(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) recognized seven schools and two school districts for best practices during the 2021 Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 23.

Associate Commissioner Kelley Foster presented each winner with a $500 check that can be used toward school improvement.

Those recognized were:

• John F. Kennedy Montessori Elementary (Jefferson County): Created a Kindness Crew to greet students and staff with positive and encouraging affirmations to foster a community that enhances healthy social and emotional learning.

• Cane Ridge Elementary (Bourbon County): Founded Café Americano to share basic information about school practices and community resources within the English learner population.

• Hancock County High School: Created lesson planning “playlists” to help teachers keep lessons organized and meet students where they are academically.

• Heritage Elementary School (Shelby County): Created MAP Student Profile Reports and personalized learning plans to help teachers meet students where they are with a plan specific to each child's needs.

• B. Atkinson Academy (Jefferson County): Developed a system and protocol for analyzing student data to provide teachers with the foundation for making immediate instructional decisions based on a student's strengths and weaknesses.

• Martha Layne Collins High School (Shelby County): Built the Defense of Learning website to organize resources and support students and mentors in the process of defending their learning and competency.

• Jacob Elementary (Jefferson County): Developed “Regulators – Mount Up,” an insightful practice to turn every staff member into a regulation station for students. The program reduced suspensions, developed self-regulated learners and increased academic engagement.

• Meade County Schools: Created the Meade County Special Education Model to offer a balanced continuum for all students. The model provides access to the general curriculum, but also meets students where they are via supplemental resources.

• Jefferson County Public Schools: Developed the Comprehensive Systems Review to provide rich, descriptive, qualitative feedback to schools, specifically tied to their instructional system and assessed through data collection of the student experience, perception and learning.

Photos of winners are available on KDE's Facebook page. Any Kentucky teacher, school or district may submit a best practice to KDE for consideration to be a Best Practice award recipient. Previous Best Practice winners can be viewed on KDE’s website.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The U. S. Department of Education (USED) named five Kentucky public schools as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released a new guidance document on Sept. 20 to support schools and districts as they implement Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which was passed on Sept. 9 during the General Assembly’s recent special session.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – As the Kentucky General Assembly's special session rolls on in Frankfort, the Senate Standing Committee on Education voted to amend Senate Bill (SB) 1, removing a section encouraging districts to develop vaccination incentive plans.

The original bill encouraged districts to create incentive plans for staff and student vaccinations. It also would have forbidden “intimidation tactics or negative incentives.”

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., an English and French teacher at Montgomery County High School, is the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has released a new guidance document, Guidance for Offering a Hybrid Performance-Based Schedule, to support districts in implementing a hybrid schedule for grades 5-12 by utilizing their board’s policy on performance-based courses. Districts may use a hybrid schedule at the request of students and families as an additional COVID-19 mitigation strategy to assist with social distancing.

The Kentucky Department of Education has updated their guidance on SBDM elections and now allows parent groups and teachers to hold elections online electronically, in person, or a combination of both. Electronic elections were an option during the first COVID peak, but with this new KDE guidance, the option of electronic elections is available all the time.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) released new guidance on July 28 for schools on recommended masking guidelines ahead of the 2021-2022 school year.

KASC is seeking to elect new members to our Board of Directors.

We encourage your help in finding strong candidates. We are currently asking for nominations for board members and delegates to represent each SBDM council in voting.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education and Valvoline Inc. have selected 24 outstanding Kentucky educators as recipients of the 2022 Valvoline™ Teacher Achievement Awards (TAA). These teachers qualify to compete for the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced in September.

(FRANKFORT, KY) – High school and college students from across Kentucky who are looking to pursue careers in education participated in the 2021 Educators Rising National Conference, which was held virtually June 24-27.

Professional Development

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Eighteen Kentucky public high school students have been named to the 2021-2022 Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) announced on May 28.

KDE kicks off summer learning initiative to promote literacy and mathematics

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education has launched its Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program, along with a series of Summer Support webpages, in partnership with The Children’s Reading Foundation, Scholastic and the Summer Food Service Program. 

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is seeking input from a diverse group of stakeholders as it develops plans for the use of its portion of American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds.

Currently, the Kentucky Housing Corporation has expended just under $30 million of an available $220 million to program applicants. They are actively seeking applications from both tenants and landlords for rent and utility assistance.

KDE updates guidance on Supplemental School Year Program