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Dear Colleagues,
With the new fiscal year beginning Wednesday, I want to point your attention to the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) 2026-2027 Important Due Dates for Superintendents resource.
The updated document outlines key district deadlines and required reporting timelines, some of which take place in July and early in the school year. Points of contact for all listed programs also have been updated to reflect current KDE staffing.
This document is a wonderful resource to help guide your districts through the 2026-2027 school year, especially if you are a new superintendent. With several of you beginning your roles on July 1, I want to wish you all the best as you take the reins of a community institution and guide our children to be the best that they can be.
We at KDE extend our best wishes as you all kick off another fiscal year and another school year in just another month or so. Of course, we also want you to stay safe and healthy as you celebrate America’s 250th birthday this Independence Day weekend.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Plan Now to be School Report Card Ready
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will release the 2025-2026 School Report Card (SRC) Suite this fall. The tentative SRC Suite timeline is provided below and will be kept updated on the SRC Resources webpage.
- July 22: SRC Portal opens for data collection of school and district data entry and approval of data in the School Safety domain.
- Aug. 11: Overview and Education Opportunity domains open for district review and approval.
- Mid-September: Career and Technical Education and Transition to Adult Life domains open for district review and approval.
- Mid-September: QA day for assessment and accountability data (not in the SRC Portal).
- Oct. 1: School Profile Reports should be completed, signed and available in the district board office.
- Oct. 2: SRC portal closes for approvals and district data entry.
- Oct. 13-14 – Embargo Period
- Oct. 15: Tentative Public Release date.
Districts are encouraged to start validating data now and not wait for the new SRC Portal to open for data entry and approvals.
KDE Releases Updated Active Shooter Training for 2026-2027
KRS 156.095 requires all certified school district employees to complete at least one hour of active shooter situation training prepared by the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DCJT) – in collaboration with the department, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, and the Center for School Safety trainings – within 12 months of initial hire and at least once every four years thereafter.
To facilitate this training, the Kentucky Department of Education has collaborated with the DCJT to incorporate the training into the KY Learning Hub. The training can be accessed by visiting the KY Learning Hub Active Shooter Response Training page.
Only the 2026-2027 version of this training may be used to fulfil the requirement under KRS 156.095; prior year training modules should not be used to train employees. Questions related to accessing the active shooter situation training on KY Learning Hub may be directed to Erin Wofford.
Kentucky’s ESEA Waiver Request Approved
The U.S. Department of Education has approved the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) request to waive the following program requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA):
- Carryover limitation in section 1127(b) of the ESEA for school year 2025-2026 Title I, Part A funds that will become carryover funds on Oct. 1, 2026 (Project M). This waives the requirement that limits KDE’s ability to grant to its local education agencies (LEAs) a waiver of the 15% Title I, Part A carryover limitation in section 1127(a) to once every three years.
- Period of availability of funds in Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). This will allow KDE to extend the period of availability of school year 2024-2025 (Project L) funds for the programs listed below in which Kentucky participates under its approved consolidated ESEA state plan. The period of availability will be extended until June 30, 2027. School and district staff who work with these programs must continue to provide assistance to the same populations served by the respective programs. The programs are:
- Title I, Part A of the ESEA (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs), including the portions of the state’s Title I, Part A award used to carry out section 1003 school improvement, and Title I, Part D, Subpart 2;
- Title I, Part C of the ESEA (Education of Migratory Children);
- Title I, Part D, Subpart 1 of the ESEA (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk);
- Title II, Part A of the ESEA (Supporting Effective Instruction);
- Title III, Part A of the ESEA (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement);
- Title IV, Part A of the ESEA (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants);
- Title IV, Part B of the ESEA (21st Century Community Learning Centers); and
- Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 of the ESEA (Rural and Low-Income School Program).
Additionally, the period of availability of FY 2022 Stronger Connections Grant funds (617K) (awarded through Title IV, Part A of the ESEA under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) is extended through June 30, 2027. Contract modifications will be sent to the district by mid-August 2026.
The revised 2024-2025 award notifications will be posted to the KDE Federal Grants webpage by Aug. 1, 2026. Please contact the following KDE staff with program-specific questions:
- Carryover limitation under section 1127(b): David Millanti.
- Title I, Part A and Title V, Part B, Subpart 2: Erin Sudduth.
- Section 1003 school improvement and 1003A direct student services: Ruth Swanson.
- Title I, Part C: Christina Benassi.
- Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 and Title III, Part A: Neil Watts.
- Title II, Part A: Dana Kelly.
- Title IV, Part A: Lee Bowling.
- Title IV, Part B: Brigette Stacy.
- Stronger Connections Grant: Kris Jarboe.
End-of-Year Technical Education Database System (TEDS) Data Review – Key Reminders
As the academic year draws to a close, it’s essential to ensure all Technical Education Database System (TEDS) data is accurate and complete. Please take the time to carefully review the following items to avoid data discrepancies and potential funding issues:
- Confirm Your School’s Infinite Campus Closure Date
- All TEDS data must be validated prior to Infinite Campus closure and rollover to 2026-2027.
- End dates entered in Infinite Campus to finalize senior records do not impact this requirement.
Review TEDS Tab End Date Guidelines
- Do not remove an end date on the TEDS tab in Infinite Campus unless the student is enrolled in a course within the same pathway for the current school year (2025-2026).
- If the end date is removed during the current Infinite Campus year (2025–2026) and the student is not enrolled in a valid pathway course, this will result in a data violation and may impact funding.
- If the end date is removed after Infinite Campus has rolled over to 2026-2027, the student will appear as active in the 2026–2027 school year — even if they are not enrolled in a valid pathway course — resulting in a data violation and a potential funding violation.
Verify Transcripted Credits
- Ensure that all credit information in TEDS reflects the student’s official transcript. This should be completed through the final export/import process before the school year rollover.
- NOTE: If you are a POSTSECONDARY institution and you are providing courses for SECONDARY students: The correct count is ONE credit for the SECONDARY transcript and in TEDS.
Confirm Student Objective Status
- Verify that each student’s objective (e.g., Explorer or Concentrator) is accurately recorded in TEDS.
- This information must align with the data in the TEDS tab in Infinite Campus and be updated through the export/import process.
- NOTE: If you are a POSTSECONDARY institution and you are providing courses for SECONDARY students:
- A secondary student MUST complete 2 courses in a single program of study to be a concentrator.
- In Kentucky, a course is defined as 1 secondary credit on the student’s official transcript.
Validate Industry Certification Data
- Confirm that all industry certification attempts have been entered into TEDS.
- Ensure that all instructors have reviewed and submitted the necessary certification data.
- Deadline for the submission of industry certificates is Aug. 21, 2026.
2026 Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey to be Administered in October
Kentucky will administer the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey statewide in October 2026.
The KIP Survey is Kentucky’s most trusted source of information on student substance use and mental health. The data help districts and communities:
- Track student needs
- Identify disparities and emerging trends
- Guide decisions that support student well-being
- Identify challenges early
- Strengthen prevention efforts
- Guide school and FRYSC planning
- Access and compete for grant funding for prevention and mental health efforts
Your district’s participation matters. Without broad involvement, Kentucky cannot fully understand student needs or direct resources where they’re most needed. Participating gives your district high-quality, local data that supports decision-making and helps shape statewide planning.
The 2026 KIP Survey will be open from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15. It is an online survey for students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Student answers are completely anonymous and are not linked to names or any personal information. Caregivers will receive clear information about the survey from the school and students may only participate if a parent or caregiver gives permission. Each district will receive its own results, and district-level data are not publicly shared. There is no cost for districts to participate in the KIP Survey.
We encourage your district to take part in the 2026 KIP Survey. Your leadership helps ensure every student’s needs are understood and supports a stronger statewide prevention system.
More information and previous statewide results are available on the KIP Survey website and on the KIP Survey fact sheet. If your district plans to participate or has questions, please contact KIP Survey Administrator Lisa Crabtree via email.
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.
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