Dear Colleagues:
The Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education (KCAE) met virtually for the last time on June 23 to celebrate their accomplishments. Created last year, the coalition brought together families, community members, teachers, students and other diverse perspectives from across the Commonwealth to co-create a vision, foster local innovations and advance policy recommendations to shape the future of education in Kentucky.
The coalition took information gained from multiple town halls last year to understand what Kentuckians want from their education system, which helped form the United We Learn vision for the future of education in the Commonwealth. This vision builds around three central themes: creating a more vibrant experience for every student, encouraging innovation in our schools –especially when it comes to assessment – and creating a bold new future for Kentucky’s schools through collaboration with our communities.
I know several of you, your teachers and family members from your district participated in this very demanding work over the course of the past year. I want to thank each of you personally for the time and effort you took to ensure the wishes of Kentuckians were heard. We took those efforts seriously, far beyond the traditional report on the shelf that is quickly forgotten. The coalition’s work is being used even now to shape the Commonwealth’s education system.
Although the KCAE has ended, its work will continue with the Kentucky United We Learn Council (KUWL). The new council – which will bring together members from across the Commonwealth – will meet twice a year to engage in conversation and deliberation about the work that is embedded in the United We Learn report.
KUWL will have three standing committees: Creating Vibrant Learning Experiences, Accelerating Innovation and Building a Bold New Future with Communities. The council will meet for the first time in late fall.
I know you’ve heard me say this before, but it is worth repeating. United We Learn isn’t a program and it isn’t a one-shot training session that will solve everything. United We Learn is a way of thinking about education and how we interact with our students, our families and our communities. It is about working together and sharing ideas about ways to keep our students learning deeply.
A lot of great work already is going on in the state and we’ll continue to share innovative programs with you at Superintendent Webcasts and on Kentucky Teacher. We’re also using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding to do things such as enter into a partnership with PBLWorks to give every public school educator in the state a free opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to facilitate high-quality projects in their classrooms.
I think one of the things I enjoyed most about the KCAE – and what I expect to continue with our new council – is the diversity of perspective the council garnered and the honest conversations we had over the past year.
One comment that really stuck with me was from Penny Christian, a 16th District PTA member in Fayette County.
“Parents are brought to the table in this space in a way that I’ve never seen,” she said. “I don’t know how many times this year (I’ve heard), ‘Will you be the parent (representative) for this?’ Which means you’re checking a box for the female, the parent, the Black person. It never felt like that here.”
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
Gifted and Talented Funding Allocations for the 2022-2023 School Year
The formula to calculate the Gifted and Talented (GT) state funding allocation for the 2022-2023 school year has been revised.
During the 2022 legislative session, House Bill 1 increased the GT appropriation from $6.2 million a year to $10 million a year over the next biennium. With this increase in funding – the first significant increase in several budgets – the funding formula was reviewed and changed with an emphasis on providing a more equitable distribution of funds to support GT programs and students across the Commonwealth.
Every district will receive a base amount of $20,000, regardless of the size of the district, to support its local GT program. In addition to the base amount, the formula allocates a per-student rate based on the previous school year’s total enrollment.
For the 2022-2023 school year only, the four districts that would have received slightly less funding than the prior fiscal year will see a provisional amount added to maintain the district’s grant allocation from the previous year.
Award letters will be posted on KDE’s State Grants webpage. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
If you have any questions, email Kathie Anderson or call (502) 564-4970, ext. 4133.
Kentucky’s ESSA Waiver Request Approved
The U.S. Department of Education has approved the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) request to waive the following program requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA):
- Carryover limitation in section 1127(b) of the ESEA for school year 2021-2022 Title I, Part A funds that will become carryover funds on Oct. 1, 2022. This waives the requirement that limits KDE’s ability to grant to its local education agencies (LEAs) a waiver of the 15% Title I, Part A carryover limitation in section 1127(a) to once every three years.
- Period of availability of funds in section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). This will allow KDE to extend the period of availability of school year 2020-2021 (Project G) funds for programs in which Kentucky participates under its approved consolidated ESEA state plan until June 30, 2023. School and district staff who work with these programs must continue to provide assistance to the same populations served by the respective programs. The programs are:
- Title I, Part A of the ESEA (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs), including the portions of the state’s Title I, Part A award used to carry out section 1003 school improvement, and Title I, Part D, Subpart 2
- Title I, Part C of the ESEA (Education of Migratory Children)
- Title I, Part D, Subpart 1 of the ESEA (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk)
- Title II, Part A of the ESEA (Supporting Effective Instruction)
- Title III, Part A of the ESEA (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement)
- Title IV, Part A of the ESEA (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants)
- Title IV, Part B of the ESEA (21st Century Community Learning Centers)
- Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 of the ESEA (Rural and Low-Income School Program)
- McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
Please contact the following KDE staff with program-specific questions:
- Carryover limitation under section 1127(b): David Millanti
- Title I, Part A and Title V, Part B, Subpart 2: Erin Sudduth
- Section 1003 school improvement and 1003A direct student services: Ruth Swanson
- Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D, Subpart 1; Title I, Part D, Subpart 2; and Title III, Part A: Neil Watts
- Title II, Part A: Kris Jarboe
- Title IV, Part A: Lalah Brewer or Lee Bowling
- Title IV, Part B and McKinney-Vento: Brigette Stacy
Waiver Granted for Carryover Limitation of 2021-2022 School Year Title I, Part A (Project 310I) Funds
Section 1127(a) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) places a carryover limitation on Title I, Part A funds. Not more than 15% of the funds allocated to a district for any fiscal year may remain available for obligation for one additional fiscal year. Districts must ensure that at least 85% of school year 2021-2022 Title I, Part A funds are obligated for activities that occur no later than Sept. 30, 2022. As stated in Section 1127(c) of ESSA, this carryover limitation does not apply to districts that receive less than $50,000 in Title I, Part A for the fiscal year.
Typically, Section 1127(b) of ESSA allows the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to waive this carryover limitation for districts once every three years if:
- It determines that a district’s request is reasonable and necessary; or
- Supplemental appropriations for this subpart become available.
Due to impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education has granted KDE a waiver of the 15% carryover limitation requirement in section 1127(b) of ESSA for the 2021-2022 school year Title I, Part A funds (Project 310I).
This approval allows KDE to grant a district’s carryover request more than once every three years. Districts that took the waiver within the previous three years could take it again this year if needed. Districts should be advised that if they take the waiver this year, they might not be able to take it again within the next few years.
Any district wishing to request a carryover waiver for 2021-2022 funds may do so no later than Sept. 30, 2022, by emailing David Millanti. The email must:
- State that the district requests a waiver of the 15% carryover limitation for school year 2021-2022 funds;
- Contain the reason for the excess carryover; and
- Describe a plan for effectively using carryover funds.
Questions may be directed to David Millanti or your district’s Title I, Part A consultant.
FY23 Consolidated GMAP Application
The FY23 Consolidated GMAP Application is now open and due Aug. 31.
Allocations in GMAP are preliminary for the 2022-2023 school year. FY23 allocations are available on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Federal Grants webpage. Final allocations will be released in the fall upon receipt of final notification from the U.S. Department of Education.
The release of FY23 funds is based on the following:
- An approved FY23 Consolidated Application;
- Submission of FY23 District Funding Assurances;
- Submission of FY23 Superintendent District Funding Assurances Statement; and
- Submission of FY23 Federal Cash Request Statement of Assurance.
If you have questions, please contact the following:
Annual Notice of Non-Discrimination
This is a reminder that the annual notice of non-discrimination must be published before the beginning of each school year.
The annual notice of non-discrimination is to:
- Advise students, parents, families, employees and the general public of the policy of nondiscrimination;
- Contain an assurance that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in career and technical education programs;
- Be disseminated in their native language to communities of national origin minority persons who have limited English language proficiency skills;
- Provide a summary of program offerings and admission criteria; and
- Provide the name or title, office address and telephone number of the person(s) designated to coordinate Title IX and Section 504 compliance.
The annual notice of non-discrimination must be published where the public can view it in at least one of the following:
- Local newspaper
- District publications
- District website
If the district chooses to publish the annual notice on their website, the notice must appear prominently on the home page or within one click on a visible link (i.e., Equity or Nondiscrimination tab).
It is strongly suggested that if the annual notice is published on the district’s website, that it also be published on each school’s individual website.
If the district/agency’s service area contains a community of national origin minority persons with limited English language skills, the annual notice must be disseminated to that community in their language.
Attached is a sample of an annual non-discrimination notice. If you use this template, it needs to be tailored for each school district.
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Releases New Early Childhood Standards and Family Guides
Kentucky’s newly revised Early Childhood Standards and Family Guides were officially launched at the Early Childhood Institute on June 21-22.
The Early Childhood Standards cover developmental domains for children birth to 4 years old. Each domain is an important area of child development and contributes to children’s overall readiness for success in school. First released in 2003, the standards are designed as a framework to assist parents, early care, intervention and education professionals, and administrators.
The revised standards include two new standards: Approaches to Learning and Technology. Approaches to Learning focuses on the skills and behaviors young children use to engage in learning. The Technology standard represents the safe use of technology by 3- and 4-year-old children to engage with others and learn about the world.
A new online tool is available for the early childhood standards, including alignment with the Kentucky Academic Standards, support for dual language learners, Google Translate, social media links and additional resources.
The Family Guides are a companion to the Kentucky Early Childhood Standards, housed in the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood. The Family Guides are aligned directly to Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards, as well as the best practices of Kentucky Educational Television’s Let’s Learn Kentucky.
Questions about Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards and Family Guides can be emailed to the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood.
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