new SRC dashboard view is available.
The anticipated SRC Suite timeline is provided below:
- September 2024: Collection/Approval tool opens for district data entry and validation.
- October 2024: Assessment and Accountability data sets will be available publicly for download.
- November 2024: District, media and public release of SRC data in new dashboard view.
The current SRC Suite dashboard view will sunset this year and be replaced. Since assessment and accountability reporting is dependent on the quality of underlying demographic data, it’s important to verify the quality of the data early.
Districts are encouraged to start validating data now and not wait for the new SRC data entry and approval tool to open. Districts can start now by:
- Reviewing data reports to help ensure that data is accurately reported in Infinite Campus (IC) and other systems before data is loaded to the SRC for validation. The Quality Assurance (QA) Worksheet document includes a list of data reported in the School Report Card Suite along with QA tools available to use for verification.
- Compiling data to enter into the SRC collector system. The SRC Collector Items document details information on each collector item, including the School Profile Report.
Other changes for 2023-2024 reporting:
- Safe Schools data remains due by Aug. 5. Safety data has an earlier due date because it must be provided to the Center for School Safety and Office of Education Accountability by Aug. 30 per KRS 158.444. This year this data will be reviewed through the IC Safe Schools aggregate report to meet this deadline. District Safe Schools Administrators should reference the Validation of Safety Data Instructions to complete this task..
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KRS 158.6453 section 20 (b) requires the School Profile Report be available in the local board office by Oct. 1 with signatures of the school-based-decision-making council members, principal and superintendent. The collector tool is not expected to be open for district data entry and printing of the School Profile Report until mid-September, so the timeframe to produce this report will be shorter than in prior years.
The SRC is a federal and state requirement, but it should be more than just a compliance activity. It is an opportunity to showcase the achievements of your schools each year. Now is the time to make sure your district is SRC ready by validating the quality!
School Report Card Resources
The School Report Card Resources webpage will continue to be used as a central repository for communications and resources. The SRC timeline, resources and all SRC communications will be posted to this webpage.
National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application for Category 1, 2 and 3
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) – formerly the National Title I Association – selects examples of superior, federally-funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program.
Each year, states can identify up to two Distinguished ESEA Schools in three possible categories:
- Category 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years.
- Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups for two or more consecutive years.
- Category 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g., homeless, migrant, English Learners, etc.).
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is now accepting applications for schools for Categories 1, 2 and 3. Schools may apply for recognition in only one category, and anyone interested in applying should fill out the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program application. The application must be signed by the school principal and district superintendent by the deadline of Aug. 15.
If selected as a finalist, KDE staff will conduct a site visit to interview the principal and selected staff.
KDE to Offer Statewide Federal Programs Training
The Kentucky Department of Education is pleased to offer statewide federal programs training at no cost to school districts on Sept. 10-12, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m ET. The same content will be offered three different days) at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington.
The training will be provided by The Bruman Group. This legal firm is nationally recognized for its federal grants management and education regulatory and legislative practice.
This will not be a repeat of previous training. Although some topics will be presented again, there also will be legislative updates and a deeper dive into selected topics.
This training will help you build a strong foundation in federal programs and stay current on hot topics. It will benefit district staff who are responsible for oversight and administration of federal education programs and compliance with legal requirements. We strongly encourage the district superintendent, finance officer and federal programs coordinator to attend.
Come and network with colleagues from across the state and take the opportunity to ask the Bruman experts any federal education programs questions you may have!
To register, please fill out the Fall 2024 Bruman Training registration and interest form. You may register yourself and others from your district but you must fill out a separate survey for each individual.
Please send any questions to Leslie Bridges, or call her at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4040. Registration will be open until available seats are filled but register early to get your preference for your training day and hotel room if eligible.
Important Due Dates for Superintendents Available
The updated Important Due Dates for Superintendents webpage outlines key district deadlines and required reporting timelines.
Points of contact for all listed programs also have been updated to reflect current Kentucky Department of Education staffing.
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