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Dear Colleagues,
School bus safety is always a top priority for us at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), especially at the beginning of the school year. It can be a hectic time for our students as they get adjusted to their bus routes and for our communities as they get adjusted to the increased traffic.
In Kentucky, we go above and beyond to ensure our school buses are as safe as possible. For example, we require an emergency door on the left-hand side of the bus so that in the event of an emergency, there are more ways to exit the school bus safely. Our school bus seats are made of Kevlar, one of the most fire-resistant materials available.
Kentucky also requires school buses to have special protections in place to keep the fuel tank from rusting and from being damaged on impact.
It is important for drivers in our communities to be cautious around school buses, especially when students are exiting. We have a new safety feature for the 2026 model year and beyond that requires school buses to have a backlit stop arm and destination sign that provides greater visibility for other drivers.
KDE and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety have compiled a list of tips to consider when making your daily commutes that we encourage you to share with your communities.
- Red flashing lights on a school bus indicate students are either entering or exiting the bus. Do not attempt to drive around it!
- Stop at least 20 feet from a bus displaying red flashing lights or that has its stop arm extended. You must stop for a bus when approaching both from the rear and from the opposite direction on undivided roads.
- Pay attention to pedestrians – watch for school crossing guards and walkers – and reduce speeds in and around school zones.
- It’s the law to stop for pedestrians – and the law applies to all street corners and for both marked and unmarked crosswalks.
- Alter your route or schedule to avoid school buses. This will improve safety by reducing the chance of putting children at risk.
For more information on bus safety, KDE and the Office of Highway Safety have produced a variety of other resources that are free to download on the KDE School Bus Safety webpage.
Every day in Kentucky, thousands of school buses transport our students. Taking the time to prioritize bus safety procedures is critical to ensure each student gets to school and back home safely.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Kentucky School Profile Report and Collection Reminders
The School Profile Report is an annual requirement of KRS 158.6453 Section 20(b); each school must make their annual School Profile Report available in the local board office by Oct. 1.
The School Profile Report provides schools with the opportunity to showcase their career studies (including essential workplace ethics), health education and physical education, visual and performing arts, and world languages programs. Collection items that are entered into these domains of the collection tool and the course offering detail loaded by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), populate the School Profile Report and the Educational Opportunity/General Education Coursework domain of the School Report Card Dashboard.
Beginning with the 2024-2025 School Report Card, only A1, A2, A3, A5, A8, B1 and D1 classified schools need to complete the School Profile Report.
Other collection data including Access to Technology, Ineffective Teachers, Parent Involvement, Precautionary Measures and Superintendent Message, must also be entered no later than Sept. 24 for the 2024-2025 School Report Card.
The School Report Card Resources webpage continues to serve as the central repository for communications and resources. The School Report Card timeline, resources and all School Report Card communications are posted to this webpage.
Evidence of K-12 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Implementation Survey Open
Per 704 KAR 3:095 (3), superintendents must report to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), no later than Oct. 1 of each year, evidence demonstrating district-wide implementation of a comprehensive multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), including evidence provided by the district to address implementation requirements as provided in section 704 KAR 3:095, Section 2 for grades K-12 and implementation for K-3 required by KRS 158.305(2).
The submission window for the required Evidence of K-12 MTSS Implementation Survey will open Sept. 2 and close Oct. 1. Each district’s MTSS point of contact or designee is required to complete the Evidence of K-12 MTSS Implementation Survey during this time. Only one response is needed per district. If the designated point of contact has changed, the role should be updated in the Person Role Manager so the correct individual receives the survey details.
This submission is an important part of ensuring that KyMTSS promotes coherence under one comprehensive framework to more efficiently use resources while focusing on improving outcomes for every student. If you require clarification or have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Melissa Wainwright.
Improvement Planning 2025-2026
Planning for the 2025-2026 academic year is now underway. A collaborative approach that brings together diverse stakeholders is essential to identifying priority needs and determining the most effective resources and strategies to address them. Schools and districts will engage in this collaborative process with the shared goal of advancing student success and strengthening their communities.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will continue using the Cognia Continuous Improvement Platform (CIP), and the diagnostics for 2025–2026 are now available. Since schools and districts are required to develop an annual improvement plan, new diagnostics must be initiated. When completing diagnostics in the CIP, please verify that you have selected the correct level (system or school) and the appropriate school year.
The process and timeline for comprehensive school and district improvement planning, as outlined in 703 KAR 5:225, remain unchanged and are detailed on the Comprehensive Improvement Planning webpage. Please note the addition of a new diagnostic for districts this year as required by Senate Bill 2 (2024).
The District Trauma-informed Approach Plan diagnostic will be part of Phase Two which is to be completed by Nov. 1. For more information regarding this new diagnostic, please contact Christina Weeter, Division of Student Success director in the KDE Office of Continuous Improvement and Support.
Improvement planning is a continuous process, and plans may be updated throughout the year. However, the established timeline outlines all required diagnostics for each phase and their statutory deadlines.
We also encourage you to attend the Continuous Improvement Summit, taking place Sept. 22-23 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. This event will dive deeper into improvement planning practices, highlight continuous improvement initiatives, and unveil the recently updated Comprehensive District Improvement Plan and Comprehensive School Improvement Plan goal building templates.
For questions about the CIP platform, please contact Veronica Boller. For additional guidance on improvement planning, visit the Comprehensive Improvement Planning webpage.
House Bill 142 (2024) Reminder
House Bill 142 (2024) was in effect starting with the 2024-2025 school year. This new law requires districts to provide to the parent/guardian and the student evidence-based, age-appropriate nicotine cessation information as a discipline resolution for the first behavior incident including drug types of those listed below:
- Alternative nicotine products
- Nicotine vapor products
- Non-nicotine vapor products
- Tobacco/nicotine product
- THC electronic vapor product
The materials should be provided by the school counselor or other school-based mental health services and should include but not limited to materials, programs, and referrals for treatment.
Districts can reference the Behavior Data Standards on page 6, Section A for guidance on creating the resolution code in the district database.
The bill enacts additional requirements for student behavior events in which the drug type selection is alternative nicotine and non-nicotine vapor, tobacco/nicotine or THC electronic vapor products.
To add the resolution to student behavior, when a behavior event of Drug or Tobacco Use, Possession or Distribution are selected, Drug Type data element requires a selection. If the drug type is one of the above products, the first resolution attached to the event should be the provision of the nicotine cessation information.
In addition, if a behavior event involving drug or tobacco results in a medical intervention, users must select the already existing indicator named Medical Services Provided in the Participant Details section of the Behavior Management Tool. Reference page 9, section C if the Behavior Data Standards.
This data is reportable and can be tracked using the Safe Schools report via KY State Reporting in Infinite Campus.
KDE’s Evidence-based Prevention and Cessation Materials website provides resources intended to help ensure school districts are implementing programs and resources that have been proven effective through research and evidence.
Please share this information and the data standard with those staff in the schools responsible for entry of student behavior.
Questions regarding Infinite Campus set-up and student tracking can be directed to Windy Spalding. Questions regarding evidence-based prevention and cessation materials can be directed to Jessica Johnson.
Adaptive Schools Professional Learning Opportunity
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Continuous Improvement and Support will be offering its first cohort of Adaptive Schools professional learning in the fall of 2025.
The Adaptive Schools training provides participants the skills needed to lead collaborative groups in becoming more effective and better equipped to resolve complex issues around student learning. The training takes teams beyond the idea of professional learning communities to the actual implementation of principles and understandings to engage in a continuous cycle of team and individual improvement. School leaders learn how to embrace the hard-to-talk-about details of learning, teaching, data analysis and assessment to evaluate the cumulative effects of their work with students and each other.
Adaptive Schools is the “how” of professional learning communities: how to behave in groups, how to lead them and how to facilitate them for improved leading, teaching and learning and perfectly complements the Cognitive Coaching seminars previously offered by KDE.
The four sessions will take place Oct. 13-14 and Nov. 13-14 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET. This professional learning opportunity comes at no charge to participants and there is a 50-participant maximum. Priority will be given to schools who are designated for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement, as well as those schools requiring more rigorous intervention, although we invite all Kentucky leaders to attend.
To register, please complete the Adaptive Schools registration form by Oct. 3. If you have any questions, contact Shannon Gullett, KDE educational recovery director.
Kentucky Department of Education to Host Kaleidoscope Community of Practice Sessions
Join the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) for the next round of Kaleidoscope Community of Practice sessions for special education teachers.
Through the Community of Practice, special education teachers will expand their understanding of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) through collaboration and co-creation. Teachers will leave the Community of Practice with a collection of resources, tools and skills that will grow their capacity to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
Participants must attend one monthly session. Virtual sessions are from 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET or 5-7 p.m. ET.
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Session 1 (October, full-day, in-person): multiple dates and locations TBD by participants.
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Session 2 (Two hours, virtual): Nov. 13 or Nov. 19
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Session 3 (Two hours, virtual): Jan. 14, 2026, or Jan. 22, 2026
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Session 4 (Two hours, virtual): Feb. 11, 2026, or Feb. 19, 2026
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Session 5 (March 2026, full-day, in-person): multiple dates and locations TBD by participants
Free teacher kits will be given to participants who complete all five sessions!
Spots are limited. Visit the 2025-2026 Kaleidoscope Community of Practice registration form for more information. Registration ends on Aug. 29.
Accepting Applications for Diagnostic Review Team Members
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Cognia are accepting applications for diagnostic review team members to serve during the 2025-2026 school year.
The Cognia diagnostic review process is a performance-driven approach that relies on data from student performance, stakeholder feedback, classroom observations and a review of documents, artifacts and school practices.
Diagnostic reviews yield a comprehensive analysis of an institution in an extensive report intended to energize and guide continuous improvement planning for underperforming schools and districts.
All diagnostic review team members must have experience or expertise in the following areas:
- School or system administration with a specific emphasis on instructional leadership such as superintendent, principal, instructional supervisor, director of curriculum and instruction, assessment, special education, etc.
- Leading or supporting turnaround/improvement initiatives at the school, system or state department levels.
- Familiarity with the analysis and use of data as a driver for improvement.
Diagnostic review team members are required to complete specialized training. While there is no compensation for participating as a diagnostic review team member, all expenses associated with travel for an onsite visit will be reimbursed by Cognia.
If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please begin by submitting your contact information on the Diagnostic Review Team Member Interest Form.
We will send next step information to support you through the training process. We will have multiple training options available throughout the next few months in preparation for reviews scheduled for the 2025-2026 school year. If you have questions, please email the Cognia team.
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