|
Dear Colleagues,
Today is a special day in the history of the Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD). Founded on April 10, 1823, KSD and was the first state-supported school of its kind in U.S. history. It was only the fourth school specifically for deaf children in the country’s history as well.
General Elias Barbee, a Kentucky state senator whose daughter was deaf, worked with Judge John Rowan to establish the school. John Jacobs, the school’s first trained teacher, helped build the school up with the school’s first superintendent, Rev. John Rice Kerr. The oldest surviving building on campus is named after Jacobs.
I am so proud of the work KSD has done over the past two centuries in helping prepare the Commonwealth’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from across Kentucky for their future. KSD will be recognizing this significant moment in its history this week. Please join me in congratulating them for reaching this milestone.
I’m also excited to be speaking tomorrow at an event hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers called Imagining More: A Summit on Modernizing Our Education System. This summit is convening leading thinkers and innovators from across the education field for an honest conversation about how our nation’s schools can truly change from a systemic perspective, an issue that we have been deeply involved in with Kentucky’s United We Learn initiative.
In my speech, I will be highlighting how three concepts we have used in creating the United We Learn Initiative – co-creation, emergence and reciprocity – can help avoid common state-driven change efforts. These concepts can help us make sure our policy efforts are aimed at the right problems, that they recognize and strengthen the work already happening in our schools and that our change efforts have the support to insulate them from the inevitable swings of state politics and their notoriously short attention span.
And finally, I just wanted to point out my new column that posted last week on Kentucky Teacher called, “10 things I wish someone had told me about the teaching profession.” Based upon a speech I recently gave at the Educators Rising state conference, I think you’ll recognize more than one or two of the truths I point out in the column about what life is really like as an educator. If you have new teachers in your building or students who are considering entering the profession, please feel free to share the link with them.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
Guidance on Unpaid Fees
Generally, a district cannot withhold grades due to unpaid fees. KRS 160.330 and 157.100, along with OAG 82-386, indicate that a school cannot withhold grades, diplomas or records as leverage to force a student to pay fees.
Taking part in a graduation ceremony – or “walking” – is a gray area since the act of the ceremony itself doesn’t confer graduate status. Instead, the diploma confers graduate status whether or not the student participates in a graduation ceremony. So long as the student is not prevented from receiving the diploma, using the graduation ceremony as leverage may be technically permissible. However, that strategy is not best practice and, in keeping with the spirit of OAG 82-386, is discouraged by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
Any fee charged for participating in a graduation ceremony should be reasonable and permissible. If a graduation fee is for caps, gowns, et cetera (items incidental to the ceremony), these are reasonable fees. If the fee, however, is for the district to raise funds, this would be problematic.
As to the question of in-school detention as a consequence for a student’s failure to pay fees, this should be discouraged. Student code of conduct violations should be the only sources of student discipline such as in-school detention or in-school suspension. In-school detention or suspension deprives the student of the full instructional opportunity provided in the ordinary school day. Detention for a student who is unable to pay a fee is reminiscent of debtor’s prison and does not lead to the desired outcome for either party: payment of the fee.
The usual routes for recoupment of funds owed should be pursued, such as small claims court. This is in keeping with the Kentucky law prohibiting a school from lowering a student’s grades as a punishment for misconduct, including as a punishment for unexcused absences or tardies.
See OAG 96-28, which outlines this conclusion and describes the analysis when a student is suspended (the missed schoolwork may not be made up since that is the essence of the punishment). A school may, however, prohibit a student’s participation in a graduation ceremony since taking part in a graduation ceremony – or “walking” – doesn’t confer graduate status. Again, restricting the student’s participation in graduation may be technically allowable as leverage, but that strategy is not best practice and not recommended by KDE in keeping with the spirit of this OAG opinion.
Comprehensive District and School Improvement Planning: Phase Four Diagnostics
Phase Four of the continuous improvement planning process includes three district-level diagnostics and a school-level diagnostic that are each due May 1.
The Continuation of Learning Plan will support the district in designing and implementing a plan during times when nontraditional instruction may be needed to prevent a loss of learning. This diagnostic will describe the plan for the following school year. For questions regarding the Continuation of Learning Plan, contact KDE's Steve Kissinger or David Cook.
The English Learner Plan for Districts (Lau Plan) diagnostic supports the district’s commitment to ensuring that English learner students can meaningfully participate in the district’s educational programs and services. It outlines the affirmative steps taken by the district to overcome educational barriers that impede equal participation by English learner students in their instructional programs. For questions regarding this district-level diagnostic, contact Neil Watts.
The final diagnostic is the Professional Development Plan for both schools and districts. Each school and district must design a professional development plan that supports their efforts to meet the goals established in KRS 158.6451 and addresses the priorities identified in their local needs assessment. The 2022-2023 Professional Development Plan will be implemented in the 2023-2024 school year and incorporated into the improvement plan for that year. For questions regarding the Professional Development Plan, contact Renee Yates.
Progress Monitoring, Online Posting and Phase Four Diagnostics
The last phase of the comprehensive district/school improvement plan process also includes the vital process of progress monitoring. Districts and schools may choose a flexible and customized approach to monitoring and implementing the comprehensive improvement plan.
Districts/schools should be collecting both input and outcome data to reflect on the following questions regarding their plan:
- Are the planned strategies and activities being implemented as intended?
- Are our strategies and activities meeting the needs of learners?
- Will we adjust or stay the course?
Pursuant to 703 KAR 5:225, Comprehensive District Improvement Plans (CDIPs) and Comprehensive School Improvement Plans (CSIPs) must be posted online. CDIPs must be posted to the district’s website, while CSIPs must be posted to each school’s website.
With Phase Four diagnostics yet to be competed, it is important to follow local policy regarding the timeline for posting, and remember to include any attachments referenced in a diagnostic. Please see below for additional information on what should be posted for each improvement plan:
District’s Improvement Plan:
- Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Districts
- Executive Summary for Districts
- Needs Assessment Diagnostic for Districts
- District Assurances
- Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (including the Goal Building Template)
- Superintendent Gap Assurances
- Professional Development Plan for Districts
School’s Improvement Plan:
- Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Schools
- Executive Summary for Schools
- Needs Assessment for Schools
- School Assurances
- Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (including the Goal Building Template)
- Professional Development Plan for Schools
2023 Persistence to Graduation Summit Call for Proposals
On June 28-29, the Kentucky Department of Education Division of Student Success (DSS) is hosting the 2023 Persistence to Graduation Summit at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington. Superintendents, principals, educators, family resource and youth services center (FRYSC) coordinators, social service professionals and community partners from across Kentucky will convene to share information and best practices to support students who may experience challenges to reaching graduation.
Engaging and interactive sessions will be led by facilitators from across the state and will include:
- Well-rounded educational opportunities;
- Safe and supportive learning environments;
- Effective use of education technology;
- Student transition and re-engagement strategies; and
- Alternative education programming.
These sessions are designed to be more engaging than the typical “sit and get” format of most conferences and should be structured to encourage dialogue and exchanges that leverage the expertise of the session participants as well as the session leaders. Facilitators should engage with participants throughout the session and help cultivate an interactive experience, mirroring the type of interactions that take place in highly-engaging classrooms. Participants will have prior access to any materials that you submit.
Those interested in facilitating a session should complete the Persistence to Graduation Summit Call for Proposals form by April 28. Submissions will be reviewed by DSS staff and selected based on content, participant engagement and event needs. Those selected will be notified by email.
For more information, contact Sarah McIntosh.
|
