Facilities Project Initiation Survey

In April 2018, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) District Facilities Branch implemented a new risk-based tier approach to facilities project management. Based on information (such as scope and funding) provided on the BG-1 Project Application Form filed through the Facilities Planning and Construction (FACPAC) System, projects are automatically and objectively scored, and assigned a tier from 1-4. Tier 1 projects carry the most risk and include new buildings, additions and major renovations. Tier 4 projects carry the least risk and include minor projects such as site acquisition and roofing.

KDE will be asking districts that have initiated a project since the tiers were introduced to provide feedback on the new process through a survey. Superintendents, finance officers and facilities directors/managers in the districts that have had projects approved since April 2018 will receive the short survey. If you receive one, we hope you take a few minutes to respond, as it will help us determine how useful the tiers are and whether refinements are needed.

If you have questions, please contact Donna Duncan.

Title I Meetings for District Coordinators and Staff

KDE staff will host a series of meetings to provide updates and assist districts with Title I planning for the 2019-2020 school year. Topics will include information about school staffing requirements, supplement not supplant methodology, new KDE guidance on district set-asides and more. Morning sessions (9 a.m.-noon local time) and afternoon sessions (1-4 p.m. local time) will be offered. Please visit the registration link to register for the session of your choice.

The dates and locations of the meetings are:

• Tuesday, Feb. 12, West Kentucky Educational Cooperative Conference Center, 435 Outlet Ave., Eddyville
• Friday, Feb. 15, Kentucky Department of Education, 1st floor training room, 300 Sower Blvd., Frankfort
• Monday, Feb. 18, Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative, London Training Center, 55 Waco Drive, London
• Thursday, Feb. 21, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, 904 Rose Road, Ashland
• Monday, Feb. 25, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, 5516 E. Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring
• Wednesday, Feb. 27, Green River Regional Educational Cooperative, 230 Technology Way, Bowling Green

Please direct questions about the meetings or registration to Tara Rodriguez at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042.

Title V, Rural Education Achievement Program – Small Rural Schools Award (SRSA) and Rural Low Income Program (RLIS)

The U.S. Department of Education has posted the initial eligibility spreadsheet for the FY19 REAP grant on the REAP/SRSA website for your review. The spreadsheet contains initial eligibility for both SRSA and the RLIS grants.

Please review your information for accuracy. If you have corrections or questions, please contact Vicki Fosbender at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4026 by Friday, Feb. 15. The application window for the SRSA grant is Feb. 20-April 20.

Comprehensive District and School Improvement Plans: Phase IV (Progress Monitoring)

The last phase of the comprehensive district/school improvement plan process involves progress monitoring. Continuous improvement planning requires careful monitoring to ensuring 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 with regard to 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. 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. Please 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 District
• Needs Assessment Diagnostic for Districts
• Comprehensive Improvement Plan for Districts
• 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
• Comprehensive Improvement Plan for Schools
• School Assurances

2019-2020 Census Data Released

Census data for use in the calculation of Title I, Part A allocations has been released by the U.S. Department of Education. You can download “Notification of Tentative Census Poverty and Hold Harmless Percentages Used to Determine School Year 2019-2020 Title I, Part A Funding.” This document provides an explanation of how the data was calculated and the funding sources for and hold-harmless provisions under Title I, Part A. Please contact Jennifer Akin at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4014, with any questions.

Kentucky Facilities Inventory & Classification System Update – Action Requested

Ongoing activities for the Kentucky Facilities Inventory and Classification System (KFICS) Project are beginning to produce results, but further engagement by several districts is still needed.

Ameresco, the vendor partner of the Kentucky Department of Education, is continuing its efforts to contact each district’s designated representative to conduct an Asset Review of each district’s Phase I (Summer 2017) Condition Index (building assessment data) and to offer guidance for initiating the Education Suitability (space inventory, CPTED and site score) component of the Kentucky School Score required for the facility to be included in the 2019 Ranked Condition Report. To date, approximately 109 districts have been contacted. Your participation is still needed to complete this endeavor. As of Jan. 14, only 560 school buildings out of a total of 1,513 are currently undergoing condition assessments. This represents only 37 % of the total buildings required to be included.

The legislature’s ultimate goal is to have all school buildings fully assessed with all four scoring components completed, reviewed by KDE, and published before the next reporting date of October. The deadline for inclusion in the 2019 Ranked Condition Report is June 30.

By January 2019, KDE representatives will have presented to all regional educational cooperatives, providing information and insight into the goals and benefits of the KFICS project. KDE staff and Ameresco continue to provide assistance to districts and architects in an effort to complete the Condition Index data (Audit) and Educational Suitability components necessary to produce the 2019 Ranked Condition Report.

Several activities will be taking place in the upcoming weeks. Leadership from KDE and Ameresco met last week to ensure ongoing efforts are yielding results. Ameresco, in partnership with project managers in the KDE Facilities Branch will be conducting Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) reviews for several district’s completed audits and surveys in preparation for publishing. KDE and Ameresco also will provide concierge service at the Kentucky School Plant Manager’s Association (KSPMA) conference in Somerset on Feb. 8.

KDE and Ameresco staff will continue to provide guidance through the process and answer questions that you have. The Ameresco contact for questions is Paige Patterson-Grant. KDE’s contacts include Marcus Highland; James Bauman; and Gary Leist.

Professional Learning

Free Professional Development for Principals and Assistant Principals

School administrators from across Kentucky are invited to attend Principal Partnership Project’s Spring Semester Learning Lab at Washington County on Feb. 13. Designed specifically to meet the observation training requirement of the Kentucky Framework for Evaluation,* the day will include authentic learning experiences that are planned to enhance observation skills while promoting reflective conversations.

A highlight of the day will be a focused classroom observation experience in a high school classroom and elementary classroom. There also will be many opportunities to network around timely topics that matter most to principals.

Registration is free and EILA credit will be provided. Please see the flyer for more information or use this Google form to register.

*This training meets the “TRAINING IN EFFECTIVE OBSERVATION AND CONFERENCING TECHNIQUES” requirement per 704 KAR 3:370.

3rd Annual KDE Leadership EdCamp: For Principals by Principals

The 3rd Annual Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Leadership EdCamp: For Principals by Principals will be held on Wednesday, March 27, at the Perkins Building on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU).

The Principal Partnership Project at the KDE is proud to partner with EKU and KyGoDigital to offer this free professional learning opportunity to all school leaders. The event is intended to support and promote networking for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, future school leaders and faculty in the principal preparation programs at local universities. EILA credit will be provided. Registration is available on this Google document.

Save the Date for the 2019 Persistence to Graduation (PtG) Summit

The 2019 PtG Summit will be held at the Lexington Convention Center July 9-10. Strands will include Student Transition and Re-engagement Strategies; Alternative Education; Community Partnerships; and School Climate and Culture.

Registration is expected to open in spring 2019. EILA credit and CEUs will be available. For questions, please contact Donna Montgomery at donna.montgomery@education.ky.gov.

Items from Outside KDE

KSP Unveils New Mobile Drug Education Trailer

The Kentucky State Police have introduced a new mobile substance abuse education exhibit designed to help inform the public about the devastating effects of substance abuse.

The 30-foot trailer features 14 flat screen monitors and one touch-screen monitor that present video messages about meth, heroin, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco. The videos include actual meth users who tell their real-life stories illustrated by before-and-after images that show the dramatic visual progression of their drug abuse.

The exhibit also makes use of two showcase displays to highlight examples of a variety of drug paraphernalia and meth-related items.

The exhibit was funded by a $92,000 grant from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and was designed and built by DCX Displays in Louisville.

The mobile exhibit is now available for use by schools, clubs, civic organizations, businesses, churches, local governments and communities throughout the state. To schedule the display, contact the Public Affairs Officer at the KSP post closest to your location or call the KSP Public Affairs Branch at (502) 782-1780.

Apply Now for Code.org Professional Learning Workshop Scholarship

Did you know that there are Code.org professional learning workshops for teachers here in Kentucky? Applications are open for the 2019-2020 Professional Learning Program for middle and high school teachers.

Designed to support middle and high school teachers before and during their first year teaching Computer Science Discoveries or Computer Science Principles, the Code.org Professional Learning Program begins with a five-day, in-person summer workshop followed by four additional sessions throughout the year. No previous experience teaching computer science is needed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

If you do not meet the requirements for the scholarship, the cost of the program is $1,900 per teacher, which is a 37 percent discount off the national cost due to the support of the Kentucky Department of Education, the College Board and Code.org.

The program fee covers the full year-long program, including teaching materials, workshop supplies, nine days of professional development and meals during the workshops. Additional travel costs are not covered.

To apply, visit Code.org’s website. For questions, contact Monique M. Rice, senior content director at AdvanceKentucky, at (859) 246-3258 or mrice@kstc.com.

KASC Offering On-Demand Writing, Gap Closure Workshops

KASC’s best-selling toolkit, “Gap Closure Toolkit: Strategic Approaches to Student Success,” is available for free to school teams that register for the KASC Academy, “Systemic Approaches to Closing the Gap.” Teams will learn ways to address barriers, gain strategies for a variety of gap issues and focus the school on increasing student achievement.

Two sessions will be offered: Feb. 19 in Lexington and Feb. 27 in Murray (co-hosted by the Teacher Quality Institute of Murray State University).

KASC also is offering a workshop, “Essentials of On-Demand Writing,” on Feb. 23 in Lexington. This session helps teachers understand the characteristics of each mode of writing in the standards and implement writing strategies for the classroom. Participants also will develop an understanding of how to prepare students for Kentucky’s On-Demand assessment.

Details and registration for both workshops are available on KASC’s Academy Registration page.

NCFL seeking presentation proposals

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is seeking presentation proposals reflecting best practices for engaging families in education for the 2019 Families Learning Conference, scheduled for Nov. 4-6 in Louisville.

This call for proposals closes 11:59 p.m. PT March 1. For more information, visit the NCFL website. We hope you’ll consider applying or sharing with your colleagues.

Rural College Access and Success Summit 2019

The Rural College Access and Success Summit will be April 28-30 in Lexington. This opportunity brings together teachers, principals, superintendents, legislators, nonprofit leaders and many others to share ideas and strategies for ensuring that rural youth have the opportunity to successfully transition from high school to college and to career. The summit highlights best practices and the unique challenges of increasing opportunity in rural America. More information can be found on the summit webpage.

Save the Date for the KY Coalition for English Learners’ Inaugural Summer Institute

The Kentucky Coalition for English Learners Inaugural Summer Institute will be held June 10-11 in Louisville at the Muhammad Ali Center. The theme for the conference is “Shared Responsibility: Opening the door for ALL educators to enhance the learning and inclusion of ELs.” Keynote speakers will include Diane Staehr Fenner, director of Support Ed., and Aída Walqui, director of Quality Teaching for English Learners.

General education teachers and school and district leadership are encouraged to attend. Workshop topics will include strategies for instruction, building equity, special education and English learners, and the use of technology.

Registration is expected to open in March. EILA credit available. For questions, contact Rylan Truman by email at rtruman@archlou.org.

National Rural Education Association (NREA) to be Held in Louisville

The NREA will hold its annual convention and symposium Oct. 24-26 at the Marriott Louisville Downtown. The conference will address the issues that affect today’s rural educators, providing tools and resources targeted toward meeting rural schools’ needs. More information may be found at the NREA’s Convention and Research webpage.