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Dear Colleagues:
As more of our schools are headed back to in-person classes this week, I want to keep you updated about what we know about the COVID-19 vaccination process.
As you may have seen on the news recently, some educators and staff already are receiving their first shots due to a surplus of the vaccines delivered for local first responders. I want to urge you all to think through how the vaccination process will work in your district and to look over the last vaccine guidance KDE released in December. Because this shot may cause low-grade fevers and other symptoms, you will need to have a plan as to when staff will be immunized to make sure classes and services can continue to happen.
And as your students head back into the classroom, remember to refer to the Healthy at School guidance to ensure we keep our students, teachers and staff as safe as possible until the COVID-19 vaccine is widely available in our communities.
Remember to tune into the next Superintendent Webcast, which is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. ET tomorrow (Jan. 12). The webcast will be available on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Media Portal and will be archived shortly after the live webcast. Department for Public Health Deputy Commissioner Dr. Connie White will be on the webcast to provide more information about how the vaccinations for your teachers and staff will happen. Questions may be submitted using this Google Form.
I also wanted to let you know that we received notification from the U.S. Department of Education this week that Kentucky will receive an additional $928,274,720 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief II funds.
This new funding – more than four times the initial awards to state educational agencies under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act – is intended to help states and school districts safely reopen schools, measure and effectively address significant learning loss, and take other actions to mitigate the impact of COVID 19 on the students and families who depend on our K-12 schools.
KDE staff already are working on guidance to help guide districts on the uses of this funding.
Hang in there and remember to continue following the Healthy at School guidance so we can keep as many of our friends and neighbors safe as possible.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner & Chief Learner
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act Annual Report
The CARES Act Annual Report for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) are available in the Grants Management Application and Planning System (GMAP). The deadline to submit the annual report is Jan. 22.
The GMAP role of “District CARES Act Director” has access to complete the annual reports.
The CARES Act Annual Report is located under “Funding/Application Supplements/Fiscal Year 2020.”
Please complete the following steps:
- Click “ESSER Annual Report”
- Click “Change Status To: ESSER Report Started”
- Complete all the sections
- Click “Save” and Go To “Sections”
- Click “ESSER Report Completed”
- Click “Save” and go to “GEER Annual Report”
- Complete all the sections
- Click “Save” and go to “Sections”
- Click “GEER Report Completed”
- If your district received ESSER Reserve Grants – 613 FT, 613FD, this section must be completed.
The CARES Act Annual Report is a requirement by the U.S. Department of Education for receipt of funds under ESSER and GEER.
If you have questions, email KDE GMAP Help.
Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This rapidly growing crime impacts many children and youth in Kentucky but far too many are unaware of its existence.
Gov. Andy Beshear recently invited state leaders, advocates and survivors to the Capitol rotunda to recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Research from the University of Louisville’s Human Trafficking Research Initiative – Project PIVOT (Prevention and Intervention for Victims of Trafficking) – was shared with attendees. A review of 698 reported cases of child trafficking between 2013 and 2018 found that the majority of cases involved a family member, most often a parent or primary caretaker, who gave the offender access to the child/children in exchange for money, drugs or something else of value.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Gov. Beshear are reminding Kentuckians of their legal duty to report suspicions of children involved in the commercial sex trade to the Department for Community Based Services at 1-877-KYSAFE1 and local law enforcement.
Please note that the KY House Bill 524 requires public schools to prominently display the National Human Trafficking Reporting Hotline. The national hotline has created a hotline outreach flyer available for download. The flyer is available in 20 different languages. For virtual situations you can use this virtual bulletin and ensure students have access to this information.
In collaboration with the Human Trafficking State Task Force, KDE created this one-page protocol for adults in schools that lists indicators of trafficking, how to report suspected cases, as well as how to support the subsequent investigation. The protocol should be displayed in your schools and shared with all staff in schools.
Additionally, check out the KDE Human Trafficking webpage for more information and links to additional resources. You also may email Deborah Sauber with KDE’s Division of Student Success, who also represents KDE on the Human Trafficking State Task Force.
Comprehensive District and School Improvement Planning: Phase Four (Progress Monitoring, Continuation of Learning Plan for Districts and Online Posting)
The last phase of the comprehensive district/school improvement plan process involves progress monitoring. Continuous improvement planning requires careful monitoring, which ensures the needs of learners are met and that student outcomes are positively impacted.
During Phase Four, districts and schools may choose a flexible and customized approach to monitoring and implementing the comprehensive improvement plan. During this phase, districts/schools ask themselves several key reflective questions regarding their plan:
- How do we know if our strategies and activities are 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. When posting CDIPs and CSIPs to the respective website, remember to include any attachments referenced in a diagnostic. See below for additional information on what should be posted for each improvement plan:
District’s Improvement Plan:
- Executive Summary for Districts
- Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Districts
- Needs Assessment Diagnostic for Districts
- Professional Development Plan for Districts
- Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (including the Goal Building Template)
- Superintendent Gap Assurances
- District Assurances
School’s Improvement Plan:
- Executive Summary for Schools
- Continuous Improvement Diagnostic for Schools
- Needs Assessment for Schools
- Closing the Achievement Gap Diagnostic
- Professional Development Plan for Schools
- Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (including the Goal Building Template)
- School Assurances
Phase Four also includes the Continuation of Learning Plan, which is a new diagnostic to be completed at the district level. This diagnostic will support the district in designing and implementing a plan for a continuation of learning during times when nontraditional instruction may need to be implemented in order to prevent a loss of learning. This diagnostic is due May 1 and will describe the plan for the following school year. For more information regarding the Continuation of Learning Plan, email Steve Kissinger.
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