July 23, 2025

Standards Newsletter: Principal Edition

As the 2025-2026 school year approaches, school and district leaders are beginning to prepare for the year ahead. This edition of the Standards Newsletter is dedicated to providing leaders with the resources and information needed to ensure a successful start to the year. Below, you will find key resources for MTSS, High-Quality Instructional Resources, Curriculum-Based Professional Learning, instructional practices and content areas. Take time to explore the resources included and share them with others in your building or district who could benefit as well.

March Leadership Meeting and Resources 

The regional educational cooperatives, in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), hosted meetings in March for district and school leaders to examine tools and resources available to create equitable learning environments at the local level. 

View the recording of the March 2025 Leadership Meeting and explore new resources available to support effective implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) with emphasis on Tier 1 curriculum anchored in a high-quality instructional resource (HQIR).

MTSS Resources

Newly Updated KyMTSS Implementation Guide - The Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports (KyMTSS) Implementation Guide, 2nd Edition, builds upon guidance from the 2021 edition in response to revised Kentucky administrative regulations that require districtwide use of a multi-tiered system of supports for all students in kindergarten through grade 12 (704 KAR 3:095). This implementation guide is designed to provide educators with a common definition and understanding of the essential elements of KyMTSS. 

KyMTSS Self Assessment - While primarily designed for district and school leadership teams responsible for MTSS implementation, The KyMTSS Self-Assessment Tool outlines Kentucky’s six essential elements and helps identify areas for systemwide improvement. Instructional coaches may find the tool’s focus areas useful for supporting alignment across instructional tiers.

KyMTSS Four-Part Video Collection - Each video in the four-part video collection addresses key topics, best practices and practical strategies related to MTSS. Whether you are an individual or part of a team, these videos and accompanying documents provide a comprehensive understanding of the MTSS Framework.

Stay up to date with KyMTSS-specific information and resources. Sign up to receive MTSS Newsletter each month. You may also access past newsletters in the Archive Newsletters. Additional resources available at KyMTSS.org.

Resources to Support Curriculum Implementation

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:

• Curriculum Development Process (Phase 4) - Guides planning and preparation for implementation including yearly goal-setting, monitoring and reflection;
• Curriculum Implementation Framework - Provides a detailed roadmap of key responsibilities by role group for the three stages of curriculum implementation (launch, early, ongoing);
• Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Guidance Document - Defines curriculum-based professional learning and describes the learning expected to occur across the three stages of implementation with tools specific to each stage.

To assist districts in utilizing these resources in developing an annual curriculum implementation plan, the KDE created the Continuous Improvement Playbook for Curriculum Implementation. The document outlines specific action steps, pairing them with links to key tools associated with carrying out that step. 

In addition, the KDE has now developed three new videos designed to deepen understanding of each of the three stages of effective curriculum implementation and their key responsibilities. Each short video also provides “recommendations from the field” to help ensure districts maximize the positive impact of HQRs on classroom instruction, the student experience and student outcomes. The three videos include:

• Stage 1: Launch
• Stage 2: Early Implementation
• Stage 3: Ongoing Implementation

Family Resources for Back to School  

Start off back to school relationship-building with students and families with these three helpful resources: Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) Family Guides, A Family’s Guide to Understanding Student Assessment and the Read at Home Plan Family Guide. 

• The KAS Family Guides were developed to help families familiarize themselves with the concepts of each grade level’s standards and include suggestions for how families can reinforce standards content at home. Each guide contains a standards overview for reading and writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Guides are available for grades K-8 and high school and even come in Spanish for Spanish-speaking families.  

• A Family’s Guide to Understanding Student Assessment was made to help families understand how assessment can support student learning. The guide includes information about formative, diagnostic, interim and summative assessment and gives teachers and families common language to use when discussing student assessment.
• The Read At Home Plan Family Guide includes learning experiences families can have with children at home to support their reading skills development. Additionally, the guide includes information about Senate Bill 9 (2022), the Read to Succeed Act, Reading Improvement Plans and the key role families play in student success. A glossary of literacy terms and general tips for reading at home also are included. The at-home learning experiences contained in this document are organized into the five essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension). 

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Standards Quick Links

KYstandards.org

Model Curriculum Framework webpage

Standards Resources webpage

KY Academic Standards webpage

NEW VPA Standards

The Getting to Know the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Visual and Performing Arts 3-Part Module is available now. This module is designed to build knowledge and capacity around the new Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) standards and to capitalize on the opportunity to improve teaching and learning aligned to the KAS for Visual and Performing Arts. Access this asynchronous professional learning module on KyStandards.org.

Don’t miss updates on standards resources, professional learning opportunities and more throughout the year! Visit KyStandards.org and sign up to receive the weekly newsletter.

Content Area Implementation Guides 

The purpose of the Standards Implementation Guides is to help schools and districts identify resources available from the Kentucky Department of Education to support standards implementation. Schools and districts may be in various stages of the standards implementation process and the Standards Implementation Guides provide a list of resources by the content area that may be utilized at each stage. See the content specific implementation guides below.  

• General Standards Implementation Guide 
• Reading and Writing Standards Implementation Guide 
• Mathematics Standards Implementation Guide 
• Social Studies Standards Implementation Guide
• Science Standards Implementation Guide

Evidence Based Instructional Practices

The quality of the day-to-day classroom instruction students receive has a significant impact on their overall achievement. As teachers implement their local standards-aligned curriculum, it is important that they strategically and intentionally use evidence-based instructional practices that support students in reaching the intended learning outcomes. 

The Evidence-Based Instructional Practices (EBIPs) resources include an overview document providing background on EBIPs. There is also an overview video, facilitation considerations and content area specific resources for six EBIPs: Establishing the Learning Environment, Clarifying and Sharing Clear Learning Goals, Explicit Teaching and Modeling, Discussion, Questioning and Meaningful Feedback.

Professional Learning Modules

General and content area professional learning modules are located on KyStandards.org. These modules cover the Kentucky Academic Standards, assignment review protocols, evidence-based instructional practices, and specific content areas. Modules include facilitator’s guides, slides and other resources to ensure successful professional learning.

CONTACT INFORMATION

standards@education.ky.gov