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Dear Colleagues,
We have a busy week ahead!
The Kentucky Board of Education will be meeting in person on April 9-10. Items on the agenda will include commissioner updates, a discussion on the 2023 Impact Kentucky Survey and presentation of the 2024 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education.
We are also just days away from the conclusion of the 2024 session of the Kentucky General Assembly. We are grateful to the Kentucky General Assembly for the increased opportunity to collaborate on legislation this session and look forward to continuing that positive relationship under Dr. Robbie Fletcher’s leadership, pending his confirmation by the Kentucky Senate. Dr. Fletcher will assume his new role on July 1.
I look forward to speaking with many of you later this week for the Superintendents Webcast, scheduled for 2-4 p.m. ET on April 11. You should already have an invitation to the meeting through email.
One of the agenda items will include a discussion on a new resource to help districts develop innovative practices by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Division of Innovation.
If you have a moment, I encourage you to look at the Kentucky Innovation Guide, which details the innovative work happening within many Kentucky schools and how you can implement some of these ideas into your district.
I know during most of my school visits, I have been able to see these practices firsthand and it is always encouraging to see the United We Learn vision in action. I am a strong believer that personalized learning provides a valuable framework through which districts and schools can realize this vision.
The guide outlines several networks and initiatives KDE has either created or partnered with to support districts. It also highlights several Kentucky school districts and their efforts to implement personalized learning, representing the Commonwealth’s broad geographic diversity and approaches to innovation in the classroom.
Once again, thank you for all you and your staff do for students, and I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Sincerely,
Robin Fields Kinney
Interim Commissioner of Education
Registration Open for Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Office of Teaching and Learning, Division of Early Literacy invites you to register for the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference. The conference will take place June 20 at the Central Bank Center, formerly the Lexington Convention Center.
Keynote speaker and educational journalist Emily Hanford, host of the Sold a Story podcast, the second-most-shared show on Apple Podcasts in 2023 and one of Time magazine’s top three podcasts of the year, has been covering education for American Public Media since 2008. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Educator Writers Association (EWA) Public Service Award in 2019 and the 2017 Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award from the American Educational Research Association.
The conference requires registration but is FREE to Kentucky K-12 public educators and will offer focused learning paths to meet the needs of teachers and administrators. Attendees will learn from KDE consultants and partners about:
- Evidence-based instructional shifts for literacy;
- The benefits of structured literacy;
- Why high-quality instructional resources matter; and
- Available resources for implementing the Read to Succeed Act.
Please share this message and the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference flyer with your colleagues.
Fiscal Year 2025 District Funding Assurances
The Fiscal Year 2025 District Funding Assurances are currently available in the Grants Management Application and Planning System (GMAP).
The assurances are a stand-alone document and not part of the consolidated application. The role of district funding assurances director has been added to complete and approve the assurances. If district staff need the role of district funding assurances director, please contact your GMAP user access administrator to add the role. A list of GMAP user access administrators is located in GMAP under KDE Resources.
Once the district funding assurances have been completed in GMAP, you must print the document to present to your local board for approval. Upon approval by your local board, the superintendent (not the designee) must upload the assurances statement under their GMAP login by Sept. 30, 2024. The district funding assurances statement template is located in GMAP in the District Document Library.
Instructions for completing and uploading the assurances statement in GMAP are available at FY2025 District Funding Assurances Upload Instructions.
For guidance on submitting your assurances, please contact Nicole Crosthwaite via email or (502) 564-1979, ext. 4328. For questions regarding GMAP login, please contact Thelma Hawkins via email at kdegmap@education.ky.gov or by phone at (502) 564-1979, ext. 4361.
2024 Persistence to Graduation Summit Call for Proposals and Registration
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Division of Student Success is hosting the 2024 Persistence to Graduation Summit at the Hilton in downtown Lexington on June 11-12.
During this two-day event, superintendents, district level personnel, school administrators, school counselors, educators, family resource and youth services center coordinators, school mental health and 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:
- Student transition and re-engagement strategies;
- Alternative education programming;
- Well-rounded educational opportunities;
- Safe and supportive learning environments; and
- Effective use of education technology.
These sessions are designed to be more engaging than the typical “sit-and-get” format of most conferences and are structured to encourage dialogue and exchanges that leverage the expertise of the session participants as well as the session leaders. Facilitators will 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 submitted by facilitators.
Those interested in facilitating a session should submit a proposal in the Persistence to Graduation Call for Proposals portal by April 12. If there are multiple presenters for a single session, only one person needs to complete the form. If you would like to suggest multiple session topics, please access the portal link again and submit a proposal for any additional topic.
Submissions will be reviewed by KDE staff and selected based on content, proposed methods for participant engagement and event needs. Those selected will be notified by email.
Registration for the 2024 Persistence to Graduation Summit is available at no cost to participants through Title IV, Part A funding, but registration is limited to the first 300. For more information, contact Michelle Wilson.
Fiscal Year 2024 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grant Awards Announced
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program provides academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools to meet the challenging state academic standards.
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) mission is to partner with districts, schools, families, students, businesses and communities to provide leadership and support to ensure success for every student. Programs must provide a balance of enrichment opportunities that include active, hands-on engagement, with activities that address the needs of the whole child and help meet local and state academic standards. The 21st CCLC program provides students with homework assistance, evidence-based academic and enrichment activities, and meaningful engagement opportunities for families.
The 21st CCLC Cycle 21 Awards are now posted on KDE’s Competitive Awards website. Please keep in mind that the awards are based on the availability of funding and awarded entities meeting programmatic and budgetary requirements with the 21st CCLC SEA administrator review, an onsite meeting with the fiscal agent and co-applicant, and other conditions as deemed necessary by the 21st CCLC SEA Administrator, which may include budget amendments based on requirements outlined in the request for applications. Posting should not be considered final notice of award.
If you have programmatic questions, please contact Brigette Stacy. If you have budget-related questions, please contact Thelma Hawkins. If you have questions related to the application process, please contact Jennifer Bryant
Public Comments Open for IDEA Part B Funds
Each year, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) must submit an application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
As part of this application process, KDE is required to make the application available for public comment for 30 days prior to its effective date of July 1. The draft application is located on KDE’s IDEA Application for School Year webpage.
Questions or comments may be submitted to Karla Miller in KDE’s Office of Special Education and Early Learning by 4 p.m. ET on April 22.
Western Kentucky University To Host Grow-Your-Own Educator Apprenticeship Summit
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is hosting the 2nd annual WKU Teacher Apprenticeship Summit on April 17.
The summit will provide school districts with an understanding of teacher and principal apprenticeship programs and the step-by-step process to establish a viable program in their own district. The summit is an opportunity to bring people together to learn about the full spectrum of grow your own educator programs in Kentucky.
The summit is open to all school districts and educator preparation programs, and registration is free. Visit the 2024 WKU Teacher Apprenticeship Summit website for more information, including how to register.
Registration Open for 2024 Continuous Improvement Summit
The Kentucky Department of Education and Cognia™ invite you to the annual Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 23-24 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. Please join us for an opportunity to explore a variety of topics and engage in conversations that will enrich your understanding of continuous improvement.
Keynote speaker Marck Abraham, the author of “What Success Looks Like,” is a transformational leader with a wealth of experience in education. He is committed to providing a world-class educational experience that ensures all students achieve their goals of post-secondary college and fulfilling careers. His mission has been to create environments that assist students in reaching their maximum potential in life.
During this two-day event, you will enhance your professional learning, make new connections and build upon existing relationships with peers across Kentucky, hear up-to-date information from KDE leaders, and learn how Cognia can help address your unique challenges in your journey of continuous improvement.
To receive early bird pricing, please register before Sept. 2.
Schools Encouraged to Submit Best Practices
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Best Practices and Sustainability website is open for submission of best practices from schools and districts.
The Best Practices website is designed to serve as a clearinghouse to promote practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in student learning, achievement and school/district processes. Any aspect of a school system that can impact student outcomes through improved instruction or operations can be submitted as a best practice.
Best practices should be submitted to the Best Practices database by May 10 to be considered for acknowledgement at the Continuous Improvement Summit, scheduled for Sept. 23-24. For more information, email Natasha Stein.
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