Dear Colleagues:
I have a hard time finding the right words to say now when so many of our fellow Kentuckians are suffering and picking up the pieces after this weekend’s devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky. For those of you who are in the area affected by the tornadoes, please know that our thoughts are with you and we will stand beside you throughout the long recovery process.
Many of you have been asking what you can do to help. Right now, we are establishing a list here at the department of what each district and school needs. We will be releasing an email tomorrow for those who are in the area to email us your needs. We will keep track of this information and use it to help make sure we are meeting your individual needs.
Immediately, the people in these areas are looking for loved ones, maybe finding a safe place to stay and dealing with the shock and trauma of what they have been through. Their needs will change as the recovery process continues. We will do our best to share with you all how you can help your fellow Kentuckians and I thank you for your depth of feeling and desire to help those who are in need.
Gov. Beshear has established the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund to assist those impacted by the tornadoes and the severe weather system on Dec.11, 2021. All donations to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund are tax-deductible and donors will receive a receipt for tax purposes after donating.
I will be meeting with leaders of the affected districts this Thursday during a Special Superintendents Webcast and in the coming weeks to see how we as an agency can help. This support will continue. KDE will stand by these districts as they try to meet the needs of their students and families and return to school in January.
Additionally, we will be creating an FAQ for our website that answers whatever questions you may have about the issues that arise during the recovery process. That will be posted to our website in the coming days and added to as new questions come in.
Please join us for the monthly Superintendents Webcast tomorrow, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. ET, where we will provide updates on the schools affected and answer pressing questions you may have. We also will have an update from the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
The webcast will be available to watch on the KDE Media Portal. As usual, you can ask questions in advance using this Google form.
Take care of yourselves and please, let us know how we can help you.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
Resources for Schools and Districts Providing Support for Families Suffering a Loss During the Tornadoes
The Kentucky Department of Education has worked with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to put together resources schools and districts can use to provide school-based supports to students, families and staff who have experienced loss due to the recent tornadoes.
“Implementing a Continuum of Tiered Behavioral Health Supports for Students, Families, and Staff Following a Tornado” provides some suggested activities for support at the Universal (Tier I), Targeted (Tier II), and Intensive (Tier III) levels. Additionally, some resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network that are specific to tornadoes also are included. These resources can be used in conjunction with existing Emergency Operations and Trauma-Informed Plans that are in place at the local level.
Local education agencies that were directly impacted by the tornadoes also may be eligible for additional federal funds through U.S. Department of Education’s Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence) grant program. District leadership can contact the U.S. Department of Education’s Disaster Recovery Unit directly for more information about this resource.
Other resources include:
For additional information or resources email Christina Weeter.
2022-2023 Course Codes View Now Available in Searchable Database
The Searchable State Course Codes Database (SSCCD) has been updated to provide a view for the 2022-2023 school year. There are several changes to both career and technical education and academic courses.
For a detailed list of course code changes, see the 2022-2023 Course Code Changes spreadsheet. A Deprecated Course Codes and What to Use Instead spreadsheet also is available to help schools replace deprecated course codes. Both sheets now include historical changes from the 2016-2017 school year to the present.
The Course Codes Frequently Asked Questions document remains an excellent resource to help new and returning course codes contacts familiarize themselves with proper course code usage.
Please contact coursecodes@education.ky.gov with any questions.
Amended FY22 Request for Application (RFA) for Read to Achieve Grant
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is committed to the success of Reach to Achieve (RTA) programs to assist struggling readers throughout the state. KDE has chosen to amend the FY22 RFA and extend the deadline for applying.
The amendments to the RFA provide clarity and address some concerns while continuing to comply with statutory requirements regarding RTA grants, regulatory requirements of the Kentucky Board of Education and state procurement requirements for RFAs, as the RFA has done to date.
The amended FY22 RFA for RTA will be uploaded to the Competitive Grants from KDE webpage as soon as it is available. Interested stakeholders are responsible for checking the competitive grants page frequently for updates to RFAs and related resources.
Another live Technical Assistance session will be offered, as well as a new deadline for submitting questions, requests for approvals of other professional learning providers and a new date for when the RFA Frequently Asked Questions will be released. All questions should be e-mailed to KDERFP@education.ky.gov.
School Climate and Educator Emotional Well-being
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Strategic Planning and Research team has been working with the Division of Student Success to explore the state of educator well-being. In the second paper in this series, we explore the extent to which school climate predicts educators’ perceptions of emotional well-being using the Impact KY survey from 2020.
Using descriptive and regression models, the research shows:
- Educators answered less favorably about emotional well-being than school climate;
- School climate and emotional well-being are correlated;
- Climate, more than any other factor, predicts educator concern about emotional well-being; and
- Climate matters more for educator well-being in low-performing schools than in high-performing schools.
School leaders may find that focusing on improving school climate also will improve educators’ emotional well-being. Read the report for more information and a variety of strategies and resources that may be helpful for you as you embark on this work.
KDE Partners with Advance CTE to Host Virtual Workshop
The Kentucky Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education is partnering with Advance CTE to host “Empowering Student Success through Career Advising and Career Technical Education,” a free, two-day virtual workshop on Feb. 15 and 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. ET.
This workshop, delivered in two half-day sessions, will provide school counselors and other advising professionals with the information and resources they need to connect students with opportunities aligned with their career passions. Participants will emerge with an enhanced knowledge of the full range of education and career options, with a specific focus on career technical education (CTE) and in-demand occupations, to empower students to skillfully navigate their path to career and college success.
All participants are required to complete a pre- and post-workshop survey, and a third and final survey two months after the completion of the workshop. Participants also must be committed to developing actionable steps that can be implemented within two months after the workshop.
Registration is open until Jan. 14, 2022, and limited to 30 participants.
Kentucky Student Voice Team Asking for Help to Share Survey
The Kentucky Student Voice Team (KYSVT) is asking for help sharing a new student survey on race, ethnicity and school climate.
The survey was inspired by the team’s school-based climate audits and co-designed by members of the KYSVT, working with middle and high school students and adult research experts across the state over the past several weeks. The purpose of the survey is to amplify and elevate the perspectives of Kentucky youth on a number of issues related to how race and ethnicity affects their school experience.
The survey will remain open for all Kentucky middle and high school students until midnight on Dec. 20. It is anonymous and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. To ensure the students who participate see their impact, the Kentucky Student Voice Team intends to share the results with the public and policymakers early next year.
Here is the survey link: ksvt.org/recsurvey.
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