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Dear Colleagues,
I’d like to share an exciting update regarding the success of the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Kentucky Reading Academies. The early results show the investments Kentucky has made in early literacy are already paying off for our students and our educators.
According to a new report from a third-party evaluator, ICF, the Kentucky Reading Academies have rapidly advanced literacy outcomes for early learners since the professional learning program began. Implemented in 2022 after the Kentucky General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 9, also known as the Read to Succeed Act, the Kentucky Reading Academies aim to transform literacy instruction across the state by offering an opt-in, no-cost professional learning opportunity to both K-5 educators and administrators.
Facilitated by the KDE Office of Teaching and Learning’s Division of Early Literacy, the academies provide access to Lexia’s Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, better known as LETRS, an evidence-based professional learning that is rooted in the science of reading. The goal behind the academies is to promote educators’ knowledge, beliefs and classroom instruction in evidence-based literacy practices to improve student reading outcomes.
In 2023, KDE hired ICF to understand if the Kentucky Reading Academies and the literacy coaching model are shaping educator practice and student learning.
According to the report, grade 5 students taught by LETRS-trained teachers over consecutive years had significantly higher reading scores than other students. In one Eastern Kentucky school’s case study, the implementation of high-quality instructional resources and LETRS strategies has led to significant improvements in students’ performance on the district-wide literacy assessments.
More than 1,700 participants – including LETRS participants, school-based literacy coaches and administrators – shared their feedback and experiences through focus groups, surveys and case studies. Through the research, ICF determined the Kentucky Reading Academies showed sustained evidence for achieving most of the Kentucky Reading Academies’ goals and preliminary evidence that student outcomes are improving on the Kentucky Summative Assessment for reading.
Educators across all cohorts of LETRS reported greater alignment with beliefs about the evidence-based phonics approach to early literacy as they progressed through LETRS. Educators across all cohorts of LETRS also reported increased knowledge about student literacy and evidence-based literacy instruction with knowledge increasing across the two years of participating in the Kentucky Reading Academies, suggesting that increased exposure to LETRS professional learning may be significantly related to greater literacy knowledge.
Again, it is still early, but as we get more educators through this professional learning to fully implement the strategies they’re perfecting, we expect student literacy outcomes to get better and better.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
School Report Card Update No. 15: SRC Public Site
The School Report Card (SRC) Dashboard is now open with 2024-2025 data. This is the initial release (soft launch) and does not include assessment, accountability or career readiness data. That data is tentatively scheduled for release on Nov. 19.
There will be an embargo period prior to public release. During the embargo period, district and school staff may discuss the data internally; however, the data cannot be shared in public meetings or by the media until public release.
The SRC Collection tool will reopen after public release, Oct. 21-Nov. 7, to allow districts to enter or update data as needed. Collection data will be refreshed on the public site twice a week on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Data must be updated by 3 p.m. ET to be included in the biweekly refresh. Updates will be viewable in the public card within two days. The SRC Dashboard and datasets will refresh concurrently. The Collection tool will close at 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 7 and no changes can be made after that date until after the official public release.
Reach out to the appropriate KDE data point of contact listed in the Quality Assurance Worksheet with any data concern. KDE will have an opportunity to refresh data after public release during the same window, Oct. 21-Nov. 7. As a reminder, the SRC should display current principal and superintendent contacts; however, board members and school-based decision making (SBDM) council members should reflect 2024-2025 members.
The SRC Resources webpage continues to serve as the central repository for communications and resources. The SRC timeline, resources and all SRC communications are posted to this webpage.
Understanding the Two Calculations in Accountability Reporting
The 2024–2025 school year marks the first time Kentucky’s school accountability system will have three years of Change data available, enabling full implementation of the Change calculation for federal accountability determinations, as required by KRS 158.6455:
Status and Change shall receive equal weight in determining overall performance. For all students as a group and separately for individual groups, Status shall be determined by using the current year performance and Change shall be determined by using the difference in performance from the prior to the current year.
Except that Change shall be based on the difference in performance for the prior three years for the purpose of determining the lowest-performing 5% of schools under subsections (2) and (3) of Section 2 of this Act.
This year, Kentucky’s accountability system introduces two distinct calculations. While both federal and state indicator scores use the same foundational components, Status and Change,they differ in how Change is calculated and applied.
- State Change Score: A simple year-to-year comparison (current year minus prior year).
- Federal Change Score: A three-year average of Change scores using current and prior years Status scores, offering a more transparent view of performance over time.
Why It Matters
Indicator scores are combined into the overall score, one for state reporting and one for federal classification. Although the overall scores may differ combining the state and federal indicator scores, it’s important to understand:
- State Calculations will determine color ratings for schools.
- Federal Calculations will determine classifications such as Comprehensive School and Improvement (CSI), Targeted School and Improvement (TSI), and Additional Targeted School and Improvement (ATSI).
Also new, federal classifications will now occur annually, including CSI I and CSI II designations, as mandated by House Bill 298.
For questions, email KDE's DAC info inbox.
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.
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.
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.
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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