 Welcome Back!
The Division of Early Literacy (DEL) wants to welcome you and your students back to the classroom for the 2026-2027 school year. We recognize the complexities of teaching are vast and that you teach through many challenges each day. We value your dedication and want to thank you for your commitment to meeting students’ needs.
New: Redesigned HQIR Page on KyStandards.org
In response to feedback from the field, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has redesigned the HQIR page on kystandards.org. The new homepage provides foundational information around the “what” and “why” of HQIR with links to access all HQIR-related resources and to request implementation support from the Office of Teaching and Learning.
The new HQIR Resources Page provides quick access to key resources divided by core aspects of the work:
- HQIR Adoption Resources
- HQIR implementation Resources
- Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Resources
- HQIR Implementation Monitoring Resources
Visit the redesigned pages to find out more about supporting HQIR adoption and implementation in your district and/or school.
Tools for Supporting New School Year Planning
As schools prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) reminds educators of two resources available for informing and improving systems to support all students.
- The Literacy Assessment Flowchart is available as a quick reference for planning assessment practices that support informed instructional decisions. The flowchart outlines the who, what, when and why of early literacy assessments, helping educators understand the sequence of universal screening and diagnostic assessment within a comprehensive literacy system. It also includes embedded links to related KDE resources for additional guidance and support. The Literacy Assessment Flowchart can serve as a valuable tool as schools plan to identify student needs early and provide timely, targeted instruction and intervention.
Access the Literacy Assessment Flowchart.
- The KyMTSS Intervention Inventory is available as a tool to provide a systematic way of compiling, analyzing and planning for all interventions of an effective Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). This inventory includes customizable Excel templates and guiding questions beyond reading. Mathematics and social-behavioral domains are also included. The inventory serves as a planning resource to help MTSS teams make strategic decisions to maximize learning for all students. Reading Improvement Teams may use this tool when they are developing a student’s Reading Improvement Plan.
Utilize the KyMTSS Intervention Inventory to:
- Identify intervention for Tiers 1, 2 and 3;
- Determine if interventions are evidence-based, aligned with student needs and implemented with fidelity;
- Guide professional learning and resource allocation; and
- Inform data-based conversations during intervention planning meetings.
Access the KyMTSS Intervention Inventory on the Resources for Collaborative Problem Solving Teams page.
ICYMI: Family Resources Available in Time for Back to School Night
Start off back to school relationship-building with students and families with these three helpful resources: Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) Family Guides, A Family’s Guide to Understanding Student Assessment and the Read at Home Plan Family Guide.
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The KAS Family Guides were developed to help families familiarize themselves with the concepts of each grade level’s academic standards and include suggestions for how families can reinforce grade-level content at home. Each guide contains a standards overview for mathematics, reading and writing, science, social studies and visual and performing arts. The family guides for reading and writing align with the new KAS for Reading and Writing. Guides are available for grades K–8 and high school, and they are also offered in Spanish for Spanish-speaking families.
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A Family’s Guide to Understanding Student Assessment was made to help families understand how assessment can support student learning. The guide includes information about formative, diagnostic, interim and summative assessment and gives teachers and families common language to use when discussing student assessment.
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The Read At Home Plan Family Guide includes learning experiences families can have with children at home to support their reading skills development. Additionally, the guide includes information about Senate Bill 9 (2022), the Read to Succeed Act, Reading Improvement Plans and the key role families play in student success. A glossary of literacy terms and general tips for reading at home also are included. The at-home learning experiences contained in this document are organized into the five essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension).
CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions about Early Literacy, please email the Early Literacy Team.
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