Join Us for the 2025 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Cognia invite you to a two-day event designed to elevate your impact in education. Mark your calendars to attend the 2025 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 22-23 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington!
This year’s keynote speaker is Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. She teaches English as a second language to students from kindergarten through 8th grade and is a passionate advocate for her students, their families and fellow teachers. A Tennessee native and first-generation college graduate, Testerman takes pride in her former students’ success and is dedicated to ensuring the next generation receives a broadened education while living in a rural setting. She emphasizes the importance of teachers holding high expectations for all students from the moment they step into the classroom.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your professional learning, strengthen existing relationships or tackle unique challenges with fresh strategies, this conference is for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to spark new ideas, gain insights from KDE leaders and join Kentucky’s continuous improvement movement!
2025 Annual Front Door Initiative
The Front Door initiative is an annual collection of geographic coordinates and front door photos for new schools and schools or district offices that have relocated since the last collection. Districts are asked to submit updates to the School Data Services mailbox by April 30. The goal is to ensure all schools and districts are accurately represented on The Commonwealth Map.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will forward the information to the Commonwealth Office of Technology, which will update The Commonwealth Map, Kentucky Geoportal, and ArcGIS.com websites.
The annual Front Door Initiative aligns with Earth Day on April 22 each year. Schools have found fun ways to incorporate checking the accuracy of schools into their curriculum; the sites referenced can be used to see how your schools appear online.
This request is also being shared with district technology coordinators and chief information officers in their April EdTech Leaders meeting. For detailed instructions on updating the coordinates, please visit the KDE Front Door Project webpage. If you have any questions, please reach out to School Data Services.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to keep Kentucky’s schools on the map!
New Resource to Support Curriculum Implementation Now Available
Research shows effective implementation is essential for a local curriculum anchored in a high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) to improve the quality of instruction, the student experience and student outcomes. To support districts in effective curriculum implementation, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) previously released three critical resources:
In response to feedback from instructional leaders in Kentucky and their request to help clarify how these resources can be used together year-over-year to drive continuous improvement in instruction, the student experience and student outcomes, KDE has developed the Continuous Improvement Playbook for Curriculum Implementation. This new resource:
- Provides a sequence of eight action steps to be taken each year;
- Pairs the eight action steps with associated resources and tools; and
- Maintains a consistent sequence of steps across the stages of implementation.
Registration and Call for Proposals Open: Persistence to Graduation Summit 2025
Mark your calendars to attend the annual Persistence to Graduation Summit.
Hosted by the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE's) Division of Student Success, the summit will be held June 12-13 at the Hilton in downtown Lexington. This year’s theme will be focused on elevating student voice. Those interested in facilitating a session should submit a proposal in the Persistence to Graduation Call for Proposals portal by April 2.
KDE strongly encourages proposals that incorporate student voice into the session. Presentations need to be 75 minutes and priority will be for presentations that incorporate student voice.
During this two-day event, superintendents, district level personnel, school administrators, school counselors, educators, family resource and youth services center coordinators, school mental health and social service professionals, and community partners from across Kentucky will convene to share information and best practices to support students who may experience challenges to reaching graduation. Engaging and interactive sessions will be led by facilitators from across the state and content will include:
- Student transition and re-engagement strategies;
- Alternative education programming;
- Well-rounded educational opportunities;
- Safe and supportive learning environments; and
- Effective use of education technology.
For more information contact Lalah Brewer.
Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families
During its 2023 term, Family Partnership Council (FPC) members conducted an in-depth analysis of the latest research on family partnerships and collaborated to create the Family Partnership Council’s recommendations to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
These recommendations would:
- Support every school’s effort to form effective partnerships;
- Promote greater alignment of KDE’s and outside organizations’ family partnership initiatives; and
- Set the goals of the FPC for the next two years.
One of the four recommendations noted that KDE should encourage districts and schools to develop local web pages that include more robust relationship-building and communication metrics regarding meaningful family and community engagement. KDE is seeking to fulfill this recommendation by highlighting districts and schools that are doing family partnerships well and what they are doing with a special focus on innovative practices.
KDE is encouraging all Kentucky districts and schools to utilize the Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families form to share their stories of creating trusting relationships with families as partners that are making a positive impact for both students and families. Stories will be shared as a resource and inspiration to other schools across the Commonwealth as we seek innovative and successful ways to partner with our parents, families and our communities.
If you are interested in learning more about those success stories already submitted, please visit the District and School Success Stories website. To learn more about the FPC, please visit the Family Partnership Council website.
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