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Dear Colleagues,
Last week, I had the privilege and honor of welcoming the new 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Michelle Gross of Spencer County Middle School, during our annual ceremony where we celebrate educators for their achievements in the classroom and the impact they have made on their students, families and communities.
This year was a little bit different for us. The Foundry on Broadway in Frankfort played a gracious host to us during an evening ceremony where we got to not only celebrate Gross, who was also the middle school division winner, but also high school division winner Kara Byrn Dowdy of Mayfield Independent, elementary school division winner Melanie Howard of Corbin Independent and all of our 2026 Teacher Achievement Award winners. We appreciate all of the work our staff put into making this event go smoothly, allowing us to honor the most important profession there is: teaching.
I also want to thank the group who spoke at this year’s event: Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Kentucky Board of Education Chair Sharon Porter Robinson and 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Jennifer Montgomery. Gov. Andy Beshear shared a virtual message during the ceremony. I encourage anyone who is interested to view the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year ceremony on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Media Portal.
The most important factor in the achievement of our students is the effectiveness of the teachers and school administrators who serve them. As we continue to strive to offer all children the best education possible, it is important that we retain our current high-quality teachers and recruit more people to the teaching profession, including efforts such as GoTeachKY.
We also need to be aware that our teachers cannot be alone in the quest for the best future for our students. We need everyone in our Commonwealth to be unified in supporting our students and helping them achieve the success they deserve. To help us do that, we must appreciate our educators and the dedication they show to each and every student in Kentucky.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Fiscal Year 2026 Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Cycle 23 Request for Application
As authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Continuous Improvement and Support is issuing a request for application (RFA) for local school districts, community and faith-based organizations, as well as other qualifying private and governmental organizations to design and implement effective out-of-school 21st CCLC programs that improve student achievement and social development.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program provides academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for children, particularly students who attend high–poverty and low-performing schools, to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading, math and science. Programs provide students with homework assistance and a broad array of activities that can complement their regular academic programs and promote youth development; and offer literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children. Programs must ensure that the academic services they provide are aligned with the school’s curriculum in the core subject areas. This RFA is located on the KDE Competitive Grants webpage.
To assist applicants in preparing a quality application, KDE will host a virtual technical assistance session on Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. – noon ET. The session will address essential grant requirements, budget preparation and state and federal guidance. Participation in a session will be the only opportunity for applicants to ask face-to-face questions. Participation is highly recommended as the Cycle 23 RFA will be discussed in detail.
The deadline for questions is Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. ET. All questions must be sent to KDERFP@education.ky.gov. The application submission deadline is Jan. 20, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET.
Fiscal Year 2026 KY Transition 360 Spark Request for Application Posted
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is issuing a request for applications (RFA) for KY Transition 360 SPARK: Supporting Postsecondary Achievement and Resources for Kentucky Students with Disabilities (SPARK).
Grants will be awarded to 20 districts, with each district receiving $75,000. These funds will strengthen existing systems and build sustainable practices that improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.
General Information
Applications will only be accepted from public school districts that submit a complete application, including narrative responses for a comprehensive needs assessment, project design, transition team and budget plan. Applications must clearly describe how the district will strengthen transition programming by increasing interagency collaboration, enhancing family-school partnerships, using high-quality transition assessments and building sustainable systems that continue beyond the grant period.
Grant Period and Contract
The grant is anticipated to begin Feb. 2, 2026, and go through June 30, 2027.
Submission
To assist applicants in preparing a quality application, please review the prerecorded technical assistance webinar that addresses essential grant requirements, budget preparation and state guidance.
The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. ET. The application and technical assistance webinar can be found on the KDE Competitive Grants webpage.
New Data Verification for the Technical Education Database System (TEDS)
As we grow in our data collection processes, there is a need to adjust our data validation. Infinite Campus no longer requires a social security number, and it has been removed as a collection point for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
Beginning Oct. 1, 2025, TEDS import data will be validated based on the State Student Identification (SSID) number, date of birth (DOB), first name and last name.
If there is a mismatch, you will see the following message:
- Error: The specified SSID and DOB combination does not match the SSID and DOB stored on the existing TEDS student Demographic record. Verify DOB.
Please test your import early and often until you are prepared to complete an official import.
If you see an error, it is because the data already in TEDS does not match what you are attempting to import. Please do the following:
- Verify the SSID.
- Use documentation, other than Infinite Campus, to verify date of birth and name.
- Correct any errors discovered in Infinite Campus, then create new export files from Infinite Campus and test the import into TEDS.
- If data is verified and there is still an error on import, email KDE CTE Data Services.
An import can be tested at any time. Please do not finalize an import until the data is error-free. If an import is finalized with errors, any records with identified errors will not be imported into TEDS.
Call for Submission: ILP Lesson Plans
The Kentucky Department of Education is building a statewide repository of exemplar lesson plans to support the individual learning plan (ILP) process for grades 6-12.
We are inviting educators to submit high-impact lessons that showcase how ILPs can be used to:
- Explore student interests and strengths
- Identify career and college pathways
- Colleges, universities, and apprenticeships exploration
- Financial aid and scholarships
- Planning for the future
Our goal is to highlight the excellent work already happening in schools across the Commonwealth and to provide a resource bank that other educators can access and adapt.
If you have a lesson plan that has been effective in your classroom or school, we encourage you to share it!
Submissions should be:
- Aligned to Kentucky standards;
- Designed for grades 6–12; and
- Focused on ILP implementation and student engagement.
Please submit lesson plans by Nov. 4.
Declaration of Participation Planned to Open on Nov. 1
The Declaration of Participation will open in the Grant Management, Application, and Planning (GMAP) system on Nov. 1. Data will be due by Feb. 1, 2026.
Through this process, data will be collected to identify the number of students enrolled in private and home schools within each district’s boundaries. This data will be used to calculate school year 2026-2027 allocations for the following federal programs: Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction; Title III, Part A: Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students; Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; and IDEA-B: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Please review the Declaration of Participation webpage and its resources. Of particular interest is the Resources for Districts section, which includes several guidance and resource documents. Each district must complete and submit the data in GMAP by Feb. 1, 2026.
This email will be sent directly as a follow up email to the district’s Declaration of Participation submitters listed in GMAP, as well as directors of pupil personnel and superintendents. The process may require collaboration with district federal program contacts to ensure the Private Non-Profit and Home Schools Assurance Form is sent to each private and home school within the district boundaries.
Please reach out to Amanda Reifsnyder with general questions about the data collection process. If you have specific programmatic or GMAP questions, please reach out to the following Kentucky Department of Education staff:
- Title II-A: Dana Kelly, (502) 564-1479, ext. 4502.
- Title III, English Learner/Immigrant: Kaiman Triplett, (502) 564-4970, ext. 4089.
- Title IV-A: Lee Bowling, (502) 564-4772, ext. 4035.
- IDEA-B: Karla Miller, (502) 564-4970, ext. 4155.
- GMAP Technical Assistance: Thelma Hawkins, (502) 564-1979, ext. 4361.
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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