Commissioner's Weekly Message

Jan. 15, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, for the last few years, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has been working with the Kentucky United We Learn Council and a variety of stakeholders – ranging from families, students, teachers, community members, business leaders, legislators and education groups – to reimagine assessment and accountability in Kentucky.

Thousands of people from across the state have let us know what they wanted to see in their students’ classrooms, whether it was by completing a survey, attending a town hall or by serving on the Kentucky United We Learn Council.

As the legislative session got underway earlier this month, Rep. J.T. Payne of Henderson County filed House Bill (HB) 257, which is influenced by the work of the Kentucky United We Learn Council. We discussed this legislation during the Superintendents Webcast on Jan. 13.

The bill includes locally developed indicators of quality (formerly known as local accountability) and state accountability that meets federal requirements. Local indicators of quality would include flexible options for districts to set their own indicators in collaboration with their communities.

I am thankful to those of you who have contributed to this piece of legislation, whether that was by giving feedback on our proposals over the past couple years or by working with us and your districts to see how local accountability can look with vibrant learning experiences at the forefront. These efforts have contributed to a bill that encourages collaboration among our districts and communities to ensure a meaningful education for all students.

The changes in HB 257 include:

• There will be less time on state testing.

• The state indicators would continue to include math, reading, science and social studies.
• On-demand writing and editing mechanics would no longer be included in state assessments, which reduces testing time.
• The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) would provide all school districts with guidelines and professional learning to support effective, standards-aligned writing programs across all content areas.
• Each school must adopt and publish a writing program policy that promotes subject-specific writing and offers students various opportunities to develop complex communication skills using diverse tools and resources.
• “Change” is replaced by “student growth.”
• In the current accountability system, schools are evaluated by the change in accountability indicators from year to year.
• In the new system, schools will be evaluated by the academic progress each individual student makes over the course of a year in reading and mathematics.
• Local measures of quality encourage more collaboration between school districts and their communities.
• School districts will be encouraged to create their own local measures of quality.
• Local measures of quality must include:
• Vibrant learning experiences for students.
• Local measures of performance identified by community members.
• A method of displaying data that includes breaking down data by demographic groups.
• Establishing local measures of quality remains optional until more than 60% of districts (or 103 districts currently) have established their own measures. Once that level is reached, it will become mandatory for all districts.
• The bill includes a financial incentive of $10,000 per district with $3 added per student to help districts develop and maintain local measures of quality in collaboration with local community members.
• Local measures of quality will not be used in federal Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) calculations.

The school climate and safety survey would remain as an option for districts to include in local measures of quality, but the survey will not be included in the state accountability model. Chronic absenteeism would replace the school climate and safety survey in the state accountability model.

While many of you have created or are on the road to creating your own local measures of quality, KDE and its partners will continue to provide support for districts that are just beginning their journey. This bill also includes funding for six additional regional specialists who can help provide support.

This is an exciting opportunity for Kentucky to lead the way in personalizing education and making sure all students have a meaningful and joyful learning experience.

As always, thank you for being …

All In,

Robbie Fletcher

Commissioner of Education

Supplies Available for COVID-19, Flu Testing

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) is supporting safe, in-person learning for the 2025–2026 school year by providing over-the-counter COVID-19/Flu A&B antigen tests to public and private schools. Available testing supplies include the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19/Flu A&B antigen test. This test uses a single nasal swab to detect COVID-19, influenza A and influenza B, with results available in approximately 15 minutes.

The attached guidance document outlines the ordering process. All requests must be submitted using the Resource Request Form. Requested quantities should be based on projected 30-day utilization to ensure adequate supply for your school district.

Testing supplies will be shipped directly from McKesson to the primary address listed for the district. The district is responsible for coordinating distribution to individual schools.

For additional information on requesting testing supplies and for additional requirements for COVID-19/Flu A&B professional point-of-care tests, school districts may contact KYCOVIDTesting@ky.gov or email Tiffany Hubbard with KDPH.

KDE Launches New Ask Diego AI Chatbot on GoTeachKY Website

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) agent called Ask Diego that will be used on the GoTeachKY website to help prospective teachers.

Diego primarily functions as a navigational tool and can answer questions from website visitors. While answering, the agent provides direct links to the GoTeachKY website, providing visitors with additional resources and supports.

Additionally, the AI agent is helping KDE team members with deeper understanding of what visitors are asking and how KDE can help continue to remove the friction on teacher retention and recruitment.

Diego only uses information on the GoTeachKY website for the knowledgebase, instead of outside sources. Diego can help prospective teachers find the best way into teaching in Kentucky.

Title IV, Part A CSPR Data Collection Survey

A new survey has been implemented in the Grant Management Application and Planning (GMAP) system for data collection to assist districts in submitting their Title IV, Part A data for the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR).

Districts are required to complete the survey to maintain compliance for the Title IV, Part A grant for submission to the U.S. Department of Education. The survey asks for specific data regarding the Title IV, Part A funds that have been spent by the district, as well as services allocated for private schools, between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, in each of the three components: Well-Rounded Education, Safe and Healthy Students, and Effective Use of Technology. The survey will also ask the degree to which districts are making progress toward achieving their goals with Title IV, Part A supported activities for required public reporting for the federal fiscal year.

Please remember the CSPR data is the actual funds spent during those time periods. The survey is now live for districts to complete and the deadline for the survey to be completed is Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Please visit the Title IV, Part A webpage for information and resources.

The CSPR survey is in the 2026 Application Supplement section of GMAP, titled Title IV Survey. Please contact KDE Title IV, Part A staff by email for additional questions: Lee Bowling or Morgan Rhodes.

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.

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.

Those receiving this at the Kentucky School for the Blind and the Kentucky School for the Deaf, please make sure all employees receive it. Also, Area Technology Center (ATC) principals are asked to forward it to their staffs.

Please send your questions, comments and suggestions on the Commissioner's Weekly Message to Joe Ragusa by 4 p.m. Monday to be published that week.