 The Office of Teaching and Learning Spotlight: Dr. Michael Carr
The Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Carr, who holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and Marketing Management, as the new Communications and Digital Marketing Consultant. Dr. Carr brings an extensive background in marketing communications and advertising, having served in leadership roles such as Marketing Director, and Vice President of Marketing and Advertising. In addition to his corporate experience, he has spent 15 years in various higher education roles, combining his professional expertise with a passion for teaching.
Known as “Dr. C” to his students, he also serves as a professor of Marketing at Thomas More University. In recent years, Dr. Carr has become a sought-after guest speaker on the topic of artificial intelligence in education, sharing his insights at conferences and events across the region.
In his new role, Dr. Carr will support the Office of Teaching and Learning by creating newsletters, updating and maintaining website content and collaborating as part of the team managing the newly released KY Learning Hub. His goal is to enhance communication efforts that keep Kentucky educators informed, engaged and supported in their work.
Dr. Carr is a native of Corinth in Grant County. His fiancée, Sarah, and stepdaughter, Hayden, are an important part of his personal life.
Dr. Carr’s blend of marketing expertise, higher education experience and enthusiasm for innovation will be a valuable asset to the team. He is eager to connect, collaborate and contribute to the ongoing success of the Office of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Carr may be reached via email at michael.carr@education.ky.gov.
DEL Virtual Office Hours: NEXT Tuesday!
Make plans to attend DEL Virtual Office Hours happening NEXT Tuesday, September 9, from 9:30 A.M. ET/8:30 A.M. CT - 11 A.M. ET/10 A.M. CT. Rowan County leaders will kick off with 30 minutes of Voices from the Field, giving you an opportunity to hear their experiences around evidence-based early literacy instruction and HQIR implementation. The remainder of the session will focus on learning, networking and problem-solving alongside fellow educators from across the state. Flexible breakout rooms will be available for targeted discussions based on participant needs.
To join, register for DEL Office Hours here.
New Kentucky Reading Improvement Plan in Infinite Campus: What You Need to Know
A new version of the Reading Improvement Plan, entitled “Kentucky Reading Improvement Plan Form” is now available in Infinite Campus (IC) for use in the 2025-2026 school year. The word “Template” has been removed from the title per district request, but otherwise, the form itself is exactly the same as the prior version. The new form has added functionality in that information entered into the fields on the form will populate into a database, making it possible for schools and districts to run a report that consolidates all Reading Improvement Plan forms assigned to students in one place for quick and easy review. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is currently developing this report, and further communication will follow with how to use the report once it is completed. For those not using Infinite Campus to record Reading Improvement Plan forms, no action is needed.
What changed per IC
- The old form, “KY Reading Improvement Plan,” will sunset on Sept. 10, 2025. After that date, you cannot add it to new students. The KDE apologizes that this change has not been communicated in a more timely manner.
What this means
- Good news - If a student already has the old form for 2025–2026, you can still edit it all year. You won’t lose this form.
- However, any data kept on the old form will not appear in the new consolidated report.
What you need to do
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Haven’t used the old form yet this year? No further action is required, but please consider communicating to your teams that they will need to use the new “Kentucky Reading Improvement Plan Form” if your district houses the plans in IC.
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Teachers have used the old form, and you don’t need/want to use the new report? No further action required.
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Teachers have used the old form, and you do want to use the new report? Consider recreating the student’s plan on the new form (even if you started on the old one). The old form can also be end dated by a district KSIS administrator prior to the Sept. 10 sunset date to prevent teachers from continuing to use the old form.
The KDE apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you or your KSIS administrator have any questions, please reach out to Office of Teaching and Learning Data Controller Caryn Davidson.
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