|
Dear Colleagues,
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will be releasing the latest update to the Kentucky K-12 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance Brief soon, continuing our commitment to support districts as they navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in education. The guidance brief, along with additional K-12 AI resources, are available on the KDE AI resources website.
Kentucky was one of the earliest states in the nation to publish statewide AI guidance for schools, and KDE remains intentional about treating this resource as a living document that is continually refined to keep pace with emerging innovations, new challenges and the accelerating adoption of AI tools across classrooms and school operations.
Currently, 80% of Kentucky public school districts report they have an intentional effort to encourage, engage and empower the safe, secure and responsible uses of AI into school efficiency and the learning space by teachers and students, as reported through the 2025-2026 Kentucky Digital Readiness report.
To continue this statewide effort, this newest update reflects KDE’s education-first approach to the use of AI and reinforces the principles that anchor our statewide vision. The guidance emphasizes empowering educators and students to use AI in safe and responsible ways; strengthening school efficiency through thoughtful, transparent workflows; and ensuring actual people handle all meaningful teaching, learning and decision-making processes. The updates also expand expectations around accountability, disclosure of AI use, dangers of AI companionship, and clear communication between schools, families and communities.
These revisions align directly with the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) Master Plan, where AI continues to be an area of emphasis. The master plan calls on Kentucky to model forward leaning yet sustainable practices that keep people, not platforms, at the center of educational innovation.
KDE encourages all district and school leaders to review the updated Kentucky Artificial Intelligence Guidance Brief when it becomes available and share it with staff as part of ongoing local planning. The most current version is available on the KDE AI resources website and remains the primary resource for ensuring AI is implemented transparently, responsibly and in service of student learning.
Also of note, the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Technology are currently undergoing revision, and an updated version will be released soon for district implementation. Districts should remember that these standards are directly tied to a graduation requirement.
Early drafts of the revisions show that artificial intelligence will be embedded across several concepts and will include expanded expectations related to AI.
For grades K–2, the standards will emphasize introductory engagement with AI through language such as “with guidance and support” and “through demonstration,” reflecting developmentally appropriate practice at the primary level.
From an AI lens, KAS for Technology are all about using AI effectively, while KAS for Computer Science are pushing on making AI technology.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
New Adaptive Schools Cohort Offered This Spring
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Continuous Improvement and Support will be offering the second Adaptive Schools cohort this spring.
The Adaptive Schools training provides participants with the skills needed to lead collaborative groups in becoming more effective and better equipped to resolve complex issues around student learning. It takes teams beyond the idea of professional learning communities to the actual implementation of principles and understandings to engage in a continuous cycle of team and individual improvement. School leaders learn how to embrace the hard-to-talk-about details of learning, teaching, data analysis and assessment to evaluate the cumulative effects of their work with students and each other.
Adaptive Schools is the “how” of professional learning communities: how to behave in groups, how to lead them, and how to facilitate them for improved leading, teaching, and learning. While it is not necessary to have completed Cognitive Coaching, it complements these seminars perfectly.
The four required sessions (at no charge to participants) will take place on March 4, 5, 12 and 13 at 300 Sower Blvd, Frankfort, KY, from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET with a 50-participant maximum. We encourage teams to come together where possible.
To register, please complete the Adaptive Schools registration form. Priority will be given to schools who are designated for more rigorous intervention (MRI), comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) or targeted support and improvement (TSI), although all Kentucky leaders are invited to attend.
If you have any questions, please contact KDE Educational Recovery Director Shannon Gullett by email.
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.
Teachers Advisory Council Members Needed
The Teachers Advisory Council (TAC) is designed to improve the educational landscape of Kentucky by providing the Commissioner of Education with direct input from Kentucky’s classrooms.
Bridging the gap between policy and practice, TAC was created to advise the commissioner on educational priorities so that Kentucky’s students are well-prepared for any career they choose. The ultimate goal is to have effective teaching in every school, every classroom, every day.
TAC members serve three-year terms and are required to attend four meetings per year. Visit the TAC webpage for more information about the council. If interested in applying to serve, please complete the TAC membership application by Jan. 1, 2026.
Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference 2026 Save the Date
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Division of Early Literacy (DEL) invites you to the third annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference June 8-9.
The conference, which will require registration but will be free to Kentucky's K-12 public school educators, will offer focused learning paths to meet the needs of teachers and administrators. Attendees will learn from KDE Office of Teaching and Learning consultants and partners about:
- Evidence-based instructional shifts for literacy;
- The benefits of structured literacy;
- Why high-quality instructional resources matter; and
- Available resources for implementing the Read to Succeed Act.
Mark your calendar for this June 8-9 event, and stay tuned for registration information coming in the new year.
|
