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Dear Colleagues,
Every year since 2020, a Kentucky student and teacher get the opportunity to weigh in on education policy as non-voting members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE). These individuals provide necessary insights from our schools when it comes to how we operate here at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and how the KBE determines what the best steps are with decisions affecting schools across the Commonwealth.
Trace Brooking, a junior at Glasgow High School (Glasgow Independent), has been selected as the newest non-voting student member. Stephanie Phillips, a family consumer sciences teacher at Paul Blazer High School (Ashland Independent), has been named the newest non-voting teacher member.
Both of their terms started July 1, and I have had the opportunity to talk with them a little bit as they prepare for their first KBE meeting in August. Brooking is a bright, excited young man with a passion for civic engagement who seems eager to hit the ground running. Mrs. Phillips has been a steady, uplifting presence in her district for more than a decade, helping young students in the Ashland community – a community where she grew up – figure out what they want to do in their careers.
I have had the chance to work with the last few non-voting KBE members, and they are some of the brightest minds with some of the most enlightening thoughts when it comes to the experiences of students and teachers in our schools. I appreciate the districts who have allowed these representatives to take time out of their days to help us as we work to ensure Kentucky has the best possible public education system, filled with vibrant learning experiences for our students.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Regional Innovation Specialists are Partners for Sustainability and House Bill 257 Success
The progress we have seen across Kentucky over the last several years is the result of local vision. With the passage of House Bill (HB) 257, Kentucky formally recognizes that communities are well-positioned to define and measure the quality of their local education system. At the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Division of Innovation, our goal for the 2026-2027 school year is to help you embed these systems - from Portrait of a Learner to performance assessments - into your district’s DNA.
KDE is pleased to offer the continued support of our regional innovation specialist. Funded through June 30, 2027, your regional innovation specialist serves as a sustainability architect to help you engineer the policy, data, and leadership systems for long-term success.
During the 2026-2027 school year, your regional innovation specialist is prepared to partner with you on five key sustainability objectives:
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HB 257 Strategy and Local Indicators of Quality: Assisting with the design process for a set of local success indicators aligned with HB 257.
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Systems Coaching: Coaching a local innovation lead to ensure expertise remains in-house.
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Spreading and Codifying Success: Co-creating strategic implementation plans to transition local pilots to scale and board policy (e.g., embedding Portrait of a Learner into local graduation requirements).
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Evidence Systems: Acting as a “critical friend” to ensure local data collection and assessment systems are rigorous and manageable.
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Professional Learning & Peer Networking: Facilitating collaborative, multi-district professional learning opportunities on topics such as vibrant learning, Portrait of a Learner, performance assessments, and local indicators of quality.
For more information or to connect with the specialist in your region, contact Robert Meacham.
House Bill 307 Guidance Now Available
House Bill 307 (2026) established the Kentucky Proactive Postsecondary Admissions Program to increase college-going rates by helping students connect with postsecondary opportunities earlier and more easily.
To support the program, school districts will annually invite high school students to participate and report participation information to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). KDE will then provide participating institutions with student-level information as defined in the legislation.
The House Bill 307 guidance document details the legislative requirements, implementation notes, and plans for new Infinite Campus collections. District data collections are expected to begin during the 2026-2027 school year. The first data sharing is expected to occur in 2027, with proactive admission notifications beginning in 2028.
Questions regarding the Kentucky Proactive Postsecondary Admissions Program may be directed to Caryn Davidson, KDE Office of Teaching and Learning. Questions regarding Infinite Campus collections may be directed to the KDE Office of Education Technology’s Data Services team.
KDE to Offer Statewide Federal Programs Training
The Kentucky Department of Education is pleased to offer a virtual statewide federal programs training at no cost to school districts on Sept. 9-10. Each session will cover different topics (there may be some overlap of content, but the agendas will not repeat). The topics covered during the two day training include:
- An overview of the requirements in EDGAR (Education Department General Administrative Regulations)
- Procurement
- Case studies of fraud, waste and abuse of federal funds
- Proposed changes to the Uniform Grants Guidance (UGG)
- Interagency agreements
- Appropriation of funding at the federal level
- Hot topics in Washington, D.C.
The training will be provided by The Bruman Group, a legal firm that is nationally recognized for its federal grants management and education regulatory and legislative practice.
The training will benefit district staff who are responsible for the oversight and administration of federal education programs and compliance with legal requirements. We strongly encourage the district superintendent, finance officer and federal programs coordinator to attend. CPE credit will be available, and we anticipate offering EILA and finance officer professional development (PD) credit as well.
To register, please complete the online registration form. The training will be recorded and anyone who registers will be able to access the recording (although you must participate in the live training to be eligible for CPE or other PD credit).
For more information, email Tara Rodriguez or call (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042.
Registration Open for KDE’s 2026-2027 Kentucky Innovative Learner Network and New Regional Opportunities
To build a more prosperous Kentucky, we have committed to a "moonshot" goal: launching an accountability system that is meaningful and useful to all our learners. This vision, rooted in our United We Learn initiative, moves us from a standardized approach to one that honors the uniqueness of every student and community while ensuring high-quality outcomes for all.
Districts are invited to be a central part of this transformation through the Kentucky Innovative Learner Network (KY ILN) and its new Regional Learner Network (RLN) for the 2026-2027 school year. View the RLN sample schedule for more details.
The KY ILN is a dedicated professional learning space for leaders committed to creating Vibrant Learning Experiences (VLEs), learning that is relevant, authentic, and reflective of a student's cultural wealth and interests. By joining this network, your district gains access to a community of forward-thinking peers and state leaders as guides for your journey, and a platform to showcase the local innovation already happening in your schools.
This year, our new Regional Learner Networks will be guided by a single, powerful driving question: What local indicators exist in our district, and what opportunities do we have to design, create, and implement with our community to increase joyful teaching and learning that matters and is useful for all students?
KDE’s Division of Innovation encourages every district to consider this opportunity to help shape the future of Kentucky's assessment and accountability framework and bring increased joy to teaching and learning. To establish your partnership, please email Brandy Breeze your 2026–2027 Regional Learner Network Letter of Commitment by Friday, July 31.
Together, we will ensure that every Kentucky student graduates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to lead a joyful and productive life.
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.
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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