Development News for Ashland, Kentucky

Kentucky Board of Education Reviews Biennial Budget with Increased Per-Pupil Funding but Flat Transportation Support

The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) reviewed the biennial budget for fiscal years 2026-2028, as enacted by the General Assembly through House Bill 500, House Bill 900, and Senate Bill 197. The budget includes appropriations for SEEK, BOSS (central office support), and LARS (program offices). SEEK saw a slight overall increase of less than 1%, though SEEK transportation assistance remained flat, which was a disappointment. The per-pupil funding increased in SEEK, but the National Board Certified Salary Supplement was decreased. Additional funding was provided for the Star Academy program. The BOSS appropriation remained relatively flat, while LARS saw a bump due to additional funding for programmatic initiatives, including DataSeem and principal leadership development. Funding for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams saw reductions. The budget also includes reporting requirements for employee compensation, school district insurance coverage, and school district projects and indebtedness. For LARS, KSB and KSD operations remained flat, requiring additional support from KDE general funds. DataSeem received $3 million, Read to Achieve was decreased, and new funding was allocated for principal leadership development and school resource officers, including for non-public schools. The budget process was described as unusual, with language restored and adjusted through conference committees and supplemental bills. The board expressed concerns about the flat funding for SEEK transportation and the reductions in AP exam support, highlighting the potential sacrifices districts will need to make.

Local Accountability Efforts Expand Across Kentucky Districts with Focus on Student Success and Vibrant Learning

The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) heard updates on the local accountability design guide and toolkit implementation. The work, which evolved from the L3 program and the "Portrait of a Learner" initiative, now involves 155 districts with developed portraits. The guide serves as a living document, focusing on common terminology, theories of change, and action steps. Key areas include defining student success (Portrait of a Learner), designing vibrant learning experiences, demonstrating student success through performance assessments, and defining district success through local accountability and quality indicators. District examples like Russell County Schools (defining success), Hardin County Schools (vibrant learning), Bracken County Schools (performance assessment), and Grant County Schools (district success) were highlighted for their innovative approaches. Statewide progress shows a 58% growth in districts implementing portraits and an 85% increase in districts engaging in the co-creation phase for local success definitions. The board was also updated on the L3 program's sunsetting and its evolution into current accountability and vibrant learning initiatives, with ongoing work with Knowledge Works on high school transformation.

CGSA Grant Evaluation Highlights Co-Creation, Vibrant Learning, and District Autonomy in Assessment Reform

Meredith Brewer, Associate Commissioner of KDE, and Art Thacker, Chief Scientist at Human Resources Research Organization (Humrow), presented an update on the outcomes from the Comprehensive Assessment System for Accountability (CGSA) grants awarded in 2022. The grants, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by KDE, aimed to rethink assessment and accountability to provide vibrant learning experiences, recognize unique schools, learn from innovative systems, and adopt habits like inclusion, empathy, co-creation, and reciprocity. The evaluation focused on four guiding questions: whether the program was on track, how co-creation functions and impacts outcomes, policy balance for innovation and comparability, and potential program improvements. The evaluation found that co-creation, despite being time-consuming initially, enriches the product and that Kentucky's focus on existing systems and historical lessons learned was unique. Key aspects maintained throughout the grant period include commitments to co-creation, vibrant learning experiences, district-led quality indicators, and community involvement. High-reward evaluation activities included attending COOL Council meetings, town halls, participating in defenses of learning, and interviewing educators. Milestones achieved include finalizing the framework, developing the local accountability design guide and toolkit, and progress on state communication plans. Recommendations include building a systemic evaluation framework, finalizing plans for evaluating local accountability systems, collaborating on a bank of local competency-based education systems, and expanding networks and refining communication strategies.