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Dear Colleagues,
We have some exciting professional development opportunities coming up this summer and next school year that have opened for registration, including for Cohort 5 of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS).
This statewide initiative equips educators and administrators ways to strengthen early literacy instruction and consistently implement evidence-based practices that lead to stronger results for students.
A recent statewide data analysis shows a positive effect on proficiency outcomes in schools with more LETRS-trained teachers. Drawing on data from 574 elementary schools across 135 districts, the study by the Kentucky Reading Research Center found that schools with more LETRS-trained teachers experienced stronger growth in the share of students reaching the proficient level and a greater reduction of the number of students at the novice level on the Kentucky Summative Assessment.
From 2023 to 2025, schools above the state average in LETRS participation saw a 4.26% increase in students reaching proficiency, compared to 2.90% in schools below the average. This pattern holds even when accounting for other school factors and prior performance. The study suggests that the benefits of LETRS are driven primarily by classroom instruction, where trained teachers directly apply evidence-based literacy practices.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) would love to support your teachers, principals and administrators by giving them access to this valuable professional learning. Cohort 5 will begin in October.
Registration is also open for the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference taking place at the Galt House in Louisville June 8-9. Hosted by KDE’s Division of Early Literacy, the conference is free for Kentucky K-12 public school educators. At the conference, there will be multiple breakout sessions across both days, dedicated time for networking with education professionals and a featured welcome and keynote.
KDE currently has more than 1,200 registrants, but can host up to 1,600. The conference will have sessions not only for elementary school teachers, but also for principals and secondary educators.
Applications also are now open for two Numeracy Counts academies. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics (KCM) is launching its second cohort of the K-5 Numeracy Counts Teacher academies, a two-year hybrid learning experience for K-5 educators in summer 2026. Developed and facilitated by KCM in partnership with KDE, these teacher academies feature a blend of in-person summer launch sessions and both synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning opportunities designed to meet the needs of Kentucky K-5 math teachers.
The Partnership Institute for Math and Science Education Reform (PIMSER) is launching its Administrator Numeracy Counts academies in summer 2026. The Leadership Academies provide a mix of in-person, synchronous virtual and asynchronous virtual learning opportunities. Developed by PIMSER in collaboration with KDE, these academies prioritize instructional leaders from schools where teachers are participating in the KCM K-5 teacher academies.
The Leadership Academies are a wonderful opportunity for your district leaders, building principals and assistant principals to be included in training that your teachers are doing.
The EPIC Numeracy Alliance is also hosting a two-year professional learning designed to help build teacher skill, increase self-efficacy in delivering grade-level mathematics and support continuous improvement through collaboration among teachers and leaders in grades 3-8. For more information, visit the EPIC Numeracy webpage.
Please share these opportunities with teachers and administrators in your districts. We at KDE look forward to working with and learning alongside all of the teachers and building and district leaders that we’ll see this summer.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
House Bill 257, Section 7 Middle School Mathematics and Advanced Mathematics Coursework Opportunities Study Survey
Section 7 of House Bill (HB) 257 requires the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to submit a study report, by Nov. 1, 2026, to the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Education on middle school mathematics and advanced mathematics coursework opportunities within the Commonwealth.
Per Section 8 of HB 257, KDE has been authorized to collect the information required within this survey to fulfill the legislatively required report. Your prompt attention to this survey is greatly appreciated, so the most accurate information can be provided to state legislators.
KDE has developed a survey tool designed to gather the specific information required in HB 257. The link to the survey will be shared with district curriculum and instruction leads and will remain open from May 4 to June 12.
If you have any questions regarding Section 7 of HB 257, please contact Sarah Medley. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Caryn Davidson.
New Teacher Survey for 2025-2026 Academic Year
As part of the annual data collection required under KRS 161.031 regarding district new teacher induction and mentoring programs, we need your support.
Action steps:
- Please designate one district representative to complete the district Kentucky Educator Mentorship Program Survey. This response will provide an overview of your district’s program.
- Share this New Teacher Survey with school-level leaders in your district so they can distribute it to new teachers and mentors who directly participated in the induction/mentoring program.
- Important: Administrators should not complete this survey. Only new teachers and mentors involved in the program should respond.
The surveys will remain open until Aug. 14. The collected data will be compiled into a report for the Legislative Research Commission by the Oct. 1 deadline.
Thank you for your continued support in ensuring accurate and timely data collection. For questions, please contact Kentucky Department of Education program consultant Allie Green via email.
NEW NTI Regulation Webinar and Technical Support
To provide technical support, the Kentucky Department of Education will host a nontraditional instruction (NTI) webinar on June 3 at 1:30 p.m. ET. This session will provide an overview of key changes, implementation expectations, and available supports. Districts are encouraged to submit specific questions through the webinar registration form to ensure the presentation addresses your local needs.
To register for the webinar and submit your questions, please visit the NTI Webinar Registration form.
Should you have immediate questions, reach out to NTI Program Consultant Steven Kissinger.
Fiscal Year 2027 District Funding Assurances
The fiscal year 2027 district funding assurances are currently available in the Grants Management Application and Planning System (GMAP).
The assurances are a stand-alone document and not part of the consolidated application. The role of district funding assurances director has been added to complete and approve the assurances. If district staff need the role of district funding assurances director, please contact your district GMAP user access administrator to add the role. A list of GMAP user access administrators are located in GMAP under KDE Resources.
Once the district funding assurances have been completed in GMAP, you must print the document to present to your local board for approval. Upon approval by your local board, the superintendent (not the designee) must upload the assurances statement under their GMAP login by Sept. 30. The district funding assurances statement template is located in GMAP in the District Document Library.
Instructions for completing and uploading the assurances statement in GMAP is available FY 2027 District Funding Assurances Upload Instructions
For guidance on submitting your assurances, please contact Nicole Crosthwaite via email or by phone at (502) 564-1979, ext. 4328. For questions regarding GMAP login, please contact Lindsay McCollum via email at kdegmap@education.ky.gov or by phone at (502) 564-1979, ext. 4368.
School Resource Officer Funding – Notice of Intent to Participate
Appropriations of $11.5 million in general funds and $11.5 million in restricted funds in both fiscal years, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, have been set aside in House Bill 500 and Senate Bill 197 this year to assist local school districts and nonpublic schools in funding salaries for certified full time school resource officers (SRO).
The appropriation bills state: “The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) shall reimburse local school districts and nonpublic schools up to $20,000 in funding salaries for each full-time certified school resource officer.”
Please note: The language in the legislation has changed from previous years. Districts can fund salaries for full-time certified school resource officers regardless of assigned location within the district. There is no longer a requirement that an SRO be assigned on a full-time basis to a single campus.
In order to meet the requirement outlined above, KDE is asking districts that will seek reimbursement to complete the School Resource Officer (SRO) Funding – Notice of Intent to Participate by June 1.
Completion of this Notice of Intent to Participate form is a prerequisite to receiving any award. However, completion of this Notice of Intent to Participate form does not guarantee receipt of an award. The information contained within this Notice of Intent to Participate form will be used by the KDE for the following:
- Determine the total number of full-time certified SROs that potentially qualify school districts and non-public schools for an award;
- Determine whether the total appropriation is sufficient to make awards of $20,000 per full-time certified school resource officer, or whether awards will be made on a pro rata basis; and
- Establish a contact directory to communicate with school districts and non-public schools the next steps in applying for an award.
No school district or non-public school will be eligible to submit additional forms or requests related to this award if the Notice of Intent to Participate is not submitted by the deadline stated above.
For questions, please contact Karen Wirth or Lalah Brewer.
District and School Request for KDE HQIR Support
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) Office of Teaching and Learning has created an intake form for districts and schools to request technical assistance for high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) implementation support. This new HQIR implementation support request form provides a streamlined process for districts and schools to request targeted support aligned to their specific needs and stage of implementation.
Targeted areas for support include:
- Instructional visioning and HQIR adoption;
- Yearly curriculum implementation planning and monitoring,
- Curriculum-based professional learning and intellectual preparation (unit/lesson internalization, lesson rehearsal, student work analysis); and/or
- Instructional Practice Guide Observations and Feedback Support
The form will also gather important information about HQIRs currently in use, grade bands impacted, timelines for support and existing partnerships or initiatives. Submissions are reviewed to determine alignment and next steps for providing coordinated, responsive support.
2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit Keynote Announced and Registration Open
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Cognia invite you to a two-day event designed to elevate your impact in education. Mark your calendars to attend the 2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 21-22 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington!
Mike Rutherford, 2026 Continuous Improvement Summit keynote, will engage participants with conversations on high-performance teaching and learning, leadership development, creating and leading team-based organizations and results-based organizational improvement.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your professional learning, strengthen existing relationships or tackle unique challenges with fresh strategies, this conference is for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to spark new ideas, gain insights from KDE leaders and join Kentucky’s continuous improvement movement! Visit the 2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit registration webpage to register.
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