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Dear Colleagues,
The federal government shutdown and its impact on public education have been at the top of our minds here at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). We know this has been a source of anxiety and stress for educators in your districts and for families across the Commonwealth.
As you also know, this is a developing, ongoing situation with many unknowns. We have been sharing information as soon as it becomes available regarding all of the key programs and initiatives that receive federal support and plan to continue doing so until the shutdown is resolved.
KDE is aware of reports of recent reductions in force (RIFs) within the U.S. Department of Education’s (USED’s) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. At this time, we are unable to confirm details directly with USED due to the ongoing shutdown.
KDE is actively monitoring the situation. Thus far, there has been no impact on services provided to students and no interruption or reduction in federal funding. Even if there has been a reduction in force at USED, it is important to note that the requirement to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is in full force.
Also, staff members in KDE’s Division of School and Community Nutrition are closely monitoring the potential impact of the shutdown on federal child nutrition programs.
This week, KDE received additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that should cover claims for meals served through November (claims that are due by Dec. 15).
We will continue to keep you informed of any updates as we receive them; however, below are the current important points to remember:
- School and Community Nutrition (SCN) is continuing standard operations. Claims are typically processed on a weekly basis for payment.
- Continue to operate your program(s) in accordance with state and federal requirements, including filing your claims on time. Claims are still due by the 15th of each month.
- There are no anticipated changes to SCN staffing levels. SCN will continue to provide full support and oversight during the federal shutdown.
Again, we at KDE understand the federal government shutdown will impact your districts and we are here to help as much as we can to make sure the children of our Commonwealth still receive the best education possible.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
School Report Card Update No. 16: SRC Next Release
The next release of the public School Report Card (SRC) dashboard is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19 to include Assessment, Accountability and Career Readiness data. The public School Report Card (SRC) Dashboard currently includes 2024-2025 data for Overview, Career and Technical Education, Education Opportunities, and School Safety. Financial Transparency will open in the spring when audited financial data is available.
An embargoed release is scheduled to be distributed to districts and media on Nov. 17, beginning an embargo period until the public release on Nov. 19. 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. Additional information on the embargo release will be shared soon.
The last date to update data before the next release is Nov. 7. The SRC portal will close at 3:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 7. Districts can enter/update data into the Collection tool and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) can refresh data until that time. If there are questions about the data KDE has loaded to the School Report Card dashboard, please reach out to the appropriate KDE data point of contact listed in the Quality Assurance Worksheet.
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 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.
Cognitive Coaching Registration
Shannon Gullett from the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Continuous Improvement and Support and Keith Griesser from KDE’s Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness will be offering the sixth cohort of Cognitive Coaching certification for classroom, school and district leaders in the spring of 2026.
This eight-day intensive training supports leaders in learning how to produce self-directed persons with the cognitive capacity for excellence. Participants will utilize intentional structures and tools for planning, reflecting and problem resolving, developing higher levels of efficacy, consciousness, craftsmanship, flexibility and interdependence. The coaching tools of pausing, paraphrasing and posing questions, the use of effective feedback and mediating thinking through conversational structure and data will be the main focus. Cognitive Coaching is the premier coaching structure for all leaders to utilize, and it is being offered free of charge! This training fills quickly, so please register soon!
The eight required sessions will take place at the Kentucky Department of Education located at 300 Sower Boulevard on Feb. 5, 6, 17, 18, March 25, 26 and April 23 and 24. To register, please complete the Cognitive Coaching registration form. Priority will be given to schools designated for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement or those requiring more rigorous intervention and schools working with the Principal Partnership Project (P3), although all Kentucky leaders are invited to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Gullett by email or Keith Griesser by email.
Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Fund: Read to Achieve Grant Deadline Extension
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Teaching and Learning has extended the application submission date for the fiscal year 2027 Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Fund: Read to Achieve Grant due to changes made within the request for application (RFA).
The updated RFA and FAQ can be found on the Competitive Grants from KDE webpage.
New RFA Schedule
Application submission deadline is Dec. 2 at 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, please 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.
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, 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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