|
Dear Colleagues,
This week, the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) met for its regular December meeting, where we had robust discussions about a variety of topics.
One important topic was the recent assessment and accountability results in Kentucky, along with all of the work we have done and continue to do to address many of the issues we see across the Commonwealth.
With literacy, the Kentucky Reading Academies have already rapidly advanced outcomes for early learners since the professional learning program began three years ago, according to a report from third-party evaluator ICF earlier this year.
KDE and various partners have also initiated numerous efforts to advance access to high-quality numeracy instruction, per the Kentucky Numeracy Counts Act. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics’ K-5 Numeracy Counts Academy and the Partnership Institute for Math and Science Education Reform’s (PIMSER’s) Numeracy Counts Administrator Academy began in 2025, along with other professional development opportunities for educators and administrators, including an expansion of AdvanceKentucky’s Access to Algebra and EPIC’s Kentucky Numeracy Alliance pilot program.
The recent expansion of KBE meetings to include virtual board discussions every other month when the board does not meet in-person will only add to our ability to further break down what these data points mean and how successful our efforts are at improving the services we offer to you and the resources and training available to our educators.
The KBE members also talked about goals for the board, our department and for the upcoming legislative session, all of which fall in line with these efforts to improve education in the Commonwealth. The goals for the board this school year are to foster educational innovation through vibrant student learning experiences, advance educational excellence through continuous professional improvement, and cultivate collaborative partnerships.
We also had the privilege to honor the latest round of Kentucky Blue Ribbon Schools:
- Tamarack Elementary School (Daviess County);
- Graves County Central Elementary School;
- Maxwell Immersion Spanish Elementary School (Fayette County); and
- Meadowthorpe Elementary School (Fayette County).
We want to congratulate these schools for qualifying and for their hard work to ensure every student has the skills they need for successful future. This award highlights the commitment to excellence that teachers, staff, families and communities have for their students.
The nominated schools ordinarily would have been recognized by the 43-year-old federal program in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, just before the announcement naming the 2025 National Blue Ribbon Schools was to be made, the program was abruptly ended. State officials were informed of that decision in a letter dated Aug. 28.
Schools across the nation had completed the vigorous applications and were being certified by their respective state departments of education – the last step in the process – when letters were sent to state officials from the U.S. Department of Education announcing the end of the program. We reached out to Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, and their offices quickly put together an acclamation honoring the four schools this year.
Being named a Blue Ribbon School is quite an honor and these schools should take pride in this accomplishment. After all the dedication and hard work of the students and the staff and the efforts and the time put into completing the extensive application, we at the Kentucky Department of Education and the KBE could not let this achievement go unnoticed.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Nominations Open for 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Nominations for the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year awards are open and will close on Jan. 2, 2026.
Presented by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the Kentucky Teacher of the Year awards celebrate some of the Commonwealth’s most outstanding educators. Any full-time, certified public school teacher in the state with at least five years of experience is eligible. Teachers may be nominated by students, parents, teaching peers, principals, superintendents or anyone in the community who has an interest in honoring an outstanding educator.
The winner of the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year award will receive a cash prize and a six-month professional sabbatical opportunity coordinated by KDE. They will also represent Kentucky in the National Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers during their year of service.
All nominated teachers will be invited by KDE to complete and submit a formal application for awards consideration. Those applications will be due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
Nominees should:
- Be an expert in their field who advances growth for students of all backgrounds and abilities;
- Build collaborative relationships with colleagues, students and families to create a school culture of equity and success;
- Deliberately connect the classroom to the community to impact student growth and learning;
- Be a lifelong learner and teacher leader and use innovative learning experiences in and out of the classroom; and
- Express themselves in an engaging and clear way that conveys the lived experience to a variety of audiences.
Please fill out the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year nomination form to nominate a teacher today! Once again, nominations close on Jan. 2, 2026.
Deadline Approaching: Update School and District Websites with New Assessment and Accountability Data
The 2024-2025 assessment and accountability results were publicly released on Nov. 19. Within the data files provided to district assessment coordinators (DACs) is a spreadsheet that includes percentages of accountable students performing at the Proficient and Distinguished levels in reading and mathematics. This data should be used to update student performance information required on each district and school website, as required by House Bill 6 (2024). See the House Bill 6 (2024) Requirement to Report Academic Performance on Websites guidance document for more information.
As a reminder, the data should be displayed for each level (elementary, middle, high) of the school or district, as provided in the spreadsheet, not averaged or otherwise calculated.
Any subsequent data files provided (e.g., post-10-day regulatory period) will require another website update within 14 days if there are changes to a district’s proficient and distinguished percentages in reading and mathematics.
Superintendents must assure that the required data has been posted on the district and school websites through the Grant Management Application and Planning System (GMAP) no later than Dec. 15.
The assurances are in GMAP under Application Supplements, Fiscal 2025: House Bill 6: 2025 District Website Requirements Assurances.
To access the assurances, the superintendent (not a designee) must change Status to Started. Access the assurance by selecting it in the Description section. After completing the assurance, change Status to Approved to submit.
For questions about the assurances requirement, please contact the DAC information email inbox.
For GMAP guidance on submitting assurances, please contact Lindsay McCollum via the KDE GMAP email inbox.
Child Nutrition: Disaster and Weather Preparedness Starts Now
The USDA School Meal Programs provide students with access to healthy and nutritious meals during the school year. However, when school buildings close unexpectedly, traditional access methods may no longer be available. Prior to a disaster or weather event is the best time to discuss, evaluate, and plan for the level of meal access needed in your school community. Although non-congregate feeding options are available, participation is optional and may not always be feasible. The Division of School and Community Nutrition is sharing this information to help district administrators better understand available feeding options, considerations for deciding whether to provide meals, and other tools to support your district and food service team. This information has already been shared with food service directors.
Feeding Options
With state approval, program sponsors can provide meals when school buildings close unexpectedly due to inclement weather, safety concerns, building issues, or other unforeseen circumstances. However, building closure does not always mean that school is canceled.
A district decision to implement non-traditional instruction (NTI) versus closure with no instruction impacts how the food service program can operate. Child nutrition directors follow different procedures for requesting participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
NTI = National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
If NTI is used, the appropriate program for non-congregate meal service is the NSLP. Although students are not physically in the building, they are still participating in instructional hours. Only enrolled students may receive meals.
Closure = Seamless Summer Option (SSO)/Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
If the district opts for a full closure (not instruction occurring), the appropriate program for non-congregate meal service is a community feeding program such as SSO or SFSP. In this case, all community children aged 18 and younger may receive meals.
For more information, please reference the KDE’s Guidance on Unanticipated School Building Closures document.
For questions regarding non-congregate feeding options for child nutrition programs, please contact the Division of School and Community Nutrition.
|
