English Learner Educator Connect: Aug. 25, 2026

August 25, 2026

August Virtual Office Hours

Need support with enrollment, WIDA screening, PSPs or parent notification requirements? Join members of KDE's EL cross-agency team for an open virtual office hours. Each session will include a brief overview of key KDE resources followed by an open Q&A to address your beginning-of-year questions.

Join using the Teams link on one of the following dates: 

• Aug. 27, 2-3 p.m. ET, 1-2 p.m. CT

KDE Sponsored In-Person WIDA Workshops

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is partnering with WIDA to offer two in-person professional learning opportunities for educators and instructional leaders in Lexington on three consecutive days, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. These workshops are designed to support any educators serving English learners (ELs).

Location: Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative (CKEC), 2331 Fortune Dr., Lexington, KY 40509

Important Dates

Aug: 24 & 27: Open Virtual Office Hours 

Sept.1: WIDA ACCESS and Alt. ACCESS trainings open in WIDA Secure Portal

Sept. 21-22: Continuous Improvement Summit in Lexington, Ky

Sept. 28: Deadline to apply for the KDE ACCESS Reclassification Committee

Oct. 12: Immigrant Data extracted from Infinite Campus 

Nov. 1: EL Data verification in Infinite Campus

Quick Links

Find key EL program information, timelines, newsletter archives and support documents on KDE’s Title III – English Learner and Immigrant Student website.

Explore tools and resources to support EL program implementation on KDE’s English Learner & Immigrant Resources website.

Visit KDE’s WIDA ACCESS website for training videos, resources and important WIDA links.

Time: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET

• Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades
• Dates: Sept. 29-30
• Intended Audience: General education teachers and English language development (ELD) educators
• Teacher Leaders: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework
• Date: Oct. 1
• Pre-Workshop Webinar: Sept. 24, 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Intended Audience: ELD educators, instructional leaders, coaches and staff responsible for training teachers on the WIDA ELD Standards Framework

Registration is free; however, space is limited to 35 participants per workshop. Districts are responsible for travel-related expenses. Interested educators should contact their district's EL Coordinator for registration information and submit their registration by Sept. 10.

2026 Continuous Improvement Summit Registration

Join educators from across Kentucky at the 2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit, Sept. 21-22 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. This year's Summit features several sessions focused on supporting English Learners. Whether you're a teacher working with ELs, an instructional coach or a school leader, you'll find opportunities to explore effective instruction, leadership, compliance and collaborative practices that support EL success.

Featured sessions include:

• Unlocking Potential: A Leader's Blueprint for Supporting Multilingual Learners in the General Education Classroom (Deidra Hightower, KDE) 
• Intended audience: School and district leaders
• Talk it Out!: Leveraging Oral Language to Support ELs in the Science of Reading (Amelia Powers & Will Spalding, KDE)
• Intended audience: General education teachers and administrators
• The Lau Plan: Requirements and Recommendations for Every District (Brandy Neal, KDE)
• Intended audience: District leaders
• The English Learner "Big Ideas" of Leadership: Beyond Compliance to Excellence (Will Spalding, KDE)
• Intended audience: School and district leaders 
• Better Together: Maximizing Success for Multilingual Learners Through Co-Teaching (Fayette County Schools)
• Intended audience: General education teachers, ELD teachers, and administrators

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues, gain practical strategies and strengthen outcomes for Kentucky's multilingual learners. Register today for the Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit.

KYTESOL 2026 Conference: Rooted in Kentucky

Save the date for the 2026 KYTESOL Conference on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Lexington. The conference brings together educators and advocates from across Kentucky to support multilingual learners and share effective practices.

Have a successful practice, innovative ideas, research or resources to share? The call for proposals is now open through Oct. 1. Visit the KYTESOL website for more information and to submit your proposal.

Additional information about conference registration will be shared in future KDE communications.

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