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Standards Newsletter: Mar. 25, 2026

Kentucky Department of Education sent this bulletin at 03/25/2026 10:01 AM EDT

Mar. 25, 2026

Revised Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Reading and Writing coming soon

We are approaching the official release of the revised Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Reading and Writing! On October 2, 2025, the Kentucky Board of Education approved the draft standards, and the final legislative review and adoption into law is anticipated on or before May 5, 2026. At that time, the KAS for Reading and Writing along with a comprehensive implementation guide will be available. This guide will help educators get to know the revised standards, consider instructional shifts where needed and make plans for implementation this fall.

In addition to the suite of implementation resources embedded in the implementation guide, regional educational cooperatives are hosting free professional learning opportunities throughout the summer for teachers, instructional coaches and administrators based on the upcoming Getting to Know the KAS for Reading and Writing module. This high-quality professional learning, facilitated by program consultants Leigh Turner and Tina Withorn from the Division of Program Standards, will help educators synthesize the revised standards with research, evidence-based literacy practices and high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs). You will not want to miss the opportunity to dig into the revised standards in your region!

Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative (CKEC)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on June 2, 2026
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on July 20, 2026

Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on May 27, 2026
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on June 12, 2026
For Elementary Co-Teaching Teams & Leaders of regular and special education on July 30, 2026
For Secondary Co-Teaching Teams & leaders of regular or special education on July 31, 2026

Kentucky Educational Development Cooperative (KEDC)

For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on July 15, 2026 in Lexington OR July 16, 2026 in Ashland

Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on May 8, 2026
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on June 5, 2026 OR July 24, 2026

Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services (NKCES)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on June 3, 2026
For Teachers, Instructional Coaches & Administrators on July 29, 2026

Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on June 3 in Shelbyville OR June 4 in Middletown
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on July 22, 2026 in Middletown OR July 23, 2026 in LaGrange

Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative (SESC)

For Administrators at Connect Leadership on May 5, 2026
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches at the Summer Institute on July 15, 2026

Western Kentucky Educational Cooperative (WKEC)

For Administrators & Instructional Coaches on June 11, 2026 (virtual)
For Teachers & Instructional Coaches on July 27, 2026

Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.6453 calls for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to implement a process for reviewing all academic standards and aligned assessments. For more information regarding the standards revision process, please visit the Kentucky Academic Standards Review Process webpage.

Please contact the KDE Standards Team with any questions.

Standards Quick Links

KYstandards.org

Model Curriculum Framework webpage

Standards Resources webpage

KY Academic Standards webpage

Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference

NOW AVAILABLE: Conference Schedule at a Glance & Hotel Information for the third annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference at The Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky beginning on Monday, June 8. Registration will be required but is free to all public school K-12 educators.

The Schedule at a Glance is available NOW!

Start your hotel reservation to lock in a discounted rate by 05/08/2026!

CONTACT INFO

standards@education.ky.gov

New On-Demand Course: Grade 2 Economics with the Kentucky Historical Society: What does the KAS for Social Studies Look Like in Practice?

Unlock a ready-to-use classroom experience with our newest self-paced course in the KY Learning Hub. Developed in partnership with the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), this session takes participants through a lesson strongly aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Social Studies using engaging resources available through KHS. In this lesson, participants will learn about the factors of production of coal in Kentucky, with a focus on land, labor and capital, through analyzing artifacts.

What to expect:

Standards Breakdown: KDE consultants break down the focused Grade 2 Economics standard, 2.E.KE.1, to determine what students should know and be able to do regarding this standard.
Immersive Learning: Experience a KHS-designed inquiry lesson as an adult learner, gaining the content knowledge and pedagogy needed to lead the lesson in your classroom.
Ready for Tomorrow: This session is designed for immediate turnaround. Walk away with the resources and confidence to teach this lesson in your classroom the very next day.
Interactive: Built-in checks for understanding ensure you’re capturing key concepts throughout the module.

Enroll in Grade 2 Economics with the Kentucky Historical Society: What does the KAS for Social Studies Look Like in Practice? in the KYLearningHub today! Please contact the social studies team with any questions you may have.

Learning Acceleration webpage is now live on KY Standards Website

The Learning Acceleration webpage is now live on the KY Standards General Resources page of KyStandards.org. This newly developed section provides educators with evidence-based guidance and resources designed to support and enhance efforts to accelerate student learning during the summer and the academic school year.

Available resources include:

Accelerating Learning During the Summer and Academic School Year - This guidance document focuses on evidence-based strategies for accelerating student learning through summer learning programs and during the academic school year. Also included are best practices for developing effective summer programs to address achievement gaps.
Aligning Tier 2 Intervention with Tier 1 instruction When Using an HQIR – This resource supports districts in creating greater coherence for all students and explains why aligning intervention at Tier 2 is a critical aspect of HQIR implementation. The document also offers practical guidance to accelerate learning by providing students at lower readiness levels the “just-in-time” support required to benefit from the instruction in the Tier 1 classroom.
White Paper: Learning Acceleration to Close Achievement Gaps – This newly developed resource addresses some of the common challenges educators face when considering how to accelerate student progress toward proficiency. This white paper builds understanding around what is meant by learning acceleration, how it differs from remediation and how to develop an effective acceleration model.

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