District Spotlight: Jefferson County Public Schools — Journey to Success
JCPS is changing how students learn. The district’s Journey to Success invites students to demonstrate their learning in many ways, including formal defenses of learning in grades 5, 8, and 12. To support this work, JCPS adopted a Kentucky Department of Education approved high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) for literacy across K–12, chosen through a rigorous, collaborative process that included teachers, leaders, and programs serving ECE and multilingual learners.
Curriculum-based professional learning has been an integral part of the district's HQIR implementation journey. In year three of implementation, teachers and principals led the Academic Innovation Summit, with more than 3,000 registrants learning from peers.
Schools used a shared rubric for student artifacts, and classrooms showcased work tied to community and current events. As Principal Joy Billops put it: “Students have learned to love reading… deep learning and high expectations are becoming the norm.”
Read the full article on KyTeacher.org.
Have a spotlight to share? Contact Michael Carr at Michael.Carr@education.ky.gov.
Request for Applications (RFA) for the fiscal year 2027 Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Fund
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Teaching and Learning issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the fiscal year 2027 Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Fund: Read to Achieve Grant. Kentucky public school districts must apply on behalf of individual schools. The Kentucky School for the Blind and Kentucky School for the Deaf also are eligible to apply.
The RFA can be found on the Competitive Grants from KDE webpage.
As specified in KRS 158.792, the Reading Diagnostic and Intervention fund is created to help teachers and library media specialists improve the reading skills of struggling readers in kindergarten through grade three (3). The KDE anticipates funding approximately 150 schools at an estimated $70,000 per year for a two-year period to support school-wide use of a multi-tiered system of supports for students in grades K-3, high-quality curriculum-based professional learning for administrators and K-3 reading instructional staff in their approved comprehensive schoolwide reading program aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Reading and Writing, high-quality professional learning for administrators and K-3 reading instructional staff in the administration and understanding of universal screener and diagnostic assessment data and progress monitoring, and high-quality professional learning in building knowledge in the cognitive processes involved in learning how to read as well as implementing the essential components of reading and evidence-based instructional practices to support the reading-writing connection.
Important Dates:
- The technical assistance for this grant took place on September 16, 9 a.m. ET. You can view the Webinar Recording to learn more about the grant.
- The deadline for submitting questions about the grant was September 23, 4 p.m. ET. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is available on the KDE Competitive Grants webpage.
- The application submission deadline is November 3, 4 p.m. ET. All applications must be sent to KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
- Review the links within the RFA for further guidance when writing the submission. If you have any questions, contact KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
- Please pay close attention to the blinding/redacted language within the RFA. Improperly blinded grants WILL be deemed non-responsive and NOT eligible for award.
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