The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund — Kentucky
Summary
A completed Kentucky State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, shown from its introduction onward. The introduction says the ARP ESSER Fund provides nearly $122 billion to States to support schools in safely reopening and meeting students' academic, social, emotional and mental health needs. The cover page carries the printed name of Kelly Foster, Ed.D. as the authorized representative with a date of 6/4/2021. The plan then follows the Department's sections, beginning with a description of the State's current status and needs.
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Cite this document
“The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund — Kentucky.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-59d2a7e1de/
, SHA-256 92ee3e77f8ebc191417acb340b9c351bec72bf828421ac7f5e9db952d76830aa.Full text
Introduction
The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (“ARP
ESSER”) Fund, authorized under the American Rescue Plan (“ARP”) Act of 2021, provides
nearly $122 billion to States to support the Nation’s schools in safely reopening and sustaining
safe operations of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health
needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. It is
particularly important that ARP ESSER funding will enable States and local educational
agencies (“LEAs”), and more directly schools, to support students who have been most severely
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely to have suffered the most because of
longstanding inequities in our communities and schools that have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) is committed to working in partnership with
States so that these unprecedented resources are quickly put to work to ensure students have
sustained access to in-person instruction and that the resources are used to provide the effective
support students need as they persist through and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic. The thoughtful and timely use of these funds will have a lasting impact on our
Nation’s schools and help to address the inequities in resources, services, and opportunities
available to our students.
This template presents an opportunity for States to share their plans for the use of ARP ESSER
funds with the public. The Department must approve a State educational agency’s (“SEA’s”)
plan in order to make the State’s remaining ARP ESSER allocation available for use. Please note
that the Department intends to issue ARP ESSER reporting requirements separately.
Instructions
Each SEA must provide descriptions and other information that address each requirement listed
below. An SEA may use this template or another format as long as every item and element is
addressed in the SEA’s response. Throughout this document, questions that refer to an SEA’s
ARP ESSER funding are referencing the total allocation to be received by the SEA, including
that which it allocates to its LEAs.
Each SEA must submit to the Department by June 7, 2021, either: (1) its ARP ESSER plan or
(2) the State requirements that preclude submission of the plan by that date and a date by which
it will be able to submit its complete ARP ESSER plan.
To submit the SEA’s plan, please email the plan to your Program Officer at
[State].OESE@ed.gov (e.g., Alabama.OESE@ed.gov).
In order to ensure transparency, the Department will post each plan on the Department’s website
when it is received and will indicate each plan’s approval status.
This template also allows States to fulfill the requirement of the Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations (“CRRSA”) Act ESSER II 6-month reporting requirement
in section 313(f) of the CRRSA Act.
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Cover Page
Grantee and Contact Information
ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX): S425U210026
SEA Contact: Kelly Foster, Ed.D.
Telephone: (502) 564-5130
Email address: Kelly.foster@education.ky.gov
By signing this document, I agree to each of the assurances listed in Appendix C and
further assure that:
To the best of my knowledge and belief, all information and data included in this plan
are true and correct.
Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative (Printed
Name)
Kelly Foster, Ed.D.
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date:
(b) (6) 6/4/2021
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A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs
The Department recognizes the extraordinary efforts made by States, LEAs, and educators to
support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe the
progress they have made, the priorities and student needs guiding their ARP ESSER funding
decisions, and their current and projected operating status.
1. Progress and Promising Practices: Provide your assessment of the top 2-3
strategies that have been most effective in supporting the needs of students in
your State during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for students most impacted
by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please include, if applicable, how your State will
submit and encourage its LEAs to submit lessons learned and best practices to the
Department’s Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse so that
they can be shared with other States and LEAs.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has learned much from the
community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two strategies that have
benefited KDE in its response to COVID-19 include the strategic use of the Non-
traditional Instruction (NTI) program and collaboration with other government
agencies.
NTI
NTI is a flexible program that allows districts to use 10 days for districtwide non-
traditional instruction, such as virtual learning, in response to natural disasters.
These disasters often include snow and ice storms, severe flooding or widespread
childhood illness such as influenza or pertussis. The NTI program has been
available to districts in Kentucky for many years. Prior to the pandemic, 89
public school districts voluntarily participated in the program. KDE deployed this
pre-existing structure in March 2020 when it became clear that school buildings
would need to close for an extended period of time.
Through the strategic deployment of the NTI program, KDE had a turn-key option
that allowed schools and districts to continue to operate – providing instruction to
students across the Commonwealth. The usual restrictions on this program were
waived to allow for an unlimited number of NTI days as well as added flexibilities
for instructional format. The NTI model has been strengthened through the
response to COVID-19. Districts are now better prepared to provide deeply
meaningful alternative instruction options when natural disasters strike their
communities. Similarly, students are better prepared to work from home. While
NTI will return to its usual 10-day limit in the 2021-2022 school year, KDE will
continue to develop resources and promote instructional strategies that benefit
students during these periods of innovative instruction.
Inter-agency Collaboration
Throughout the pandemic, a workgroup from KDE has met weekly with a
workgroup at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH). The
collaboration with public health has greatly benefited KDE. Through this
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collaboration, KDE and KDPH released a joint guidance document entitled
“Guidance and Safety Expectations and Best Practices for Kentucky Schools (K-
12).” This document has become a flagship document that has guided the
COVID-19 response in schools across Kentucky, as well as in neighboring states.
Following the release of this guidance document, KDE continued to collaborate
with KDPH. Together, the two agencies collaborated on more than 50 guidance
documents, promoted early vaccination for the education workforce, and
facilitated in the creation of COVID-19 vaccination sites at schools.
Promoting the Clearinghouse
As KDE completes the monitoring of district’s deployment of ESSER funds,
schools will be encouraged to submit exemplary program models to the
clearinghouse. KDE maintains a current system of collecting and dispersing best
practices for a wide range of additional topics. Through this existing structure,
KDE will promote the submission of best practices to the federal clearinghouse as
well.
2. Overall Priorities: Provide your assessment of the top 2-3 issues currently facing
students and schools across your State as a result of or in response to the COVID-
19 pandemic including, to the extent possible, data illustrating why these are the
most critical and/or most widespread issues facing schools and students.
From the earliest days of the pandemic, KDE adopted a three-prong approach to
meeting the needs of our students; educate, feed and support. When schools
closed to in-person instruction in March 2020, our primary concern was the
continued educational well-being of our students. Educators across the
Commonwealth worked day and night to rapidly transition from traditional
instruction into emergency online and remote instructional formats. Entire
curriculums were re-developed over short weekend breaks. As soon as possible,
our schools reworked food service programs to take advantage of federal
flexibilities so that students could receive nutritious meals while away from
school. As the pandemic continued, Kentucky’s resource staff worked around the
clock to ensure that students had their social, emotional, and mental health needs
met.
The heroic and Herculean efforts of Kentucky’s education workforce cannot be
overstated. As school buildings reopen and Kentucky emerges from the COVID-
19 pandemic, KDE will continue to address the highest priority needs of our
students through the lens of educate, feed and support.
Educate
This tumultuous period has created unprecedented difficulties for our student
population. As school buildings reopen, KDE will redouble its efforts to ensure
that every student has access to a high-quality, well-rounded education that will
prepare them for a bold future. The highest priority needs under the “Educate”
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heading are related to access. Throughout the pandemic, identified students have
experienced challenges accessing rigorous coursework. While Kentucky has been
a leader in broadband access in schools, moving to remote learning from homes
created challenges. Some rural areas of the state struggle to maintain sufficient
internet connection to support synchronous online lessons. Scheduling conflicts
and building closures have created a challenging environment for students to
thrive in dual credit and career and technical education (CTE) courses.
Additionally, students have missed opportunities for extracurricular and
cocurricular activities, student organizations and work-based learning
opportunities. The lack of in-person instruction has prevented some students from
receiving vital learning services and supports. This has produced inequities in our
system that must be addressed moving forward. Schools and districts must assess
students to create a new baseline for measuring growth and establish programs,
activities, and enrichments to make up for the lost opportunities of the 2020-2021
school year.
Feed
Basic educational theory reminds us that hungry learners cannot learn and that a
hungry mind is a distracted mind. KDE is committed to ensuring that all students
have regular access to nutritious meals. Data collected by our Homeless and
Migrant program liaisons has demonstrated a greater need for effective food
services in the coming school year. The economic impact of the COVID-19
pandemic and its subsequent layoffs have caused stores and restaurants to close
and increased food insecurity across the Commonwealth. For many families, their
school may be the only safe place to seek refuge and find food resources. Methods
of delivering instructional service will continue to evolve. Ensuring that our food
service programs have the necessary support to meet growing demand is a top
priority for KDE.
Support
As Kentucky emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting our learners as
they make the transition into the new normal is a top priority. It has been well-
documented that student’s social and emotional needs have not been met during
the pandemic. Many students have experienced deep personal trauma and have
lived a year in social isolation. Supporting these students through expanded
social-emotional learning programs and mental health efforts must be a priority
in all schools during the 2021-2022 school year.
3. Identifying Needs of Underserved Students: Describe your State’s 2-3 highest
priority academic, social, emotional, and/or mental health needs for the remainder
of the 2020-2021 school year (if applicable) and for the 2021-2022 school year
related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on each of the following student
groups:
i. Students from low-income families,
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ii. Students from each racial or ethnic group (e.g., identifying
disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by race or
ethnicity),
iii. Gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender),
iv. English learners,
v. Children with disabilities (including infants, toddlers, children, and
youth with disabilities eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (“IDEA”)),
vi. Students experiencing homelessness,
vii. Children and youth in foster care,
viii. Migratory students, and
ix. Other groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that have
been identified by the SEA (e.g., youth involved in the criminal
justice system, students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years,
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures, and LGBTQ+
students).
To the extent possible, this description should include data on indicators such as
estimates of the academic impact of lost instructional time, 1 chronic
absenteeism, student engagement, and social-emotional well-being.
Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a narrative
description.
KDE is committed to the success of all students and to overcoming systemic
barriers to success for traditionally marginalized groups of students. As such,
KDE has made a consistent and persistent effort to capture feedback from a
wide variety of stakeholder groups throughout the pandemic. The information
presented in Table A1 represents the highest-priority needs as determined by
KDE staff and informed by the stakeholder feedback processes described in
question C.1. of this application.
Table A1.
Student group Highest priority needs
Students from low- Throughout the pandemic, students from low-income
income families families have struggled with a lack of sufficient
internet access beyond the school campus during the
pandemic. This is especially true for homes of
families in more rural areas of the state that could
not access internet even with a mobile hotspot. This
priority need has been documented through early
1
For the purposes of the plan, “academic impact of lost instructional time” refers to “learning loss” experienced by
students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as referenced in the ARP Act and the CRRSA Act.
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Student group Highest priority needs
monitoring efforts of the district’s ESSER spending
and is supported by the Kentucky statewide student
participation report, which shows that 92% of
students from low-income families participated in
remote learning compared to 94% of all students.
Through state-level and district-level efforts, the
percentage of students without internet access
beyond the school campus was driven down to 2%
(as reported in Kentucky’s Digital Readiness
Report). Additionally, by the closure of the 2020-
2021 school year, Kentucky school districts drove
the percentage of students without a digital device
for school work beyond the school campus down to
1.5%, the vast majority of which have been provided
by our schools and districts.
Students from each Although data from the 2020-2021 school year is
racial or ethnic limited, data from previous School Report Cards
background used by show gaps in achievement and graduation rates
the State for reporting between racial and ethnic groups compared to the
purposes – please add “all students” group. For example, the 2019-2020
a row for each racial School Report Card shows that the 5-year cohort
or ethnic group (e.g., graduation rate for all students in Kentucky is 92%,
identifying disparities compared to 86% for African American students and
and focusing on 86% for Hispanic or Latino students. Many of these
underserved student gaps are present in proficiency data from previous
groups by school years as well. KDE anticipates that the
race/ethnicity) impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate
these gaps.
Students by gender – The existing gender gap in both enrollment and
please add a row for success in Advanced Placement (AP) courses is a
each gender (e.g., persistent issue that KDE believes may have been
identifying disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According
and focusing on to the 2019-2020 School Report Card, 40,582
underserved student students statewide enrolled in AP courses, with
groups by gender) 38,911 (95%) students completing. Although more
females enrolled in AP courses than males (22,314
females compared to 17,268 males), the percentage
of females with a qualifying score on AP exams was
slightly less than their male counterparts (58% of
females compared to 59% of males). African
American students only represented 2,900 of the
40,582 students enrolled in AP courses, and 41%
received a qualifying score on an AP exam, which is
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Student group Highest priority needs
lower than the rate of 58% of the all students group.
Hispanic or Latino students also were
underrepresented in AP courses, with 2,285 students
enrolled and 52% receiving a qualifying score on an
exam, which is below the rate for all students (58%).
These data suggest that although more females than
males are enrolled in AP exams, fewer of them
receive a qualifying score on AP exams, pointing to
a disparity in access and success in AP courses for
females, African American and Hispanic or Latino
students.
English learners English learners (EL) have experienced a
disproportionate burden of the pandemic. KDE
considers access to rigorous coursework and social-
emotional/mental health resources to be the highest
priority needs for this student group. USED’s
COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2, suggests that EL
students may require additional supports and often
face barriers to diagnosing and treating mental
illness. KDE’s stakeholder engagement efforts have
verified that assertion. Additionally, EL students will
need increased academic supports in the 2021-2022
school year. KDE records indicate that this
population has experienced an increased likelihood
of absenteeism and/or disengagement. EL students
often have less access to internet and digital devices.
KDE’s data collections show that for ELs statewide,
the participation rate in remote learning was less for
this group (89%) than the participation rate for in-
person learning (93%). In addition to ensuring all
students have access to a device and the internet, it
is important to ensure parents are equipped to help
students troubleshoot their technology at home. The
ability to provide multi-lingual technical support for
virtual learners is a much-needed area of growth.
Children with KDE anticipates the highest-priority need for this
disabilities student group to be the identification of students
eligible for compensatory education services, as well
as the ability to provide those services based on the
individual needs of the students.
Supports for social, emotional and mental health
will continue to be a need, with special emphasis
placed on transition supports for students returning
to in-person instruction. These supports may include
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Student group Highest priority needs
self-management, social awareness and relationship
skills. For those students unable to return to in-
person instruction or whose parents choose to enroll
students in online coursework, continued emphasis
on connecting students with their class and
community building amongst their peer group will
be a necessary function during the 2021-2022
school year.
Students experiencing KDE anticipates the need to identify and serve a
homelessness larger number of homeless children and youth
(HCY) to be a high priority need during the 2021-
2022 school year. During the 2019-2020 school
year, 3% of the total student population experienced
some form of homelessness. This is a 1% decrease in
the usual statewide identification rate. Stay-at home
measures and eviction moratoriums allowed many
HCY, who would have been homeless in the spring
of 2020, to remain in their homes. With these
moratoriums coming to an end over the summer,
KDE anticipates a spike in the number of HCY.
Stakeholder feedback also has demonstrated a lack
of connectivity to virtual learning opportunities for
HCYs. Students living with adults who had limited
knowledge about the technology and software used
by schools, as well as a lack of organized, structured
and learning-focused home environments,
contributed to a lack of success and engagement of
HCYs. Based on anecdotal evidence and data from
previous school years, another high priority need in
our state for HCY is to address the learning loss
created by the pandemic environment. HCY are most
at-risk for failure and drop out because of previous
trauma, disabilities and high educational mobility.
Student participation rate data for the 2020-2021
school year shows that students experiencing
homelessness participated in remote and in-person
learning at a lower rate than all students (88%
compared to 93%).
Children and youth in As in the pre-pandemic era, children and youth in
foster care foster care (CYFC) face many academic and
social/emotional needs. As KDE plans for the 2021-
2022 school year, professional learning related to
the unique needs of CYFC will be a high priority.
This student group is traditionally a high trauma-
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Student group Highest priority needs
exposed group. The challenges posed by the
COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated their
trauma exposure. Professional learning will need to
focus on helping education professionals understand
the depth and breadth of trauma, select appropriate
academic interventions, and provide appropriate
access to mental health services and other social-
emotional supports for this student group.
Migratory students Like Kentucky’s population of HCY, KDE has noted
a decline in the number of students enrolled in
migrant programs. This is likely due to travel
restrictions and temporary housing policies put in
place during the pandemic. While overall numbers
are down, KDE has seen a 1% increase in the
number of students qualifying as Priority for Service
and a 1.3% increase in the number of migrant
students missing 10 or more days of school. This
decline in enrollment, combined with the increase in
need, suggests that enrollment numbers are likely
suppressed due to the pandemic. The ability to
properly identify and provide high-quality services
to students that qualify for the migrant program is a
high-priority need.
Other groups of For all other student groups, school-based mental
students identified by health services and partnerships will continue to be
the State (e.g., youth a high priority need in the 2021-2022 school year.
involved in the The added stressors of the pandemic (including the
criminal justice loss of loved ones, the increased stress of transitions
system, students who between online and in-person schooling and impacts
have missed the most of social isolation) have exacerbated existing
in-person instruction concerns for all student groups. Efforts must be
during the 2019-2020 undertaken to re-engage students in schooling and
and 2020-2021 school to create safe and supportive environments in which
years, students who they can thrive, particularly for students who are
did not consistently enrolled in alternative education programs affiliated
participate in remote with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and
instruction when other students who report feeling marginalized or
offered during school unsafe at school.
building closures,
LGBTQ+ students)
Data sources used to Data Sources:
inform the responses • Kentucky School Report Card
to this table • Stakeholder Feedback (described in detail in
question C.1. of this application)
• KDE Early Warning Tool
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Student group Highest priority needs
• Transient Student Report
• Title IV, Part A 2020 Consolidated State
Performance Report (CSPR) survey
• Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT, formerly
Prichard Committee Student Voice Team)
“Coping with COVID-19 Student-to-Student
Study”
• Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey
• GLSEN School Climate for LGBTQ Students in
Kentucky Survey
• MIS2000
• Kentucky Digital Readiness Reports
4. Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Describe how the SEA
will support its LEAs in identifying the extent of the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on student learning and student well-being, including identifying the
groups of students most impacted by the pandemic. Where possible, please
identify the data sources the SEA will suggest its LEAs use in thoughtfully
diagnosing areas of need, including data on the academic, social, emotional, and
mental health impacts of lost instructional time.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted students in a variety of ways. Districts must
make efforts to look at each individual student as a whole child and determine the
best approach to support their return to school. Academically, this process begins
with the implementation of the annual state assessment. These assessments will
provide educators with a general idea of where their students are in comparison
to the pre-pandemic era. Throughout the school year, KDE encourages school
districts to administer regular benchmark assessments. These periodic
standardized tests help educators better understand the progress students are
making throughout the year.
Social and emotional variables are more difficult to detect and examine. KDE
maintains a robust system of supports for schools and districts as they seek to
identify appropriate interventions. One resource that will be important for
schools in the coming year is KDE’s Trauma Informed Toolkit. Students will be
returning to school having experienced a wide variety of adversities and potential
traumas. It is critical that schools adopt universal trauma-informed practices to
support students and promote resilience.
KDE has strong relationships with both the Kentucky Department for Behavioral
Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) and the
University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC) to provide
training and support in the implementation of infusing mental health supports in
schools and training on trauma-informed practices for Kentucky educators. The
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latter lays important groundwork for each district to develop a trauma-informed
plan by July 1, 2020, as required by state statute (KRS 158.4416). Similarly, KDE
is collaborating with the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) to help
principals better understand the important role that school counselors play. KDE
encourages schools and districts to free up time for counselors to meet with
students individually, provide meaningful support and screen for potential mental
health issues that may require outside referral. KDE will build on these important
efforts in the implementation of ESSER-funded activities.
5. School Operating Status: It is essential to have data on how students are learning
in order to support the goals of access and equity, especially for student groups
that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Describe
the current status of data collection on operational status and mode of instruction
of all schools in your State. This description must include:
i. A description of to what extent, and how frequently, the State
collects now and will collect in the future data for all schools in your
State on:
a. Mode of instruction: The number of schools in your State that are
offering fully remote or online-only instruction; both
remote/online and in-person instruction (hybrid model); and/or
full-time in-person instruction;
b. Enrollment: Student enrollment for all students and
disaggregated for each of the student groups described in A.3.i-
viii for each mode of instruction; and
c. Attendance: Student attendance for all students and
disaggregated for each of the student groups described in A.3.i-
viii for each mode of instruction.
KDE has made a concerted effort to collect and archive relevant
data points throughout the pandemic. It is important to note that
KDE does not have unlimited authority to collect and report data
and must be able to document its statutory authority when
creating new data collection mechanisms.
Mode of Instruction Data
As a local control state, KDE does not have the necessary
statutory or regulatory authority to dictate modes of instruction.
Modes of instruction have changed repeatedly throughout the
year.
Alternative modes of instruction were first enacted in Kentucky
in February 2020 when Gov. Andy Beshear requested that school
buildings close for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
KDE immediately released guidance on alternative learning
design strategies and models. At that time, all Kentucky public
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school districts complied with the request and transitioned to
NTI. The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) passed an
emergency regulation in the spring of 2020 to expand NTI
options to all Kentucky school districts and to provide an
indefinite number of NTI days. The Kentucky General Assembly
codified this into law at the end of the 2020 legislative session.
Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, modes of instruction
have fluctuated. No district has remained under a single mode of
instruction format for the entire school year, for all students, at
the same time. Nearly every district has operated in some form of
fully virtual or hybrid schedule at some point during the school
year.
Gov. Beshear has utilized executive orders to manage the
COVID-19 pandemic. These orders have influenced modes of
instruction. At the beginning of the school year, executive orders
dictated that districts utilize established public health metrics to
determine the mode of instruction for the following week.
Districts were expected to review the public health metrics and
announce the following week’s mode of instruction every
Thursday. This led to frequent changes in mode of instruction.
In November, Gov. Beshear used an executive order to close all
schools to in-person instruction for a period of six weeks. This
required all schools to deploy a fully virtual model. Schools were
allowed to return to locally controlled determinations in January
of 2021. Under the governor’s current executive order, all
schools are offering fully in-person options to all students, but
also are required to offer a virtual option to students who request
it. This means that all schools in Kentucky are currently
operating under a broad definition of a hybrid model until the
end of the 2020-2021 school year.
Districts will not be allowed to deploy hybrid options in the
2021-2022 school year. However, the vast majority of school
districts in Kentucky will be offering a fully enrolled virtual
school, program or academy option for students who have
requested through the 2021-2022 school year.
The available mode of instruction data has been provided in
Table 1 of Appendix A.
Enrollment Data
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As archived in Kentucky’s most recent School Report Card
(SRC) update, Kentucky’s total student population consists of
698,388 students. The table below presents disaggregated
student counts by group.
Group Total
All Students 698,388
Female 337,547
Male 360,841
African American 74,491
American Indian or Alaska Native 886
Asian 13,396
Hispanic or Latino 53,493
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 971
Two or More Races 30,414
White (non-Hispanic) 524,737
Economically Disadvantaged 427,050
Students with Disabilities (IEP) 108,159
English Learner 34,186
Foster Care 8,760
Gifted and Talented 95,934
Homeless 20,653
Migrant 3,833
Military Dependent 2,162
KDE is unable to provide disaggregated enrollment data by
mode of instruction due to the data collection limitations
mentioned above.
Attendance Data
During the 2020-2021 school year, KDE collected
“participation” in lieu of attendance. Participation is defined as
one instance of virtual engagement or one instance of in-person
attendance. Participation data for all students has been made
publicly available on KDE’s website throughout the school year.
Based on the most recent participation reporting window, the
average participation rate in Kentucky public schools was
95.9%, with the lowest rate being 80.7% and the highest rate
being 100%. Districts were required to report to KDE
participation efforts at three distinct times during the 2020-2021
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school year. This information also was provided to the Kentucky
General Assembly.
Disaggregated data for each student group is not publicly
available at this time. It has been made available to individual
schools and districts throughout the year. Due to reporting
restrictions, disaggregated participation data will be made
publicly available at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
Participation data is unable to be disaggregated by mode of
instruction due to the limitations outlined above.
ii. The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix
A (and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the
most recent time period available. Please note that this data can be
submitted separately within 14 calendar days after a State submits
this plan. The SEA must also make this data publicly available on its
website as soon as possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and
regularly provide updated available information on its website. The
Department will periodically review data listed in A.5.i on SEA
websites.
Due to the data collection and reporting limitations discussed above,
KDE will submit the information in table A.5.i.b to the Department
within 14 calendar days of the submission of the State plan. This
report will provide final end of year data for the 2020-21 school
year. KDE and will also make this data publicly available on its
website as soon as possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and
regularly provide updated information when available.
iii. To the extent available, a description of the planned operational
status and mode of instruction for the State and its LEAs for Summer
2021 and for the 2021-2022 school year.
As Kentucky is a local control state, individual school districts will
continue to have the authority to determine the appropriate mode of
instruction for Summer 2021. KDE will collaborate with KDPH to
establish metrics and provide guidance as to the best practices in
determining the appropriate mode of instruction.
In the 2021-2022 school year, pursuant to HB 208, school districts
will provide in-person instruction to the majority of students. KDE
has provided districts with the opportunity to seek a waiver from
Kentucky’s attendance regulations in order to provide fully virtual
16
instruction to students at the request of the student or student’s
parent or guardian. Under the waiver, attendance will be tracked
via normal attendance practices for in-person students and virtual
attendance/participation tracking practices for fully virtual
students. During the 2021-2022 school year, it is anticipated at this
time that schools will not be allowed to offer a hybrid option to
students. All students will either be fully in-person or fully remote
(or virtual). A school can have both in-person students and virtual
students in the same school.
B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe Operations
The Department recognizes that safely reopening schools and sustaining their safe operations
to maximize in-person instruction is essential for student learning and student well-being,
and especially for being able to address the educational inequities that have been worsened
by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their
LEAs in this vital area.
1. Support for LEAs: Describe how the SEA will support its LEAs in safely
returning to in-person instruction and sustaining the safe operation of schools.
This description must include:
i. How the SEA will support its LEAs implementing, to the greatest
extent practicable, prevention and mitigation policies in line with the
most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (“CDC”) for the reopening and operation of school
facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students,
educators, and other staff;
Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a
narrative description.
Supporting districts in the deployment of appropriate health and
safety strategies has been KDE’s top priority since the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic. KDE has built a meaningful relationship with
counterparts at KDPH. Work teams from both agencies meet weekly
to discuss upcoming guidance, necessary changes to school
procedures and the school’s role in larger statewide mitigation
strategies. Through this meaningful partnership, KDE has released
more than 50 guidance documents on topics ranging from hand
washing to instructional practices. KDPH shares information with
the local health departments to assist in consistent messaging and
implementation.
In Spring 2021, these guidance documents were re-released in two
condensed formats. The first, entitled “Guidance and Safety
Expectations and Best Practices for Kentucky Schools (K-12) -
17
English (UPDATED - May 3, 2021)” provides guidance to schools
related to universal and correct wearing of masks, physical
distancing, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and
maintaining a healthy facility, and contact tracing and quarantine.
The second guidance document, entitled “KDE COVID-19 Guidance
2.0 (UPDATED - March 31, 2021)” provides guidance to schools
related to ventilation, appropriate accommodations for children with
disabilities and a wide variety of instructional topics. When
appropriate, KDE also has collaborated with external agencies,
including KDPH, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
(CPE), the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority
(KHEAA), and the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System (KCTCS), among others, to release targeted, short-term
guidance on themes such as prom, graduation and end of the school
year activities.
These guidance documents formed the backbone of KDE’s support
system for schools and districts. Each of these documents were
distributed directly to KDE mailing lists, posted to KDE’s website
and social media accounts, and shared at regularly scheduled
stakeholder meetings. Table B1 identifies specific sources of support
for each of the requested categories.
Table B1.
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Universal and correct • Governor’s Executive Orders
wearing of masks • Guidance and Safety
Expectations and Best
Practices for Kentucky
Schools (K-12) - English
(UPDATED - May 3, 2021)
• KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
(P.22)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• Director of Pupil Personnel
Webcasts
• District Health Coordinator
Webcasts
• School Nurse Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• Kentucky Department of
Education (KDE) and
Department for Public Health
(DPH) Workgroup
18
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Physical distancing (e.g., • Governor’s Executive Orders
including use of • Guidance and Safety
cohorts/podding) Expectations and Best
Practices for Kentucky
Schools (K-12) - English
(UPDATED - May 3, 2021)
• KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
(P. 20)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• KDE and DPH Workgroup
Handwashing and • SR 21
respiratory etiquette • Guidance and Safety
Expectations and Best
Practices for Kentucky
Schools (K-12) - English
(UPDATED - May 3, 2021)
• KDE and DPH Workgroup
Cleaning and maintaining • Guidance and Safety
healthy facilities, including Expectations and Best
improving ventilation Practices for Kentucky
Schools (K-12) - English
(UPDATED - May 3, 2021)
• KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
(Pp. 12-19)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• KDE and DPH Workgroup
Contact tracing in • Guidance and Safety
combination with isolation Expectations and Best
and quarantine, in Practices for Kentucky
collaboration with the State, Schools (K-12) - English
local, territorial, or Tribal
(UPDATED - May 3, 2021)
health departments
• KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
(P.22)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• Director of Pupil Personnel
Webcasts
• District Health Coordinator
Webcasts
• School Nurse Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• KDE and DPH Workgroup
• Local Health Departments
19
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Diagnostic and screening • KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
testing (Pp. 12-19)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• KDE and DPH Workgroup
• Epidemiology and Laboratory
Capacity for Prevention and
Control of Emerging
Infectious Diseases (ELC)
Grant to provide school
Covid-19 testing
Efforts to provide • Governor’s prioritization of
vaccinations to educators, teachers for vaccination
other staff, and students, if • KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
eligible
(P.22)
• Superintendents Webcasts
• Director of Pupil Personnel
Webcasts
• District Health Coordinator
Webcasts
• School Nurse Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• Kentucky Department of
Education (KDE) and
Department for Public Health
(DPH) Workgroup
• Local health departments,
State Master Agreements to
provide vendor vaccinations
at school facilities
Appropriate • KDE Covid-19 Guidance 2.0
accommodations for (Pp.87-96)
children with disabilities • Superintendents Webcasts
with respect to the health
and safety policies
• Directors of Special
Education (DoSE) Webcasts
• KDE Media Portal Archive
• COVID-19 Resources for
Special Education and Early
Learning
ii. Any Statewide plans, policies, estimated timelines, and specific
milestones related to reopening and operation of school facilities,
20
including any mechanisms the SEA will use to track, monitor, or
enforce their implementation;
At the time of this writing, all Kentucky public schools have
returned to in-person instruction, with all districts offering some
form of hybrid instruction. Following the prioritization of teachers
and school personnel for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility Gov.
Beshear issued Executive Order (E.O.) 2021-120 on February 23,
2021, encouraging school districts to expand in-person educational
opportunities. The Kentucky General Assembly then passed HB
208, which was signed into law on March 4, 2021. That act
required districts to return to at-least a hybrid form of instruction
by March 29, 2021. The legislative intent expressed in HB 208 is
for all districts to return to in-person instruction for the 2021-2022
school year. KDE produced guidance related to returning to in-
person operations and consistent with the legislative intent. That
guidance is now contained in “KDE COVID-19 Guidance 2.0
(UPDATED - March 31, 2021).”
iii. To what extent the SEA and its LEAs consult with Federal, State,
and local health officials. This description should include, if
available, whether the SEA and its LEAs have received support for
screening testing from their State or local health department based
on funding awarded by the CDC; and
KDE has been in regular communication with the KDPH. This
includes a weekly workgroup meeting between KDE and various
public health experts at KDPH. This workgroup discusses all future
guidance topics and works to build and maintain consensus between
the two agencies. KDPH has an opportunity to review and edit all
guidance documents and messaging statements coming from KDE.
All guidance efforts are informed by the most up-to-date guidance
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
KDPH public health experts regularly participate in KDE webcasts
with school and district leadership and student health personnel. At
the May 11, 2021, Superintendents Webcast, KDPH announced a
new CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention
and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Grant to
provide school COVID-19 testing. KDPH is in the process of
finalizing a request for proposal to procure testing services for
schools. KDE staff regularly participate in USED webcasts to
receive information and updates that are shared back with the full
workgroup.
21
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
KDE has worked throughout the school year to provide technical
assistance to schools and districts through continued professional
learning. KDE’s flagship guidance documents (discussed above)
have formed the backbone of this effort. This is combined with
regular communications and webcasts with superintendents,
directors of pupil personnel, school health coordinators, school
nurses, finance officers, directors of special education, etc. (See
KDE Media Portal Archive).
In addition to the two flagship guidance documents, a number of
additional guidance documents have been produced to help schools
prepare for other inevitabilities. These include:
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools: American Rescue Plan:
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (May 3,
2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools: 2020-2021 Kentucky
Assessment and Accountability (ESSA and Perkins)
Frequently Asked Questions (March 29, 2021)
• COVID-19 School-Based Decision Making Council Elections
(May 1, 2020)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - HB 208: Changes to Non-
Traditional Instruction (UPDATED - March 17, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - 2020-2021 Summative
Assessment Administrative Guidance (March 11, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - Participation in Spring
2022-2021 Kentucky State Testing (March 11, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - Operating Schools after
Vaccination (UPDATED - March 10, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - Considerations for Spring
Activities (March 8, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - Elementary and
Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund II (ESSER II)
(UPDATED - February 22, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools: School-Related Student
Travel (February 16, 2021)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools - Participation in Spring
2021 Kentucky State Testing (February 15, 2021)
• Admissions and Release Committee Guide to Free
Appropriate Public Education and Compensatory Education
(ky.gov) (April 15, 2021)
22
KDE also is concerned with the ongoing production of high-quality
instructional activities and has released a wide range of guidance
and professional learning opportunities related to instruction during
the pandemic. KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During
Summer Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance includes research-based recommendations for educators in
the following critical areas: creating effective summer learning
programs designed to accelerate student learning; integrating
social-emotional learning (SEL) into summer learning programs;
and using high-intensity tutoring and vacation academies throughout
the academic school year to provide ongoing support to meet
students’ academic needs.
KDE also provided virtual opportunities for educators across the
state to learn more about Kentucky’s Academic Standards, Model
Curriculum Framework and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support efforts.
One key resource in this effort was a renewed focus on Kentucky’s
Standards Implementation Guides. These tools help schools and
districts identify resources available from KDE to support standards
implementation. Schools and districts may be in various stages of the
standards implementation process and the Standards
Implementation Guides provide a list of resources by the content
area that may be utilized at each stage. The guidance documents will
be updated as new resources become available.
The Model Curriculum Framework (MCF), created by KRS
158.6451, is designed to provide guidance to schools and districts in
implementing research-based practices that support standards
implementation and promote student equity. Sections include the
local curriculum design and development process, including the
evaluation and selection of high-quality instructional resources,
implementation of effective professional learning communities, and
implementation of a comprehensive, balanced system of assessments
to ensure equitable, high-quality and reliable assessment practices.
KYstandards.org provides general and content specific professional
learning modules to support grade-level standards-aligned
instruction. The site also includes resources for breaking down a
standard, assignment review protocols, student assignment libraries,
family guides, instructional resource alignment rubrics and the
characteristics of high-quality professional learning.
Finally, a new KDE website, KyMTSS.org, was created to provide
information and resources to support implementation, improvement
and sustainability of an effective Multi-Tiered System of Supports
(MTSS) for intentional academic, behavioral and social-emotional
23
interventions for students needing acceleration.
KDE is using ESSER funds to contract with the eight regional
educational cooperatives for a “train the trainer” professional
learning model to increase capacity and support for local schools
and districts.
KDE will be collaborating with external partners with proven
evidence in effectively assisting schools in implementing evidence-
based high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs) to support
districts in the local curriculum development process and the
evaluation and selection of HQIRs for reading and writing and
mathematics.
Research consistently indicates the importance of students having
access to high-quality, standards-aligned, grade level instruction. As
teachers implement the local standards-aligned curriculum, it is
important that they strategically and intentionally utilize evidence-
based instructional practices that support students in reaching the
intended learning outcomes within the Kentucky Academic
Standards (KAS). During the 2021-2022 school year, KDE will
release professional learning opportunities that take a deeper dive
into six evidence-based instructional practices. These include
community and relationship building, clear learning goals, explicit
teaching and modeling, questioning, discussion, and feedback. This
professional learning will include a general overview as well as
content-specific supports and connections.
Finally, KDE supports districts by providing written guidance for
“COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student and Staff
Wellness” in their return to school. The guidance provided by KDE,
addresses several areas including, but not limited to, monitoring for
targeted supports; preparing for, understanding and responding to
traumatic stress responses in students and staff; and re-engaging
students disconnected to instructional activity.
2. Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plans: Describe
how the SEA will ensure that its LEAs that receive ARP ESSER funds meet the
requirements in section 2001(i) of the ARP Act and the requirements relating to
the ARP ESSER funds published in the Federal Register and available at
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/american-rescue-plan/american-rescue-plan-
elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief/ (ARP ESSER requirements)
to either: (a) within 30 days of receipt of the funds, develop and make publicly
available on the LEA’s website a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction
and continuity of services, or (b) have developed and made publicly available on
24
the LEA’s website such a plan that meets statutory requirements before the
enactment of the ARP Act, including:
i. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan includes, or will be
modified to include, the extent to which it has adopted policies and a
description of any such policies on each of the strategies listed in
table B1;
ii. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan describes how it will
ensure continuity of services including but not limited to services to
address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff social,
emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include
student health and food services;
iii. How the SEA will ensure that the LEA periodically reviews, no less
frequently than every six months for the duration of the ARP ESSER
grant period (i.e., through September 30, 2023), 2 and revises as
appropriate, its plan, and how the SEA will ensure that the LEA
seeks public input, and takes such input into account on (1) whether
revisions are necessary and, if so, (2) the revisions to the plan; and
iv. Describe, to the extent the SEA collects it, information about LEA
implementation, to the greatest extent practicable, of each element of
the most up-to-date CDC guidance listed in table B1 and its LEAs’
needs for support and technical assistance to implement strategies
consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with relevant CDC
guidance.
At the time of this writing, all Kentucky school districts are offering
at least hybrid in-person instruction. As part of their instructional
redesign, districts have adopted reopening plans. KDE will include
the following requirements in the district ARP ESSER assurances
document:
• That the district reopening plan includes, or be modified to
include, policies for each strategy listed in table B1;
• That the district’s reopening plan include, or be modified to
include, a description of how the district will ensure
continuity of services including, but not limited to, services to
address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff
social, emotional, mental health and other needs, which may
include student health and food services;
• That the district’s reopening plan be reviewed no less
frequently than every 6 months for the duration of the ARP
ESSER grant period and revised, where appropriate, in the
2
ARP ESSER funds are subject to the Tydings amendment in section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions
Act, 20 U.S.C. 1225(b), and are therefore available to SEAs and LEAs for obligation through September 30, 2024.
Review and revisions of these plans, if necessary, are not required during the Tydings period.
25
district assurance document for receipt of ARP ESSER funds;
and
• That the district will seek and take into account public
comment related to plan review and revision.
KDE will provide ongoing technical assistance to districts as they
seek to revise their plans and remain in compliance.
KDE’s two flagship guidance documents (discussed above) are
based on CDC recommendations and are regularly updated to
reflect any changes in that guidance. Updates to the COVID-19
Guidance 2.0 document are communicated to districts through KDE
emails to districts and via regularly scheduled or special webcasts.
Districts are expected to implement and adhere to the guidance
contained therein. KDE does not collect detailed implementation for
the 171 school districts or for the roughly 1,400 schools inside those
districts. KDE routinely receives reports regarding alleged
violations from CDC and KDE guidelines from parents, guardians,
staff, the public, KYSAFER (the hotline for reporting violations of
COVID-19 policies) and from the Lieutenant Governor and the
Governor’s Offices. Where possible, KDE follows-up with the
superintendent or appropriate district staff to resolve issues and
concerns.
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funds
The Department recognizes that seeking input from diverse stakeholders is essential to
developing plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds that are responsive to the needs of
students, families, and educators. In this section, SEAs will describe their plans for
consultation and for coordinating the use of ARP ESSER funds with other resources to meet
the needs of students.
1. SEA Consultation: Consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements, describe how
the SEA engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and incorporated
input into its plan, including, but not limited to:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. Tribes (if applicable);
iv. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
v. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators);
vi. superintendents;
vii. charter school leaders (if applicable);
viii. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions; and
26
ix. stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,
English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are
incarcerated, and other underserved students.
The description must include how the SEA provided the public the opportunity to
provide input in the development of the plan, a summary of the input (including
any letters of support), and how the SEA took such input into account.
KDE values stakeholder input and feels that it strongly benefits the policymaking
process. KDE has worked to provide transparent guidance and ample
opportunities for stakeholders at every level to lend their voices to the planning
process throughout the pandemic.
KDE maintains a roster of 18 advisory groups that meet regularly to discuss
important policy issues. These groups include:
1. Commissioner's Student Advisory Council
2. Counselor Advisory Council (CAC)
3. Directors of Special Education (DoSE) Advisory Group
4. Local School Board Members Advisory Council (LSBMAC)
5. Parents Advisory Council (PAC)
6. Preschool Coordinator Advisory Group
7. Principals Advisory Council (PrAC)
8. Superintendents Advisory Council (SAC)
9. Teachers Advisory Council (TAC)
10. Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee
11. Committee on Mathematics Achievement (CMA)
12. Local Superintendents Advisory Council (LSAC)
13. Read to Achieve Advisory Council (RTA Council)
14. School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council (SCAAC)
15. State Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education
16. State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children (SAPEC)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these groups met at greater frequency, some as
often as once per week. The Education Continuation Task Force was created by
Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown specifically to guide KDE’s COVID-19
response. It includes representatives from many of the desired consultation
groups, including teachers, principals, superintendents, unions, and groups
representing parents and students with disabilities.
KDE also increased two-way communication with all stakeholder groups
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting weekly special webcasts on timely
topics. These webcasts allowed KDE to present new information and participants
to submit feedback and questions that were used to inform future guidance
documents and webcast themes. For the first time, these webcasts – and in fact,
27
all important KDE meetings – were widely broadcasted and archived so they
could be reviewed later. KDE shared those recordings on social media channels
and linked to them in email blasts to ensure wide exposure.
Additionally, during the APR ESSER application period, KDE hosted a series of
14 listening tour events. While these events were not solely in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic or the ARP ESSER application, many of the sentiments
expressed during the listening tour are reflected in this application.
The information captured in this application reflects 18 months of regular
stakeholder feedback. In addition to that feedback, KDE issued a public survey
specifically related to this ARP ESSER application. The survey, which was made
available in English and Spanish, was shared on social media and emailed
directly to roughly 150,000 email subscribers. Targeted emails were sent to 30
stakeholders representing the required consultancy groups. A total of 743
individuals responded to the survey. The table below shows the number and
percent of respondents by group in order of frequency.
Stakeholder Group Count Percent
Teacher 269 36.2
Family member 145 19.5
Other educator or school staff 119 16.0
School or district administrator 46 6.2
Other school level leader 43 5.8
Stakeholder representing the interests of other under- 28 3.8
served students
Stakeholder representing the interests of children with 22 3.0
disabilities
Special education administrator 21 2.8
Principal 13 1.7
Student 8 1.1
Stakeholder representing the interests of English 6 0.8
learners
Union 5 0.7
Stakeholder representing the interests of migratory 4 0.5
students
Superintendent 4 0.5
Civil rights organization 3 0.4
Stakeholder representing the interests of children and 3 0.4
youth in foster care
28
Stakeholder representing the interests of children 2 0.3
experiencing homelessness
Disability rights organization 1 0.1
Stakeholder representing the interests of children who 1 0.1
are incarcerated
Note: KDE does not serve any Tribes or Charter Schools at this time.
The information collected through this survey process and the prior months of
stakeholder feedback are incorporated throughout this application. Below are
some common themes from the stakeholder survey:
• Stakeholders appreciated the greater level of student engagement with
technology and the internet.
• Stakeholders appreciated the individualized attention that students were
able to receive during the remote learning period.
• Stakeholders appreciated the ability of school districts to continue to
provide food services and other wrap-around services throughout the
pandemic.
• Stakeholders are concerned with the lost instructional time created by the
pandemic.
• Stakeholders are concerned for the mental health of students and
expressed a desire for greater mental health supports in schools.
• Stakeholders are concerned about the lack of access to adequate
technology, particularly high-speed internet access.
Finally, following the development of this application, the final draft was
published for public comment for five days following KDE’s usual procedure for
soliciting feedback on similar items. As requested, the results of the stakeholder
survey and any additional public comments received have been submitted along
with this application.
2. Coordinating Funds: Describe to what extent the SEA has and will coordinate
Federal COVID-19 pandemic funding and other Federal funding. This description
must include:
i. How the SEA and its LEAs 1) are using or have used prior to the
submission of this plan and 2) plan to use following submission of
this plan, Federal COVID-19 funding under the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and the CRRSA Act
to support a safe return to and safely maximize in-person instruction,
sustain these operations safely, and address the disproportionate
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual student groups
(including students from low-income families, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial or ethnic minorities, students
29
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and
migratory students);
Complete the table below or provide a narrative description.
ESSER I
SEA Administration Current and Planned Uses: Administration
funds will be used for the development of the LEA application and
subrecipient monitoring.
LEAs Current and Planned Uses:
$ 12,165,651 Coordination of efforts
$ 13,018,454 Providing leaders with resources for schools
$ 2,151,831 Activities to address special needs populations
$ 4,884,421 Procedures and processes to improve preparedness
and response
$ 1,945,118 Training staff on sanitation/infectious disease
spread
$ 25,527,029 Supplies to sanitize and clean facilities
$ 9,66,5845 Planning/coordinating long-term closures
$ 73,254,020 Purchasing educational technology
$ 2,616,467 Providing mental health services and supports
$ 3,103,488 Summer learning and supplemental after school
programs
$ 16,612,144 Maintain/continuity of services and continued staff
employment
$ 6,979,472 Other authorized activities related to federal
education acts
$ 1,944,247 Indirect Cost
$173,868,187
State-level Activities Current and Planned Uses:
See attached ESSER I State-level Activities Current and Planned
Uses of Funds
GEER I
The Governor’s Office passed-through $30,000,000 to KDE. KDE
awarded those funds to LEAs to expand access to high-quality
remote learning experiences through increased digital learning
infrastructure and expanded remote food services to students.
$23,931,005 Distance/Remote Learning
$ 5,733,112 School Nutrition Program Operations
$ 335,883 Indirect Cost
30
ESSER II
SEA Administration: $4,641,374
LEAs: $835,447,248
State Set-Aside: $88,186,098
LEAs Current and Planned Uses:
$7,281,448 Activities to address special needs populations
$155,374,280 Addressing learning loss
$20,042,666 Coordination efforts
$38,422,506 Improve indoor air quality
$217,603,644 Maintain/continuity of services; continued staff
employment
$12,809,509 Mental health services and supports
$35,106,702 Other authorized activities related to federal education
acts
$4,435,448 Planning/coordinating long-term closures
$6,154,571 Procedures/processes to improve preparedness and
response
$53,614,018 Providing leaders with resources for schools
$73,430,920 Purchasing educational technology
$45,797,835 School facility repairs/improvements to reduce
transmission
$99,445,098 Summer/supplemental afterschool programs
$13,948,255 Supplies to sanitize/clean facilities
$549,115 Training staff on sanitation/infectious disease spread
$51,431,233 Indirect Costs
$835,447,248
Note: A portion of KDE’s ESSER II set-aside has yet to be budgeted.
GEER II
SEA Administration - Funding will used to provide additional staff at
the SEA level to provide oversight.
Non-public Schools – Funding provided for services or assistance to
address educational disruptions resulting from COVID-19.
Table C1.
31
Funding source Prior/current SEA Planned SEA and
and LEA uses LEA uses (including
(including funding funding amounts, if
amounts, if applicable)
applicable)
ESSER I (CARES SEA: $23,200 SEA: $73,393
Act) LEA: $120,307,205 LEA: $53,560,982
State-level State-level
Activities: Activities:
$6,167,990 $13,054,104
GEER I (CARES $22,829,482.00 $7,170,518.00
Act)
ESSER II (CRRSA SEA: $0 SEA: $4,641,374
Act) LEA: $5,574,875 LEA: $829,872,373
State-level State-level
Activities: $0 Activities:
$88,186,098
GEER II (CRRSA $0 SEA: $204,089
Act) Non-public
Schools:
$39,905,093
ii. To what extent ESSER I and ESSER II funds have been awarded to
LEAs and, if funds have not yet been made available to LEAs, when
they will be. In addition, please provide any available information on
the total dollar amounts of ESSER I and ESSER II funds that have
been obligated but not expended by the SEA and its LEAs, including
whether the SEA is able to track LEA obligations.
All ESSER I and ESSER II funds have been awarded to districts.
KDE does not have the ability to track district obligations.
Funding Source Obligated Not Expended
ESSER I SEA $19,318,687.00 $13,134,521.00
(Administration and
State-level Activities)
ESSER I LEA $173,868,187.00 $53,560,982.00
ESSER II SEA $31,065,320.00 $31,065,320.00
(Administration and
State-level Activities)
ESSER II LEA $835,447,248.00 $829,872,373.00
32
iii. In supporting LEAs as they plan for the safe return to and continuity
of in-person instruction and for meeting the academic, social,
emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic, the extent to which the SEA is also using
other Federal funding sources including but not limited to under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (“ESEA”), IDEA,
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (“WIOA”), funding for
child nutrition services, and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act, and the funds to support the needs of students experiencing
homelessness provided by section 2001(b)(1) of the ARP Act. 3
KDE uses federal funding sources pursuant to the requirements of
the requisite federal programs. Descriptions of the specific funding
sources requested are outlined below.
IDEA
To support districts with the use of IDEA funds, KDE provided
guidance on Maintenance of Effort (MOE) through multiple
guidance resources. Specifically, the “American Rescue Plan:
Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER)”
guidance provides an overview of MOE and planning for the use of
ESSER/ESSER II funds (p. 24). MOE is also addressed in the “KDE
COVID-19 2.0 Guidance” through a frequently asked questions
section on School Health Policies (p. 25) and Compensatory
Education (p. 99). KDE was careful to inform districts that the MOE
requirements of the IDEA remain in place and that all precautions
should be taken to ensure compliance with the spending of state and
local funds or local funds only when providing special education and
related services. Staff from KDE’s Office of Special Education and
Early Learning (OSEEL) participated in KDE-sponsored virtual
meetings with local superintendents, district finance officers and
directors of special education concerning this guidance.
Title I, Part A and McKinney-Vento
Districts have the Title I, Part A homeless district set aside (MV
DSA). Currently, Kentucky has 16 districts (three districts working
together as a collaborative) who receive the McKinney-Vento (MV)
grant, which supports the district’s homeless education programs.
KDE has encouraged MV grantees to coordinate activities and
services with the Title I, Part A homeless and MV DSAs.
3
Please note that the needs of students experiencing homelessness must be addressed (along with the other groups
disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic) through the use of the ARP ESSER SEA reservations and
the required LEA reservation for the academic impact of lost instructional time; the funding provided to support the
needs of students experiencing homelessness by section 2001(b)(1) of the ARP Act is in addition to the supports and
services provided with ARP ESSER funds.
33
KDE has encouraged all district homeless liaisons to collaborate
with their Title I, Part A and federal programs coordinators to
ensure these funds are coordinated with the additional ARP-ESSER
and ARP-HCY Phases 1 and 2 and that all funding is used to address
the learning loss, lack of engagement of HCY and their
parents/guardians, and social-emotional needs that have been
identified for the HCY in their districts.
Carl D. Perkins Federal CTE Funds
KDE administers Carl D. Perkins Federal CTE funding in alignment
with all federal regulations. Kentucky’s state leadership funds have
provided a competitive application opportunity for the
implementation of non-traditional career pathway summer camps at
11 area technology centers (ATCs) across the Commonwealth. These
camps are integrated within many of the districts’ summer
enrichment opportunities.
Entities eligible for basic grants have used their funds to support the
continued learning needs of CTE students throughout the pandemic
by utilizing Perkins funding to purchase necessary online software
and curriculum to support virtual learning. These funds also have
supported the purchase of vital equipment and technology needed to
scale and continue remote learning implementation.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Federal funding available from the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA), administered and overseen by the
Kentucky Cabinet for Education and Workforce Development, has
not been allocated to provide direct support to districts regarding
COVID-19 related needs.
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students
The Department recognizes that States have an extraordinary opportunity to address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students through the
ARP Act’s required State set-asides to address the academic impact of lost instructional time,
provide summer learning and enrichment programs, and provide comprehensive afterschool
programs. In this section, SEAs will describe their evidence-based strategies for these
resources.
1. Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: Describe how the SEA will use the
funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(1) of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 5
percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) on evidence-based
interventions to address the academic impact of lost instructional time by
supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer
34
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool
programs, or extended school year programs, and ensure that such interventions
respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The
description must include:
i. A description of the evidence-based interventions (e.g., providing
intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating learning) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those interventions on an ongoing basis to understand if they are
working;
KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer Learning
Programs and Through the Academic Year” guidance includes
research-based recommendations for creating effective summer
learning programs designed to accelerate student learning,
integrating SEL into summer learning programs, and using high-
intensity tutoring and vacation academies throughout the academic
school year to provide ongoing support to meet students’ academic
needs.
According to the research, the most effective summer programs
share the following structure:
• Five to six weeks in duration;
• Five days of programming per week;
• 60-90 minutes of math and 90-120 minutes of reading/writing
instruction per day;
• Two-three hours for enrichment activities; and
• Small classes of up to 15 students per teacher.
KDE recommends that districts engage in a continuous improvement
process by setting goals for program quality and student outcomes.
They also are charged with monitoring outcomes. Data sources may
include, but are not limited to, pre- and post-tests that are aligned
with the summer curriculum at the beginning and end of the summer
program, student attendance and no-show rates, observation of
instruction and stakeholder feedback (e.g., teacher, student and
family survey data). Districts also are encouraged to create a
process for sharing program evaluation data with key district and
community stakeholders after the summer ends to improve the
program over time.
High-intensity (high-dosage) tutoring is a research-based approach
to accelerating student learning in which students who are behind in
grade-level content are provided with individualized tutoring
sessions three or more times a week that address content that meets
students where they are, but also links back to what is being taught
in the regular classroom. KDE provided the following guidance to
35
districts:
• In reading, most impactful with K-2 students;
• In math, greater evidence of success with grades 3-12;
• Three to four students per group, but one-on-one or 1:2
tutoring is most effective, if possible;
• Three or more sessions per week; and
• 30-60 minutes per session (elementary might benefit from 20-
minute sessions 5 days a week) for at least 10 weeks.
Vacation academies, also referred to as acceleration academies,
offer students 25 hours of targeted instruction in a single subject
during week-long vacation breaks. This expanded learning time has
been shown to help students gain up to three months of additional
learning in the targeted subject area. KDE guidance recommended
the following guidelines:
• Content-specific academy (focus on single subject area, such
as mathematics or reading/writing);
• Targets students below proficiency;
• 8-12 students per group;
• 10:1 student ratio, if possible;
• One week in length;
• 25 hours of targeted instruction in a single subject area; and
• Be offered during vacation breaks (fall, winter, spring or
summer).
For both high-intensity tutoring and vacation academies, districts
are advised to use the formative assessment process to elicit,
interpret and act on student learning data to allow tutors to
personalize instruction. Also, data should be routinely gathered and
analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the overall academy
program and structure.
KRS 158.840 establishes that KDE shall “require no reporting of
instructional plans, formative assessment results, staff effectiveness
processes, or interventions implemented in the classroom” except
under specific statutory and grant requirements. Thus, KDE may
analyze data from the Infinite Campus intervention tab and student
surveys as a mechanism for collecting data at the local level.
KDE also utilized $50,000 in funding for the Summer Boost Reading
and Mathematics initiative. To support parents, families and
caregivers in encouraging summer learning, KDE's Summer Boost
Program provides books, math games and other family resources to
help keep a child’s mind active during the summer at home. KDE’s
Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) collaborates with the Office
36
of Finance and Operations (OFO) and local Summer Food Service
Program providers to distribute these resources to families.
Funding also is being allocated for scaling statewide professional
learning in the science of reading and foundational reading skills.
Assessment data, internal KDE research and reporting conducted by
KDE’s Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) and the
Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence reveal significant
achievement gaps in reading, especially for Kentucky’s most
vulnerable students. The Language Essentials for Teachers of
Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning program has
demonstrated success on a national scale in bringing significant
increases in literacy achievement. The professional learning gives
teachers the skills they need to teach the five essential components of
literacy (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension), plus writing, spelling and oral language.
Furthermore, teachers also learn how to implement classroom
instruction based on what they learn in the experience as well as
approaches to differentiate instruction to meet the literacy needs of
all students.
In Kentucky, all K-5 students would benefit from improved high-
quality Tier 1 instruction in reading. The ultimate objective is to
equip and empower local schools and districts in providing
educators access to high-quality professional learning (HQPL), so
they are better prepared to support all students with engaging,
relevant, standards-aligned grade-level assignments. Teachers need
support and this professional learning would allow them to better
serve all Kentucky students, not just those receiving intervention.
The statewide professional learning could impact entire school
districts of practicing elementary teachers. Professional learning
facilitators and coaches from KDE and the eight regional
educational cooperatives also need to be hired, trained and
strategically dispersed to build capacity and equip local schools and
teachers for effective implementation.
Funding also will be used to support increased student and teacher
access to high quality instructional resources (HQIRs). Part of
effective instruction is ensuring that all students have equitable
access to the educational opportunities necessary to achieve a
successful future. One aspect of this is that students receive strong,
standards-aligned instruction. A significant driver of this is
increasing the capacity of schools and districts to provide teachers
with high-quality, standards-aligned instructional resources and
providing aligned professional development that ensures teachers
are able to use these effectively. KDE has defined high-quality
37
instructional resources (HQIRs) as a means to provide equitable
access and culturally responsive learning for children. KDE will
support local schools and districts by developing general and subject
specific selection criteria and evaluation forms for the selection of
HQIRs and use funding to work with external partners and Kentucky
teachers to provide a consumer guide to schools to aid in the
selection of HQIRs.
ii. How the evidence-based interventions will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to determine the impact of lost instructional time; and
In order for schools and districts to accelerate student learning as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to create acceleration
plans using evidence-based strategies and practices that provide
students with more time and dedicated attention. These should be
focused on immersing students in grade-level standards. Plans
should target students who most need the additional time and
support, based on formative assessment data, early warning systems
and other local sources of data.
KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer Learning
Programs and Through the Academic Year” guidance focuses on
evidence-based strategies for accelerating student learning through
summer learning programs and during the academic school year.
While summer presents schools and districts with an opportunity to
begin accelerating student learning, support will need to continue
throughout the school year to effectively address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students.
Whenever providing students with opportunities to accelerate their
learning, though, they must be in a physical and emotional state that
enables them to learn. Therefore, it is critical that acceleration plans
also include strategies that support students’ social-emotional and
behavioral needs.
The evidence-based interventions and associated recommendations
are adapted from research conducted by the RAND Corporation
(2018) and the Wallace Foundation (2018 and 2019), which
examined the effectiveness of several types of summer learning
programs and their impact on student outcomes. These
recommended practices meet Every Student Succeeds Act Tier I
standards regarding impacting student achievement in math, and
Tier III standards for impacting student achievement in reading and
social and emotional learning.
38
KDE advises districts to conduct early, robust planning, including
determining which students to target. This decision may be made by
analyzing spring data, examining available resources and
identifying district priorities.
A strong body of evidence shows that the quality of teaching has the
largest school-based impact on student outcomes of any factor.
Hiring the most effective teachers and giving them the support they
need are critical steps to maximizing student achievement. Districts
are advised to prioritize hiring teachers with relevant content
knowledge and grade-level experience and to hire experts to support
students with special needs (e.g., English learners, students with
Individual Education Programs). Based on the research on effective
summer learning programs, small class sizes did not negate the need
for specialized supports.
Professional learning also should provide opportunities to practice
delivering the curriculum during staff training. Include strategies to
differentiate the curriculum for students of varied academic ability
levels and ways to integrate social-emotional learning into everyday
practice.
KDE advised districts to prioritize student recruitment and
attendance. Studies show that students need to attend at least 20
days over the course of the summer program to experience academic
benefits. In addition to offering enrichment activities, accurate
recruitment materials and incentives can help maintain good
attendance. KDE issued the following related recommendations:
• Recommendation 1: Develop accurate, timely informational
materials that explain requirements and attractive features of
the program, the enrollment process, transportation routes
and the program schedule. This may include some form of
personalized communication to increase the effectiveness of
recruitment efforts.
• Recommendation 2: Establish a firm enrollment deadline.
This is important for program planning, ensures higher
average daily attendance rates and improves learning.
Parents can be notified in advance of transportation routes.
Districts can staff the program to meet desired student-to-
adult ratios and avoid making last-minute hires. Teachers
learn who their students are before the program starts.
• Recommendation 3: Establish a clear attendance policy and
track no-show rates as well as daily attendance.
• Recommendation 4: If resources allow, provide incentives to
39
parents and students for attendance.
To maximize the effectiveness of instruction during the summer
program, teachers should have a common local curriculum and
HQIRs that are matched to student needs and a small class size.
Having a single curriculum for each subject promotes an equitable
learning environment for all students and maximizes resources. KDE
established a definition for high-quality instructional resources and
recommended that districts serve students in small classes or groups
and cap class size at 15 students per adult, if possible. With a small
class, a teacher can more quickly establish rapport with students, get
to know their individual learning needs and provide more
individualized attention.
If resources allow, districts were advised to consider hiring staff to
support positive student behavior and social-emotional wellness.
KDE recommended that they consider hiring school counselors,
social workers and/or behavioral management specialists to offer
on-site support for students’ social-emotional and behavioral needs.
High-intensity (high-dosage) tutoring is a research-based approach
to accelerating student learning in which students who are behind in
grade-level content are provided with individualized tutoring
sessions three or more times a week that address content that meets
students where they are, but also links back to what is being taught
in the regular classroom. This provides students with just-in-time
support to meet the grade-level expectations. High-intensity tutoring
programs are much more effective than low-intensity volunteer
tutoring which provide tutoring on a weekly or as-needed basis and
have not been shown to have any significant impact on academic
progress. According to the research, students participating in high-
intensity tutoring learned one to two additional school years of
mathematics in a single year. This, along with the strategic
deployment of vacation academies, as discussed in question D.1.i.,
are also an important part of KDE’s response to addressing the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19.
Additionally, KDE will also:
• Encourage the use of universal screening data and compare
the 2020-2021 data of students meeting proficiency to that of
previous years.
• Encourage the analysis of annual spring summative
assessment data (K-PREP, ACT) to look at changes in
proficiency levels from spring 2019 to spring 2021 to
determine learning loss,
• Encourage the disaggregation of the data by subgroup to
40
look at disproportionate impact and making that comparison
to previous years will allow KDE to determine impact as
well.
• Encourage the use of data related to the Supplemental School
Year Program as required by Senate Bill 128 (2021) as an
indicator of the impact of lost instructional time and the
desire of families and educators to address student
accelerated learning needs.
• Encourage the use of student participation data to target
certain districts for the early literacy initiatives and
professional learning being paid for with the funding
allocated for scaling statewide professional learning in the
science of reading and foundational reading skills.
KRS 158.840 establishes that KDE shall “require no reporting of
instructional plans, formative assessment results, staff effectiveness
processes, or interventions implemented in the classroom” except
under specific statutory and grant requirements. Thus, KDE may
analyze data from the Infinite Campus intervention tab and surveys
as a mechanism for collecting data at the local level.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.
KDE is sensitive to the fact that the period of extended hybrid and/or
remote learning resulting from the COVID-19 emergency presents
many challenges not evident in traditional in-person classroom
instruction. Educators will need to continually assess the impact of
lost instructional time in order to design effective Tier 1 instruction
and targeted intervention during this emergency and afterward.
KDE offered guidance on how educators can monitor student
learning through the formative assessment process in the 2020-2021
school year. Local support should address both student social-
emotional learning and academic transition and success, as learning
gaps or other issues resulting from extended hybrid and/or remote
learning do not automatically trigger retention.
Based on the MTSS framework, schools and districts should have
systems in place for early identification of students chronically
absent or who may be “at risk.” The local leadership team is
encouraged to analyze student data to look for root causes of
absenteeism and/or barriers to attendance or learning and then
implement and monitor tiered interventions prior to any retention.
41
KDE provides research-based resources to districts on its website,
KyMTSS.org, and urges local education agencies to be innovative in
how they serve students in an environment that best meets individual
student needs and to plan for targeted interventions that may be
needed to accelerate student learning to avoid the need for retention.
While KDE will provide support for these efforts across the
Commonwealth, there are some statutory boundaries that KDE must
work within:
• Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 160.345 assigns each local
school-based decision making (SBDM) council the authority
to develop and design the school’s curriculum and determine
appropriate instructional resources.
• KRS 160.345(g) states, “The school council shall determine
which textbooks, instructional materials, and student support
services shall be provided in the school.”
• KRS 160.345 (i) requires that the “school council shall adopt
a policy to be implemented by the principal in the following
additional areas: 1. Determination of curriculum, including
needs assessment, curriculum development and
responsibilities under KRS 158.6453(19).”
The authority of local schools and their councils to lead standards
implementation efforts and direct the process to identify and engage
students who need accelerated learning cannot be overstepped. As
such, KDE will continue to use funding to develop resources and
professional learning supports that aim to unlock the inclusive
nature of the Kentucky Academic Standards and support initiatives
to increase innovation and personalized learning in order to support
schools and districts in engaging students with grade-level learning
experiences that are implemented via evidence-based high-quality
instructional practice.
KDE supports districts by providing written guidance for “COVID-
19 Considerations for Supporting Student and Staff Wellness” in
their return to school. The guidance provided by KDE, addresses
several areas including, but not limited to, monitoring for targeted
supports; preparing for, understanding and responding to traumatic
stress responses in students and staff; and re-engaging students
disconnected to instructional activity. KDE also may use district
student participation data to target certain districts for support in
SEL and trauma-informed care and practices to address the learning
needs of students impacted by trauma.
Finally, KDE also may use district student participation data to
42
target certain districts for the early literacy initiatives and
professional learning being paid for with the funding allocated for
scaling statewide professional learning in the science of reading and
foundational reading skills.
2. Evidence-Based Summer Learning and Enrichment Programs: Describe how the
SEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(2) of the ARP Act
(totaling not less than 1 percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER
funds) for evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs, including
those that begin in Summer 2021, and ensure such programs respond to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The description must
include:
i. A description of the evidence-based programs that address the
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students
(e.g., providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating
learning) the SEA has selected, and the extent to which the SEA will
evaluate the impact of those programs;
KDE believes that summer learning opportunities and other
extended learning opportunities will be vitally important for
Kentucky’s students as we rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While KDE will provide support for these efforts across the
Commonwealth, KDE must work within the statutory boundaries
discussed in the previous responses.
From a broad perspective, KDE will continue to support schools and
districts through many of the other initiatives previously discussed
throughout Section D of this application. These initiatives include,
but are not limited to:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning,
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards, and
• Increased access to high-quality instructional resources.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased social
isolation, many students are struggling with significant learning loss
43
as they return to in-person instruction. To address these needs, KDE
will offer Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST)
Summer Learning Grants to districts that operate comprehensive
out-of-school time (OST) programming over the summer months.
The purpose of the grant is to support the academic acceleration and
social-emotional development of Kentucky’s students by:
a. Expanding access to serve more youth, with an emphasis on
children and communities most impacted by the pandemic,
b. Reducing barriers to equitable access, such as transportation
and enrollment costs, and
c. Increasing programmatic quality and expanding or
enhancing supports and services offered.
KDE will provide comprehensive professional development, state
and national resources, capacity-building and ongoing technical
assistance for BOOST subgrantees to ensure programs are of high
quality and are evidence-based. KDE will monitor funded BOOST
subgrantees through a review of student outcome measures, as well
as programmatic data such as attendance, student demographics,
assessments, activities, family engagement and partners. KDE will
use these data to analyze the funded programs’ progress toward
their site-level objectives, outlined in their applications. The results
of these evaluation activities will inform both KDE’s provision of
professional development and technical assistance to the funded
sites.
Finally, KDE, in collaboration with the Kentucky Environmental
Education Council, the Education and Workforce Development
Cabinet and the lieutenant governor’s office, also is funding a
summer enrichment program option to get students engaged and
eager for in-person learning again. The current plan includes four
service sites that will provide the enrichment activities and are
supplied with AmeriCorps staff. Schools will be offered natural
spaces for one day, including multidisciplinary outdoor
environmental education activities connected with the Kentucky
Academic Standards. The enrichment programming will appeal to a
wide variety of grade levels and interests.
ii. How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3. i.--viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to identify students most in need of summer learning and enrichment
programs; and
44
In order for schools and districts to accelerate student learning as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to create acceleration
plans using evidence-based strategies and practices that provide
students with more time and dedicated attention. These should be
focused on immersing students in grade-level standards. Plans
should target students who most need the additional time and
support, based on formative assessment data, early warning systems
and other local sources of data.
From a broad perspective, KDE will continue to support schools and
districts through many of the other initiatives previously discussed
throughout Section D of this application. These initiates include, but
are not limited to:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning.
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards,
• Increased access to high quality instructional resources, and
• Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST)
Summer Learning Grants.
KDE advises districts to conduct early, robust planning, including
determining which students to target. This decision may be made by
analyzing spring data, examining available resources and
identifying district priorities.
A strong body of evidence shows that the quality of teaching has the
largest school-based impact on student outcomes of any factor.
Hiring the most effective teachers and giving them the support they
need are critical steps to maximizing student achievement. Districts
are advised to prioritize hiring teachers with relevant content
knowledge and grade-level experience and to hire experts to support
students with special needs (e.g., English learners, students with
Individual Education Programs). Based on the research on effective
summer learning programs, small class sizes did not negate the need
for specialized supports.
45
Districts are advised to prioritize student recruitment and
attendance. Studies show that students need to attend at least 20
days over the course of the summer program to experience academic
benefits. In addition to offering enrichment activities, accurate
recruitment materials and incentives can help maintain good
attendance. KDE has issued the following related recommendations:
• Recommendation 1: Develop accurate, timely informational
materials that explain requirements and attractive features of
the program, the enrollment process, transportation routes
and the program schedule. This should include some form of
personalized communication to increase the effectiveness of
recruitment efforts.
• Recommendation 2: Establish a firm enrollment deadline.
This is important for program planning, ensures higher
average daily attendance rates and improves learning.
Parents can be notified in advance of transportation routes.
Districts can staff the program to meet desired student-to-
adult ratios and avoid making last-minute hires. Teachers
learn who their students are before the program starts.
• Recommendation 3: Establish a clear attendance policy and
track no-show rates as well as daily attendance.
• Recommendation 4: If resources allow, provide incentives to
parents and students for attendance.
If resources allow, districts were advised to consider hiring staff to
support positive student behavior and social-emotional wellness.
KDE recommended that they consider hiring school counselors,
social workers and/or school-based mental health services providers
to offer on-site support for students’ social-emotional and
behavioral needs.
KDE also will continue to deploy the data analysis techniques
identified earlier in section D.
KRS 158.840 establishes that KDE shall “require no reporting of
instructional plans, formative assessment results, staff effectiveness
processes or interventions implemented in the classroom” except
under specific statutory and grant requirements. Thus, KDE may
analyze data from the Infinite Campus intervention tab and surveys
as a mechanism for collecting data at the local level.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
46
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.
KDE is sensitive to the fact that the period of extended hybrid
and/or remote learning resulting from the COVID-19 emergency
presents many challenges not evident in traditional in-person
classroom instruction. Educators will need to continually assess the
impact of lost instructional time in order to design effective Tier 1
instruction and targeted intervention during this emergency and
afterwards. KDE offered guidance on how educators can monitor
student learning through the formative assessment process in the
2020-2021 school year. Local support should address both student
social and emotional learning and academic transition and success,
as learning gaps or other issues resulting from extended hybrid
and/or remote learning do not automatically trigger retention.
Based on the MTSS framework, schools and districts should have
systems in place for early identification of students chronically
absent or who may be “at risk.” The local leadership team is
encouraged to analyze student data to look for root causes of
absenteeism and/or barriers to attendance or learning and then
implement and monitor tiered interventions prior to any retention.
KDE urges local education agencies to be innovative in how they
serve students in an environment that best meets individual student
needs and to plan for targeted interventions that may be needed to
accelerate student learning to avoid the need for retention.
As has been previously discussed, KDE must operate within
statutory limits when supporting schools in their local decision-
making. KDE will continue to support schools within those limits
and encourages schools to consider many of the elements
previously mentioned throughout Section D, including:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning,
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards,
• Increased access to high-quality instructional resources, and
47
• Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST)
Summer Learning Grants.
3. Evidence-Based Comprehensive Afterschool Programs: Describe how the SEA
will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(3) of the ARP Act (totaling
not less than 1 percent of the state’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) for
evidence-based, comprehensive afterschool programs (including, for example,
before-school programming), and ensure such programs respond to students’
academic, social, emotional and mental health needs. The description must
include:
i. A description of the evidence-based programs (e.g., including
partnerships with community-based organizations) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those programs;
As has been previously stated, KDE is required to work within
statutory limitations that place the decision-making authority over
the selection of specific evidence-based practices with the SBDM
council. As such, KDE will continue to use funding to develop
resources and professional learning supports that aim to unlock the
inclusive nature of the Kentucky Academic Standards and support
initiatives to increase innovation and personalized learning in order
to support schools and districts in engaging students with grade-
level learning experiences that are implemented via evidence-based,
high-quality instructional practice. These practices may include:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning,
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards,
• Increased access to high-quality instructional resources, and
• 21st CCLC Cycle 13 continuation funding.
Many of Kentucky’s afterschool programs take the form of 21st
Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC). As these are
48
federally funded programs, KDE has more authority to promote the
use of effective evidence-based practices.
The 21st CCLC program is committed to ensuring that students have
access to high-quality, evidence-based enrichment activities that
truly support their learning and development. The 21st CCLC
initiative further stresses the importance of diverse groups and
community organizations working together to strengthen school and
community networks to help students and families succeed.
To support schools and districts, KDE’s evidence-based practices
website provides tools and resources designed to make it easier for
leaders to identify and implement evidence-based practices with
fidelity. 21st CCLC Cycle 13 subgrantees will have access to
resources that include the What Works Clearing House, Evidence for
ESSA, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Everyone Graduates Center,
Kentucky Virtual Library Education Databases and the Education
Resources Information Center. Participants will be guided to these
resources to identify evidence-based programs that will address the
academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of students.
Applicants will be required to identify evidence-based programs in
their proposals.
KDE will sustain currently operating Cycle 13 21st Century
Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs that were not
awarded a Continuation Grant in the latest RFA cycle. Throughout
the pandemic, our 21st CCLC programs have kept students engaged
and learning and met the needs of families across the
Commonwealth. We know that these programs are research-based
and an effective model for both combatting learning loss and also
providing meaningful social-emotional support to students and
families.
Cycle 13 programs that scored above the threshold to be awarded
will utilize their existing applications and budgets for the next three
years. The RFA meets evidenced-based requirements. Funds will
begin July 1, 2021, and extend through Sept. 30, 2024.
KDE has greater statutory authority over Kentucky’s 21st CCLC
programs. As such, KDE can play a more significant role in
49
supporting 21st CCLC programs in the selection and monitoring of
evidence-based practices.
KDE will use the evaluation and technical assistance resources and
expertise of the current 21st CCLC statewide evaluation team from
the Center for Evaluation, Policy and Research (CEPR) to provide
data collection and evaluation services for the funded Cycle 13
afterschool programs. Sites receiving the awards will be required to
gather all data aligned with the federally mandated GPRA measures,
and they will use the same software system (Cayen) to enter and
track these data, reducing the burden on site staff via utilizing
processes and software with which they are familiar.
By coordinating CEPR’s evaluation and technical assistance
services with those provided to the state’s 21st CCLC programs, the
funded sites will receive both formative and summative evaluation
support, resulting in data and reporting that will allow KDE to
evaluate the impacts of these programs separately from the 21st
CCLC programs. CEPR will prepare site-level reports for the funded
programs that will include the above-listed student outcome
measures, as well as programmatic data, such as attendance, student
demographics, activities and partners. These reports will allow for
KDE to compare the funded programs with the regularly funded 21st
CCLC afterschool programs, as well as compare these programs
with statewide averages. KDE will use these data to evaluate the
funded programs’ progress toward their site-level objectives, as well
as toward the statewide goals aligned with the 21st CCLC program.
The results of these evaluation activities will inform both KDE’s
provision of professional development and technical assistance to
the funded sites and decisions related to future funding for
afterschool program implementation.
ii. How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to identify students most in need of comprehensive afterschool
programming; and
KDE is committed to the continued success of all learners and is
sensitive to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has created
inequities and disproportionality among Kentucky’s students. As has
50
been stated, KDE must operate within statutory boundaries when
supporting districts in their local decision-making. KDE will
continue to support districts through many of the initiatives
previously discussed throughout section D, including:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning,
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards,
• Increased access to high-quality instructional resources, and
• 21st CCLC Cycle 13 continuation funding.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.
KDE is sensitive to the fact that the period of extended hybrid and/or
remote learning resulting from the COVID-19 emergency presents
many challenges not evident in traditional in-person classroom
instruction. Educators will need to continually assess the impact of
lost instructional time in order to design effective Tier 1 instruction
and targeted intervention during this emergency and afterwards.
As has been stated, KDE must operate within statutory boundaries
when supporting districts in their local decision-making. KDE will
continue to support districts through many of the initiatives
previously discussed throughout section D, including:
• KDE’s “Accelerating Student Learning During Summer
Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year”
guidance,
• The evidence-based interventions and associated
recommendations are adapted from research conducted by
the RAND Corporation (2018) and the Wallace Foundation
(2018 and 2019),
51
• KDE’s COVID-19 Considerations for Supporting Student
and Staff Wellness,
• KDE’s Summer Boost Reading and Mathematics initiative,
• High-quality professional learning,
• The deployment of Kentucky Academic Standards,
• Increased access to high-quality instructional resources, and
• 21st CCLC Cycle 13 continuation funding.
In addition to the processes mentioned above, Kentucky’s 21st
CCLC Cycle 13 subgrantees will be required to describe how they
will serve the following student groups:
• Students from low-income families,
• Students from each racial or ethnic group (e.g., identifying
disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by
race or ethnicity),
• Gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on
underserved student groups by gender),
• English learners,
• Children with disabilities (including infants, toddlers,
children and youth with disabilities eligible under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”)),
• Students experiencing homelessness,
• Children and youth in foster care, and
• Migratory students.
4. Emergency Needs: If the SEA plans to reserve funds for emergency needs under
section 2001(f)(4) of the ARP Act to address issues responding to the COVID-19
pandemic, describe the anticipated use of those funds, including the extent to
which these funds will build SEA and LEA capacity to ensure students’ and
staff’s health and safety; to meet students’ academic, social, emotional and mental
health needs; and to use ARP ESSER funds to implement evidence-based
interventions.
KDE plans to reserve a portion of ARP ESSER funds permitted under the Act. As
the future impacts of COVID-19 are largely unknown, KDE cannot comment on
anticipated emergency uses at this time.
52
E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs
The Department recognizes that the safe return to in-person instruction must be accompanied
by a focus on meeting students’ academic, social, emotional and mental health needs, and by
addressing the opportunity gaps that existed before – and were exacerbated by – the
pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their LEAs in
developing high-quality plans for LEAs’ use of ARP ESSER funds to achieve these
objectives.
1. LEA Plans for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds: Describe what the SEA will
require its LEAs to include in LEA plans consistent with the ARP ESSER
requirements for the use of ARP ESSER funds, how the SEA will require such
plans to be made available to the public, and the deadline by which the LEA must
submit its ARP ESSER plan (which must be a reasonable timeline and should be
within no later than 90 days after receiving its ARP ESSER allocation). The LEA
plans must include, at a minimum:
i. The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement
prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent
practicable, in line with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to
continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning;
ii. How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1)
of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 20 percent of the LEA’s total
allocation of ARP ESSER funds) to address the academic impact of
lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;
iii. How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent
with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and
iv. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements,
including but not limited to, the interventions under section
2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time, will respond to the academic, social, emotional,
and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those
students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,
including students from low-income families, students of color,
English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing
homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory
students.
KDE will require districts to complete an assurance document for
receipt of ARP ESSER funds, which includes:
• An assurance that the district’s plan to safely operate schools
for in-person learning be based on the most recent CDC
guidance;
53
• An assurance that the district will use its 20 percent
reservation to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time through the implementation of evidence-
based interventions, such as summer learning or summer
enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool
programs or extended school year programs;
• An assurance that the district will use its remaining funds
consistent with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and
• An assurance that the interventions the district implements,
including but not limited to those under section 2001(e)(1) of
the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time, will respond to the academic, social,
emotional and mental health needs of all students, and
particularly those students disproportionately impacted by
the COVID-19 pandemic, including students from low-
income families, students of color, English learners, children
with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness,
children and youth in foster care, and migratory students.
As always, KDE will provide technical assistance to school
districts on all aspects of plan requirements.
2. LEA Consultation: Describe how the SEA will, in planning for the use of ARP
ESSER funds, ensure that, consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements], its
LEAs engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including, but not
limited to:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators); and
iv. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions.
The LEA must also engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following
to the extent present in or served by the LEA:
i. Tribes;
ii. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
and
iii. stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,
English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are
incarcerated, and other underserved students.
The description must also include how the SEA will ensure that LEAs provide the
public the opportunity to provide input in the development of the LEA’s plan for
the use of ARP ESSER funds and take such input into account.
54
KDE believes that stakeholder voice is an important element of the policy-making
process at all levels. To ensure schools and districts are appropriately
incorporating stakeholder voice into their planning process, KDE will require
districts to complete an assurance document for receipt of ARP ESSER funds,
which includes:
• An assurance that the district will engage in meaningful consultation with
all required stakeholders; and
• An assurance that the district will engage in meaningful consultation with
all required stakeholders to the extent present or served by the district, as
well as provide the public with the opportunity to provide input in the
district’s plan for the use of funds.
As always, KDE will provide technical assistance to school districts on all
aspects of plan requirements.
3. Describe how the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP ESSER
funds. The description must include:
i. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs’ implementation of
evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ academic,
social, emotional, and mental health needs, such as through summer
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive
afterschool programs, or extended school year programs – including
the extent to which the SEA will collect evidence of the
effectiveness of interventions employed;
KDE places a high priority on the continuous improvement and
evaluation efforts of federal programs. KDE maintains rigorous
processes for the regular monitoring of federal programs and has
already begun piloting the monitoring process for ESSER funds.
KDE will work with districts to understand the impact of efforts
undertaken through the ESSER monitoring process. The process
begins with a risk assessment to prioritize districts for monitoring.
Following the notification, each district completes a self-evaluation
and submits evidence to KDE. The self-evaluation process allows
districts an opportunity to identify weaknesses in their program
implementation and take proactive steps to correct them. KDE
collects and reviews evidence from districts before following up with
stakeholder interviews. Any areas of improvement are identified, and
exemplary items are raised up so that other districts can learn from
the successes of the monitored district.
ii. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in specifically
addressing the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
55
on certain groups of students, including each of the student groups
listed in question A.3.i.-viii; and
KDE is focused on improving educational equity for all students.
During the 2020-2021 school year, KDE hired its first chief equity
officer. This position is charged with promoting equity across the
Commonwealth. The chief equity officer and his staff have developed
trainings, participated in public listening tours, and met with
targeted stakeholder groups to begin the process of supporting
districts in their expanded equity efforts. KDE will soon be releasing
a new Equity Tool Kit that will be used to support districts in their
efforts to address the disproportioned impact of COVID-19.
Additionally, KDE currently is in the final stages of supporting
implementation of the School Safety and Resiliency Act (SSRA) of
2019. This act requires school districts to adopt a plan for
implementing a trauma-informed approach in its schools. These
plans must include, but not be limited to, strategies for:
• Enhancing trauma awareness throughout the school
community;
• Conducting an assessment of the school climate, including
but not limited to inclusiveness and respect for diversity;
• Developing trauma-informed discipline policies;
• Collaborating with the Department of Kentucky State Police,
the local sheriff, and the local chief of police to create
procedures for notification of trauma-exposed students; and
• Providing services and programs designed to reduce the
negative impact of trauma, support critical learning and
foster a positive and safe school environment for every
student.
To support the development of these plans, KDE has created and
released the Trauma-Informed Toolkit. This toolkit, and the KDE-
sponsored and CTAC-led trainings it complements, help schools find
and access high-quality, evidence-based strategies to promote a
trauma-informed approach to schooling. As students return to
buildings with new potential COVID-19-related trauma in their
lives, KDE believes that this effort will help overcome additional
inequities created by the social-emotional burdens of COVID-19.
iii. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP
ESSER funds to identify, reengage, and support students most likely
to have experienced the impact of lost instructional time on student
learning, such as:
56
a. Students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years;
b. Students who did not consistently participate in remote
instruction when offered during school building closures; and
c. Students most at-risk of dropping out of school.
KDE consistently promotes the re-engagement of students who are at
risk for non-completion. Students that have high rates of absenteeism
are served by the District Director of Pupil Personnel (DPP). These
individuals work to promote attendance across the district. KDE
deploys a statewide data management system called Infinite Campus
(IC). Through IC reporting, the DPP is able to monitor attendance,
create alerts for consistent attendance concerns and communicate
with building-level leaders as they work to provide support for
students. DPPs also work to ensure that virtual students are able to
log into their classes and follow up with them through virtual
contacts or home visits to ensure they have what they need to be
successful.
Additionally, KDE maintains a robust early warning tool through
IC, which is a complex data-mining tool using student-level data to
allow district and school personnel to better understand what is
contributing to each student’s risk of dropping out, and most
importantly, what areas of intervention might yield the greatest
impact on their journey towards graduation. Additionally, a chronic
absenteeism report allows school staff to identify which students are
at greatest risk for chronic absenteeism. Armed with this
information, Kentucky educators are able to preemptively respond to
at-risk students and deploy appropriate accommodations and
supports to promote long-term success.
4. Describe the extent to which the SEA will support its LEAs in implementing
additional strategies for taking educational equity into account in expending ARP
ESSER funds, including but not limited to:
i. Allocating funding both to schools and for districtwide activities
based on student need, and
ii. Implementing an equitable and inclusive return to in-person
instruction. An inclusive return to in-person instruction includes, but
is not limited to, establishing policies and practices that avoid the
over-use of exclusionary discipline measures (including in- and out-
of-school suspensions) and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.
As Kentucky is a local control state, KDE has a limited role in
dictating how funds are spent at the local level. KDE has provided
detailed guidance to districts regarding the allowable expenditures
57
under the ARP ESSER program. Additionally, KDE has discussed
the ARP ESSER Maintenance of Equity requirements with district
leaders. KDE will continue to provide grant management assistance
on the permissible use of funds to assist districts in identifying and
implementing additional strategies related to educational equity and
the allocation and use of funds in schools and districtwide based on
student need.
F. Supporting the Educator Workforce
The Department recognizes the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the Nation’s
educators as well as students. In this section, SEAs will describe strategies for supporting and
stabilizing the educator workforce and for making staffing decisions that will support
students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
1. Supporting and Stabilizing the Educator Workforce:
i. Describe the extent to which the State is facing shortages of
educators, education administration personnel, and other school
personnel involved in safely reopening schools, and the extent to
which they vary by region/type of school district and/or groups of
educators (e.g., special educators and related services personnel and
paraprofessionals; bilingual or English as a second language
educators; science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”)
educators; career and technical education (“CTE”) educators; early
childhood educators). Cite specific data on shortages and needs
where available.
Complete the table below, changing or adding additional rows as
needed, or provide a narrative description.
KDE staff reviewed both internal and external data to better
understand where any potential educator shortages may occur.
External data review included data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistic (BLS), US Census Bureau and the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA). Internal data includes reports from
KDE’s SIS, professional and classified data reports, the Kentucky
Educator Placement Service (KEPS) program report, Kentucky’s fall
Local Educator Assignment Data (LEAD) report, and a report which
identifies the number of educators who have been placed out-of-
field.
The KEPS report identifies the number of various district postings
within a set time frame. This report identifies the date a position was
posted, the school and district of the posting, if a position remains
posted, has been filled, expired or withdrawn, and a general reason
for the posting, such as a retirement. The data from this report is
58
from July 1, 2020, until May 5, 2021. During the observed time
period, there were 6,387 position postings. Of the 6,387 postings:
• 6,022 were full time;
• 365 were part time;
• 3,022 have been filled;
• 2,620 remain posted;
• 698 have been withdrawn; and
• 47 expired.
The fall LEAD report identifies the various grade waivers issued by
the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), as
well as the number of course vacancies within a school for the 2020–
2021 school year. The fall LEAD report was used because it
provides more robust reporting. This report was issued on Nov. 15,
2020. The report shows that EPSB granted 160 grade range waivers
and reported 1,282 vacancies.
The out-of-field report would identify districts that have placed
educators within assigned positions who currently are uncertified in
that area. This would allow staff to identify potential staffing
shortages within a specific content area throughout the state. The
data from this report is from July 1, 2020, until June 30, 2021.
During this time period, there were 2,773 out-of-field educators.
These include adjunct instructors (91 educators), who are granted
an annual certification option 4 alternative pathway to certification
to fill in any gaps within a district; emergency certification (408
educators), which is a one-year certification that is not an
alternative route to certification, but allows districts to fill a position
need if no qualified applicants can be identified; temporary
provisional certification (1,705 educators), which are educators
currently enrolled in an educator preparation program (EPP) and
are in the option 6 route to certification (enrolled in a qualified
EPP) or the option 8 route to certification (Teach for America);
waiver for teaching exception children (213), in which educators are
not certified to teach this group of students but are needed to fill a
gap; and probationary (182 educators) and proficiency provisional
(151 educators), which both are certifications in which educators
are enrolled in an EPP and also enrolled in a school district in their
content area to fill any employment gaps.
Table F1.
59
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
Special educators 907 postings in the The KEPS report
and related service exceptional child identified 907
personnel and instructor position postings for the
paraprofessionals category postings position category of
had 433 filled Exceptional Child
(47.7%) Instructor and 368
postings with
368 special special education
education in the specifically within
position title the title of the
postings with 191 posting. These
filled (51.9%) include instructors
and administrative
10 temporary roles. Of the 907
provisional postings for the
certificates position category of
Exceptional Child
213 exceptional Instructor, 433
child waivers were filled. Of the
368 postings titled
with special
education, 191 have
been filled. The
Exceptional Child
Instructor includes
all postings within
the broader
definition of
exceptional child,
such as visual and
hearing impaired,
and moderate to
severe disabilities
(MSD). The
regional needs for
educators within
special education
and related services
is for both district-
wide and school-
specific placements.
The out-of-field
report identified 10
temporary
60
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
provisional
certifications for
special education
(all grades) and
213 waivers to
teach exception
children.
Bilingual educators 114 serving in LIEP The 2018–2019
receiving Title III EdFacts 067
funds with 92 submitted data
certified, licensed reports that
or endorsed Kentucky had 114
(80.7%) educators serving
in LIEPs (including
500 ESL/ELL core content) in
educators needed in LEAs receiving
5 years Title III funding, 92
certified, licensed
or endorsed
educators serving
in LIEP in LEAs
receiving Title III
funds, and 500
ESL/bilingual-
endorsed educators
will be needed in
the next 5 years.
English as a second 109 total postings The KEPS report
language educators (38 ELL) (71 ESL) identified 38
with ELL or ESL in postings with ELL
position titles had (English Language
16 (42.1%) ELL Learner) in the
and 33 (46.5%) position title and 71
ESL filled. positions with ESL
(English Second
Language) in the
position title for a
total of 109
postings. These
postings included
both instructor and
administrative
61
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
positions. Of the 38
ELL position
postings, 16 have
been filled. Of the
71 ESL positions
postings, 33 have
been filled. It is
important to note
that the state has
identified a need for
500 ESL/bilingual-
endorsed educators
in the next 5 years.
STEM educators 14 postings with The KEPS report
STEM in position identified 14
title had 6 filled postings with STEM
(42.9%) in the position title.
Of the16 STEM
285 postings with positions posted, 6
science in title, have been filled. In
2 postings with terms of the various
technology (non- subjects that make
CTE) in title up STEM (science,
technology,
10 postings with engineering and
engineering in title, math), the KEPS
526 postings with report identified
math in title 285 science
(includes position
535 STEM-specific with both
course vacancies science/math-
(includes science, specific position
technology, titles, 28 postings
engineering, math with technology, 10
courses) engineering and
526 math (includes
80 grade-range positions with both
waivers math/science). The
postings with
444 educators out- technology in the
of-field job title do not
include CTE-
specific positions.
62
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
Data from the fall
2020 LEAD report
shows that within
the STEM courses
(science,
technology,
engineering, math),
there were 535
course vacancies
and the Kentucky
EPSB issued 80
grade-range
waivers. The EPSB
grade-range
waivers permitted
educators to teach
outside their grade
certification, but
within the same
content to fill
demand. The out-
of-field report
identified 444
educators (11
adjunct instructors,
127 emergency
certificates, 19
probational or
proficiency
provisional
certificate and 287
temporary
provisional
certificates) that
teach some form of
science, technology,
engineering or
math course in a
Kentucky school
district.
CTE educators 24 postings with The KEPS report
CTE in position identified 24
postings with CTE
63
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
title had 15 filled in the position title.
(62.5%) Twenty-three of
these postings were
52 computer- at the high school
specific course level, with 1 at the
vacancies middle school level.
Of the 24 postings,
8 grade-range 15 have been filled.
waivers Data from the fall
2020 LEAD show
2 out-of-field that within
computer specific
courses (computer
lab, programming
and computer and
technology
applications), there
were 52 course
vacancies and the
Kentucky EPSB
issued 8 grade-
range waivers. The
out-of-field report
identified two
educators (1
emergency
certificate for
computer science
and 1 proficiency
provisional
endorsement for
primary through 12
instructional
computer
technology) to
teach a computer-
based course.
Early childhood 40 postings with The KEPS report
educators early childhood in identified 40
the position title postings with Early
had 31 filled Childhood in the
(77.5%) position title. Of the
40 postings, 31
64
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
68 educators out- have been filled.
of-field These positions
include early
childhood teachers,
ECE
implementation
coaches, early
childhood resource
teachers, early
childhood
counselors and
associate
principals. The out-
of-field report
identified 68
educators (24
emergency
certification and 44
probationary
certification) to
teach
interdisciplinary
early childhood
education.
School counselors 224 postings in the The KEPS report
school counselor identified 224
position category postings within the
had 111 filled School Counselor
(49.6%) position category.
Of those 224
8 educators out-of- postings, 111 have
field been filled. The
filled positions
include school
counselors at all
school levels within
the state. The out-
of-field report
identified 8
educators (4
proficiency
provisional
certificates and 4
65
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
temporary
provisional
certificates) for
school counselors
that would be
certified for all
grades.
Social workers 11 postings in the The KEPS report
social worker identified 11
position category postings with the
had 4 filled (36.3%) School Social
Worker position
category. Of those
11 postings, 4 have
been filled.
Nurses 6 postings in the The KEPS report
nurse position identified 6 job
category had 1 postings within the
filled (16.7%) School Nurse
position category.
Of those 6, 1 had
been filled. It is
important to note
that many districts’
school nurses are
contracted out by
school districts
from public health
agencies or
doctors’ offices
through a third
party. As a result,
these positions
would not be posted
within KEPS. This
makes it difficult to
track if shortages
within the school
nurse position are
present. To assist in
any school nurse
shortages within
66
Area Data on shortages Narrative
and needs description
districts, the state
has allowed for the
expiration of a
regulation that
created the
requirement for an
additional
certification.
School nurses will
no longer need to
be certified by
Kentucky EPSB to
be employed within
a school. However,
they must be
certified by the
Kentucky Nurses
Association (KNA).
School psychologists 55 postings in the The KEPS report
school psychologist identified 55 job
position category postings within the
had 15 filled School Psychologist
(33.3%) position category.
Of those 55 job
postings, 15 have
been filled. Forty-
five of the 55 job
postings are for
district-wide school
psychologists.
ii. Describe how the SEA will assist its LEAs in identifying the most
urgent areas of shortages or potential shortages, with particular plans
for individual LEAs facing the most significant needs (e.g., by
avoiding layoffs, providing high-quality professional learning
opportunities, and addressing the impact of stress or trauma on
educators). Include a description of how other Federal COVID-19
funding (e.g., ESSER and GEER funds under the CARES Act and
CRRSA Act) have already been used to avoid layoffs during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
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KDE supported school districts by identifying the most urgent
shortages or potential shortages and remaining in constant contact
with district leadership staff to clearly communicate how best KDE
can assist. KDE continues to monitor the various position data to
best understand any job-specific shortages that may occur. KDE has
provided various certification waivers for the 2020-2021 school year
through EPSB to mitigate any potential shortages that could have
occurred and continue to keep the flow of new educators into the
state so school districts can continue to hire. One of these waivers
allowed a one-year emergency waiver for applicants who have
completed their EPP program but were unable to complete their
licensure examinations. This may have been a result of closures to
testing centers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This waiver
was issued in April 2020.
KDE also has created a grow-your-own program in which funds are
made available to districts to assist in teacher recruitment.
Recruitment of new teachers to the profession is vital to address
significant teacher shortages and expand teacher workforce diversity
in the state. Through a competitive grant program, funds will be
used to establish grow-your-own pipeline partnerships between
school districts and post-secondary institutions.
KDE's Office of Special Education and Early Learning has been
awarded the Kentucky Leading, Educating, Advocating for Directors
of Special Education (LEADS) grant, a competitive grant from the
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education
Programs. In partnership with KDE, Kentucky’s Part C Early
Intervention Services, Morehead State University, Western Kentucky
University, Murray State University and the Kentucky Parent
Training and Information Center, the Kentucky LEADS Academy
will work toward three recruiting, retaining and capacity-building of
special education staff in local school districts.
Finally, KDE made available funding to districts to support
comprehensive, coherent and sustained induction programs for first-
year teachers during the 2020-2021 school year. Programs were to
include components related to a New Teacher Academy, ongoing
professional development, a mentoring program and peer
observations, as well as administrative support.
iii. Describe the actions the SEA will take to fill anticipated gaps in
certified teachers for the start of the 2021-2022 school year and to
what extent the SEA will further support its LEAs in expanding the
educator pipeline and educator diversity while addressing the
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immediate needs of students disproportionately impacted by the
pandemic (e.g., recruiting teaching candidates to provide high-
dosage tutoring or implementing residencies for teacher candidates).
KDE anticipated any potential shortages of certified educators
within its educator pipeline during the 2020-2021 school year by
approving certification waivers in the areas of grade-range
certification, conditional admittance into an EPP, secondary
emergency certificates and licensure testing. Additionally, the EPSB
approved a waiver that permitted licensed educators to teach within
a different grade-level setting outside their certification if it was
within the same content area, regardless of whether it was in the
same school building. For example, elementary certificates (grades
K-5) could teach up to 6th grade in the same content area outside
their school building; middle school certificates (grades 5-9) could
teach down to 4th grade in the same content area in an elementary
setting; and secondary school certificates (grades 8-12) could teach
down to 5th grade within the same content area without an additional
certification.
EPSB also permitted a one-year conditional admittance into a
graduate-level EPP if an applicant had not passed their admissions
testing. This was to ensure an applicant did not lose a year as a
result of closed testing centers and to not disrupt the flow of
educators into the state. KDE also waived the requirement for the
issuance of a second emergency certificate within a district for the
2020-2021 school year. This permitted EPSB to issue a waiver to
educators who did not meet the criteria under state regulation to
teach a specific content area within a specific district to be allowed
to teach if the district could show they did not have any qualified
applicants for the position. Under state regulation, a district is
allowed one emergency certification unless they can show they meet
the criteria for a second. The waiver temporarily changed the
requirement to meet the criteria for the second emergency
application. Finally, EPSB granted a one-year certificate for
applicants who completed an EPP but have not completed their
licensure tests so that they could be placed within a district.
Recruitment, development and retention of an effective, diverse and
culturally competent educator workforce is an urgent goal for the
success of every Kentucky student, educator, school/district and
community. KDE will continue to provide a new and diverse flow of
educators through the recruitment of new teachers to the profession
and the development and retention of those teachers. The Kentucky
Academy for Equity in Teaching (KAET) project will provide all
students with equitable access to effective, experienced and diverse
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educators that will help ensure all graduates are prepared to be
successful members of a global society. Each of the KAET initiatives
will seek to inspire, prepare and educate our future and current
teacher workforce. KDE has begun efforts to partner with education
preparation providers, school districts and other stakeholders to
better support and mentor new teachers that received limited
classroom experience through student teaching due to the global
pandemic. This effort by KDE is another tool that will increase
recruitment and retainment efforts for districts to continue to provide
qualified educators in the state.
Finally, each of the state’s eight education cooperatives have
contracted with KDE to create a Coronavirus Response and Relief
Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) team to assist schools and
districts in their efforts to accelerate learning and address social-
emotional needs due to school closures and inconsistencies of
student participation in remote learning during the COVID-19
pandemic. Through this effort, a CRRSA coordinator, a learning
acceleration specialist and an SEL specialist will serve districts as
they strive to accelerate student learning. The hiring process will
begin immediately so that the cooperative may begin assisting with
the immediate needs of the districts, including support for summer
learning efforts in June and July.
2. Staffing to Support Student Needs: Describe the extent to which the SEA has
developed or will develop strategies and will support its LEAs in increasing
student access to key support staff within school buildings, including , special
education personnel, nurses, social workers, and psychologists (e.g. hiring
additional personnel or freeing up these staff to focus on providing services to
students).
In 2019, the state legislature passed the School Safety and Resiliency Act (SSRA),
which recognizes that all schools must provide a place for students to feel safe
and supported to learn throughout the school day. One of the requirements of the
law (KRS 158.4416) is the following:
(3)(a) Beginning July 1, 2021, or as funds and qualified personnel become
available:
1. Each school district and each public charter school shall employ
at least one (1) school counselor in each school with the goal of
the school counselor spending sixty percent (60%) or more of his
or her time providing counseling and related services directly to
students; and
2. It shall be the goal that each school district and each public
charter school shall provide at least one (1) counselor or school-
based mental health services provider who is employed by the
school district for every two hundred fifty (250) students, including
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but not limited to the school counselor required in subparagraph 1
of this paragraph.
In an effort to free up school counselors so they can focus on the social and
emotional wellbeing of their students, KDE is developing learning modules for
principals that will clarify the role of school counselors and show the alignment
between the ASCA National Model (4th ed.), the Kentucky Framework of Best
Practices for Kentucky School Counselors and the Danielson Framework
(evaluative tool used for school counselors in Kentucky).
KDE has been and will continue to provide professional development
opportunities to school counselors and other stakeholders (including students,
parents, teachers, principals and superintendents) about the need for proactive,
preventative comprehensive school counseling programs.
KDE also will work with the Kentucky Association for Psychology in Schools
(KAPS) and the Kentucky Association of School Social Workers (KASSW) in an
effort to better understand the support needed to create more access to these
professionals for students through a tiered system of supports. KDE has produced
a Trauma-Informed Toolkit that includes guidance, strategies, behavioral
interventions, practices and techniques to assist school districts and public
charter schools in developing a trauma-informed approach.
Finally, KDE is working collaboratively with the Kentucky Department for
Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (KDBHDID) on
creating and communicating an integrated mental health model in Kentucky.
Over time, this will demonstrate the integration and collaboration of school-
based mental health providers and community-based mental health providers.
This model will improve efficiency of services, utilize a multi-tiered system of
support and be trauma-responsive.
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress
The Department recognizes that transparency on how ARP ESSER funds are used and their
impact on the Nation’s education system is a fundamental responsibility of Federal, State,
and local government. In this section, SEAs will describe how they are building capacity at
the SEA and LEA levels to ensure high-quality data collection and reporting and to safeguard
funds for their intended purposes.
1. Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting: It is important for an SEA to
continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as
to support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact.
Describe how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to
collect data on reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples
of reporting requirements described in the SEA’s Grant Award Notification (listed
71
in Appendix B). Describe the SEA’s capacity and strategy to collect data from its
LEAs (disaggregated by student group, where applicable), to the greatest extent
practicable, including any steps the SEA will take to build its capacity in the
future (which may include the use of ARP ESSER and other Federal COVID-19
pandemic funds at the SEA and LEA levels), on issues that may include the
following:
i. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional
time during the COVID-19 pandemic;
ii. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student
engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and
participation in advanced coursework; access to technology,
including educator access to professional development on the
effective use of technology; access to high-quality educators; access
to school counselors, social workers, nurses, and school
psychologists; and results from student, parent, and/or educator
surveys);
iii. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil
expenditures at the LEA and school levels);
iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);
v. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g.,
summer and afterschool programs); and
vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary
(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).
KDE maintains a rigorous and robust system of continuous data collection.
This response will address each of the requested data collection initiatives in
turn.
Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional time
during the COVID-19 pandemic
Kentucky’s statewide student information system (SIS) provides the capacity
to transition quickly as data collections and reporting needs change. In 2020-
2021, On-Line Registration, Campus Learning and Student Participation
(including interaction and engagement) tools were implemented within just a
few months to provide needed functionalities for all schools, districts, students
and parents. These tools helped as schools transitioned to online learning but
offer lasting efficiencies, greater family connections and a more transparent
connected experience with learning progressions.
The SIS collects data on student participation differently than historical
attendance. Participation data (including learning interactions and
engagement) becomes part of the student’s education record maintained in the
system for targeted assistance and longitudinal analysis. Lack of learner
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participation is now more efficiently apparent through these new evidence-
based, data-driven processes, and can now be acted on more timely and
efficiently. Student- and aggregated-level reports provide data by student
subgroups to help identify groups needing targeted assistance.
Structured digital learning management systems, such as Google Classroom,
are being used by 95.4% of Kentucky districts to enhance the classroom
experience and student engagement. KDE optimizes interoperability through
statewide technology solutions to create efficiencies and avoid duplication of
data collection ensuring data seamlessly exchanges between these major
systems.
Understanding learning loss requires an understanding of KAS and their
grade- and ability-level alignments, which allows teachers to engage in the
following: develop clarity by prioritizing standards using consistent and
specific criteria; implement responsive differentiation through vertical
alignment of priority standards; emphasize rigorous and relevant learning
experiences through scaffolded questions and tasks that target priority
standards while allowing immersion in key concepts and skills; and refine,
create and align formative assessments and checks for understanding. To help
accomplish this work, Kentucky is now directly connecting all academic
standards (and their targeted courses through a course code directory) inside
of the student and teacher facing SIS, Infinite Campus, for all schools and
districts.
Additionally, during the 2021-2022 school year, Kentucky will offer students a
supplemental year of instruction to allow all students an opportunity to
excel. Kentucky’s longitudinal data system, managed by Kentucky Center for
Statistics, will maintain historical COVID-19 data at the school and student
level, providing the ability to reflect on practices through post-
secondary/workforce. Assessment reports, including but not limited to the
student benchmark report, provide user-friendly tools to quickly identify
academic impacts based on student assessments.
Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student
engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and participation in
advanced coursework; access to technology, including educator access to
professional development on the effective use of technology; access to high-
quality educators; access to school counselors, social workers, nurses and
school psychologists; and results from student, parent and/or educator
surveys)
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KDE collects and archives a wide variety of opportunity-to-learn measures.
These measures are systematically collected and transparently shared through
KDE’s Open House website.
Through the annual standardized testing process, KDE will be able to report
on pre- and post-COVID-19 disaggregated student assessment results that
could provide insight on the COVID-19 impact on student learning.
Additionally, the school climate and safety survey results, embedded within
the standardized test, will provide some of the identified supplemental
opportunity to learn measures.
KDE’s systematic data collection also includes the following specific data
points:
• Chronic absenteeism and student mobility (i.e. enrollment in multiple
schools across the state)
• Use of exclusionary discipline
• Access to and participation in advanced coursework
• Access to technology
• Educator access to professional development on the effective use of
technology
• Access to high-quality educators
• Access to school counselors, social workers, nurses and school
psychologists
KDE also asks each district to report the total number of mental health
providers in each district. KRS 158.4416 states, “School-based mental health
services provider” means a licensed or certified school counselor, school
psychologist, school social worker or other qualified mental health
professional as defined in KRS 202A.011.
Chronic absenteeism, student engagement and discipline all are tracked in a
single statewide system, making traditional reporting readily available.
Additionally, Tableau visualizations are used to further enhance the data to
provide school and district leadership with an easy-to-use tool that makes
data visible, interactive and therefore actionable throughout the year, not just
in retrospect. This provides a storyline through a consistent heartbeat, where
leaders can ask the data the next best question (targeting scalable and
sustainable growth and improvement strategies). The statewide Early
Warning System also includes these measures as predictors for student
progress at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Additional data collection efforts maintained by KDE include:
• Access to technology: Measured quarterly to optimize targeting
assistance in areas of need. Kentucky’s Digital Readiness report
74
provides public access to data. Kentucky’s Digital Readiness bi-annual
infographic helps visually tell that story.
• Access to high-quality educators: Measured annually and the data is
publicly available in Kentucky’s School Report Card.
• Access to nurses: Monitored in the Student Information System, with
readily available reports and public reporting annually.
KDE is committed to promoting transparent access of student data with
students and their families. Stakeholders have real-time access to their own
education data through the Campus portal. This ensures ready awareness of
attendance, grades, assignments, assessment results and behavior events. The
Campus portal is used as a communication tool, with notification functionality
to alert as items are updated. It is widely used by a significant number of
parents, guardians and most importantly, students on a daily basis. KDE has
a statewide system of supports and reporting for dual-credit participation and
advanced placement participation and success. KDE provides reporting to the
Kentucky Center for Safety, which is able to analyze data trends and use this
information to develop and offer safety best practices and training for
districts.
Fiscal data that is comparable across the state (e.g., per-pupil expenditures at
the district and school levels)
District and school-level per-pupil expenditures are available on the Kentucky
School Report Card each year around June 1. Seven data points are available
at state, district and school-level:
• Personnel spending per student – Federal funds
• Non-personnel spending per student – Federal funds
• Personnel spending per student – State/local funds
• Non-personnel spending per student – State/local funds
• Total spending per student – Federal funds
• Total spending per student – State/local funds
• Total spending per student – All funds sources
The school report card also includes a compare feature were these data points
can be compared across the state.
Jobs created and maintained
KDE has taken numerous steps to ensure districts have maintained educators
with their respective school districts so that no gaps will emerge. These steps
include granting additional one-year waivers so that school districts can fill
in any identified gaps if no qualified educators are available, and providing
increased funding for KDE’s recruitment and retainment efforts to maintain a
75
consistent stream of new and diverse educators into the state so districts will
have quality candidates to hire. KDE also will continually collect and
evaluate both internal and external data to identify and forecast both the
current and future employment needs of districts.
The efforts to ensure that KDE creates and maintains qualified educators
within the districts include a “grow-your-own” program in which funds are
made available to districts to assist in teacher recruitment; the KAET project,
which will provide all students with equitable access to effective, experienced
and diverse educators to help ensure all graduates are prepared to be
successful members of a global society; ongoing professional development; a
mentoring program; peer observations; and administrative support. KDE also
provides state high schools with an education career pathway to support the
recruitment of a diverse and effective educator workforce. The pathways are
designed to provide a balance of scholarly and clinical experiences;
emphasize reflective practice; create authentic experiences that engage
students in effective educator practices; create knowledge, skills and
dispositions of effective educators; and engage rising educators as
participants in the statewide community of educators. These efforts by KDE
have been designed to ensure the state maintains a diverse supply of
educators to meet the needs of its districts.
Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g., summer and
afterschool programs);
Kentucky’s SIS provides for tracking of students in summer and afterschool
programs with reporting readily available on student progress. The system
allows for tracking student’s progress beyond the test and assignment level, it
offers the opportunity to track at the academic standard level.
KDE also provides a series of opportunities to help expand participation in
ARP ESSER-related programs. Each has their own data collection source.
Below is a selection of programs funded by ARP ESSER.
• Professional Learning for Digital Learning Coaching (Stipend Match
Program + leadership cohort): Getting more teachers and leaders up
to speed to maximize the effective use of digital, distance and remote
learning. This will target continuation of the statewide digital learning
coach stipend match program. This also will include professional
learning strategies for high-quality instructional learning loss
supports, first-year teachers, home hospital, social-emotional support,
digital 101 and pre-service teachers.
• Establish Online/ Virtual Schools Network (full-time enrollment in
100% virtual schools/academies): Incentivized establishment of a
regional network design, with additional district funding needed to
establish the regional Online and Virtual Schools in the network.
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• State-wide Shared Service and District Initiated Service (funding at
both the state level and at the district level needed for strong
implementation):Funding through 2024 will support a leadership role,
professional learning opportunities, course content alignment to KAS,
continued growth and development of statewide online course
catalogue and third-party quality assurance reviews. The expansion of
this work is directly linked to learning loss strategies ensuring great
course (and learning) acceleration, accumulation, access and rescue
measures.
• Increase equitable digital access: Digital devices, internet bandwidth
and high-quality instructional resources.
• Statewide Student eBook Library/KyVL Membership for ALL schools
and districts (Statewide Shared Services):Students and teachers have
much more access (devices + internet) and are much more digitally
savvy than when KDE previously paid for this service statewide. This
membership for high-quality instructional resources is set up to be
used in person (in schools) AND while students are away from
campus. Currently about 42% of school districts do not provide access
to these resources. In partnership with The Council for Post-
Secondary Education (CPE), this would provide
virtual/remote/distance library services (magazines, books,
catalogues, etc.) for all students in every school and every district.
Plus, this includes a one-time cost single sign on development for
greater ease of access. Membership in KyVL is a major offset of
expenditures for schools and districts for resources. For example:
ACT Prep is included at no additional cost inside of KyVL, an OER
(Open Educational Resources)-curated custom catalogue, and
common research collections that students must use through
postsecondary transitions.
Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the secretary (please
refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will be issued
separately)
KDE maintains data collection processes that will allow for the sufficient
reporting of final requirements yet to be issued. As has been discussed, KDE
maintains the following relevant data points that may be used to respond to
future reporting requirements:
• Kentucky’s Student Information System (Infinite Campus)
o Enrollment
o Attendance/Participation
o Behavior
o Academic Achievement
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• Kentucky’s Early Warning System
o Attendance
o Behavior
o Academics
o Stability
o Graduation
• Kentucky’s Financial Management System
o Grants Management and Application Planning System
(GMAP)
o Municipal Information System (MUNIS)
o Enhanced Management Administrative Reporting System
(eMARS)
o Management Reporting Database (MRDB)
• Other Relevant Data Storehouses
o Technical Education Database System (TEDS)
o MIS2000
o eProve
o Kentucky School Report Card
o Kentucky Educator Placement Service (KEPS)
o Kentucky Longitudinal Data System (KLDS)
o Kentucky Digital Readiness Report
2. Monitoring and Internal Controls: Describe how the SEA will implement
appropriate fiscal monitoring of and internal controls for the ARP ESSER funds
(e.g., by updating the SEA’s plan for monitoring funds and internal controls under
the CARES and CRRSA Acts; addressing potential sources of waste, fraud, and
abuse; conducting random audits; or other tools). In this response, please describe
the SEA’s current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER; steps, if needed, to increase
capacity; and any foreseeable gaps in capacity, including how the SEA will
provide its LEAs with technical assistance in the anticipated areas of greatest
need.
The oversight of the ARP ESSER program will align with existing internal
controls for federal grants. Districts are required to submit assurances and a
spending plan approved by the superintendent. The spending plan allowed
districts to report their intended use of ARP ESSER funds. KDE determines
allowable costs for ARP ESSER funds in accordance with the Uniform Guidance
2 CFR 200.403, 2 CFR 200.404 and 2 CFR 200.405. Factors affecting
allowability of costs as expenses must be necessary and reasonable for the
performance of the federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles.
78
An ARP ESSER funding matrix detailing allowable expenditures is available at
KDE’s Federal Grants webpage. ARP ESSER funds are tracked separately at the
state level with its own accounting structure and at the local level with its own
project number. Districts must adhere to their local board policy regarding
maintaining documentation necessary for fiscal monitoring.
KDE processes all district payments within the statewide accounting system,
eMARS (Management and Reporting System), through the Federal Cash Request
Process. Districts may request funds either on a reimbursement basis or as a cash
advance. Requests for cash advance are only to meet the 30-day cash needs per 2
CFR 200.305.
All Kentucky districts receiving ARP ESSER funds are required to submit
quarterly expenditure reports to ensure funds are spent with the allowable objects
and align with the spending plan. Districts must submit quarterly expenditure
reports for all federal grant projects to KDE. The quarterly expenditure reports
are reviewed by KDE federal budget staff to verify that the funds were spent on
allowable codes as outlined in the funding matrix. If an unallowable code has
been reported, the district finance officer is contacted. Districts are given an
opportunity to correct the code if the expenditure was coded improperly and
submit a revised report. If the expenditure was an ineligible expenditure, then
funds must be transferred to another funding source and a revised expenditure
report submitted within fourteen (14) days. Districts are required to submit
expenditure reports until all funds have been expended.
Quarterly Expenditure Reporting Periods and Due Dates:
• July 1 – Sept. 30: Due Oct. 25
• October 1 – Dec. 31: Due Jan. 25
• January 1 – March 31: Due April 25
• April 1 – June 30: Due July 25
Ninety (90) days prior to the obligation period of Sept. 30, districts that have a
balance will be notified of the grant end date and the final date to request
reimbursement. KDE allows districts approximately sixty (60) days to liquidate
and draw down funds after the Sept. 30 deadline. Districts also are required to
comply with the Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.500-200.507. Annual audit
information is available on KDE website at Financial Audit Information.
Districts will be selected for monitoring based on a risk assessment. Risk factors
will include size of the award, timely spending of funds, submitting data,
application and other requirements on time, etc. KDE has kept Title I
coordinators updated about CARES Act/ESSER funds monitoring and will
continue to communicate the process and expectations for monitoring, including
for ARP ESSER. The monitoring protocol for CARES Act/ESSER funds will be
updated for the ARP ESSER monitoring.
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KDE has monitored a small pilot of three districts for CARES Act funds. Results
using the monitoring protocol have been positive. Similar to the CARES
Act/ESSER funds monitoring process, ARP ESSER funds monitoring will include
a self-assessment that districts will complete, and a review of documentation such
as financial reports. Monitoring also will include an interview with the ARP
ESSER funds contact in the districts being monitored. Districts will receive
monitoring reports, which include strengths and recommendations for
improvement. Any findings of noncompliance and necessary corrective actions
will be communicated in the report, along with deadlines for the districts to
submit evidence the noncompliance has been corrected. Monitors will work with
districts to provide technical assistance as they work to implement corrective
actions and will ensure all findings are satisfied.
The current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER funds is adequate. We have
assembled monitoring teams using staff across the agency who have experience
with consolidated monitoring. Monitoring teams will include a Title I lead and a
co-lead from within the agency who has experience with consolidated monitoring.
The goal is to include people with monitoring experience and different
perspectives. Training and oversight of the process will be provided.
The three districts that participated in the CARES Act/ESSER funds monitoring
were encouraged to provide feedback on the process through an anonymous
survey. Results will be used to inform and improve the ARP ESSER monitoring
process. There are no foreseeable gaps in capacity because we will select staff
who have consolidated monitoring experience to serve on teams. However, time
for monitoring is a limitation. Additionally, KDE will try to limit the overlap of
ARP ESSER monitoring with monitoring of other programs so staff will be
available. KDE has established strong collaborative teams throughout the agency
due to the cross-cutting nature of the various COVID-19 relief programs. These
connections help KDE provide districts with assistance.
KDE has utilized regular communications to keep districts informed about
requirements. These communications include superintendents’ webinars, Title I
coordinators webinars and the weekly Commissioner’s Monday Message to
superintendents. These channels of communication will continue to be used to
ensure districts are informed and understand all requirements.
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Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data.
As described in question A.5.i. of this application, modes of instruction have regularly fluctuated
throughout the 2020-2021 school year. As a local control state, KDE does not have the statutory
authority to mandate any particular mode of instruction. The data presented in Table 1 attempts
to summarize the entire school year.
Table 1
In the most recent time period available, how many schools in your State offered each mode of
instruction or learning model described below? Each row should account for all schools in your
State, so that, for each row, the sum of the numbers in the “offered to all students,” “offered to
some students,” and “not offered” columns is equal to the number in the “all schools” column.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
schools students some students
Remote or 0 0 0 0
online only
School 1536 1536 0 0
buildings open
with both
remote/online
and in-person
instruction
(hybrid)
School 0 0 0 0
buildings open
with full-time
in-person
instruction
To the extent data are available, please complete the above table for 1) all schools in the State,
and 2) separately for each instructional level (e.g., pre-kindergarten/elementary schools, middle
schools, high schools).
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Table 2
In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?
Add or change rows as needed
Due to reporting limitations discussed in question A.5. of this application, KDE will submit end
of-year data from the 2020-2021 school year within 14 days of submitting the ARP ESSER
application.
Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Students from # # # #
low-income
families
White, not # # # #
Hispanic
Black or # # # #
African
American, not
Hispanic
Hispanic, of # # # #
any race
Asian, not # # # #
Hispanic
American # # # #
Indian or
Alaskan
Native, not
Hispanic
Native # # # #
Hawaiian or
Pacific
Islander, not
Hispanic
Two or more # # # #
races, not
Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity # # # #
information not
available
English # # # #
learners
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Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Children with # # # #
disabilities
Students # # # #
experiencing
homelessness
Children and # # # #
youth in foster
care
Migratory # # # #
students
Appendix B: Reporting Language Included in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”)
As described in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”), the SEA will comply with, and ensure
that its LEAs comply with, all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and
containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including on matters such
as:
• How the State is developing strategies and implementing public health protocols
including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies and plans in line with the CDC
guidance related to mitigating COVID-19 in schools;
• Overall plans and policies related to State support for return to in-person instruction and
maximizing in-person instruction time, including how funds will support a return to and
maximize in-person instruction time, and advance equity and inclusivity in participation
in in-person instruction;
• Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and
conditions;
• SEA and LEA uses of funds to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs,
including through summer enrichment programming and other evidence-based
interventions, and how they advance equity for underserved students;
• SEA and LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education
programs;
• Impacts and outcomes (disaggregated by student subgroup) through use of ARP ESSER
funding (e.g., quantitative and qualitative results of ARP ESSER funding, including on
personnel, student learning, and budgeting at the school and district level);
• Student data (disaggregated by student subgroup) related to how the COVID-19
pandemic has affected instruction and learning;
• Requirements under the Federal Financial Accountability Transparency Act (“FFATA”);
and
• Additional reporting requirements as may be necessary to ensure accountability and
transparency of ARP ESSER funds.
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84
Appendix C: Assurances
By signing this document, the SEA assures all of the following:
• The SEA will conduct all its operations so that no person shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under the ARP
ESSER program or activity based on race, color, national origin, which includes a
person’s limited English proficiency or English learner status and a person’s actual or
perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; sex; age; or disability. These non-
discrimination obligations arise under Federal civil rights laws, including but not limited
to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of
1975. In addition, the SEA must comply with all regulations, guidelines, and standards
issued by the Department under any of these statutes;
• The SEA will comply with all ARP Act and other ARP ESSER requirements and all
requirements of its Grant Award Notification, including but not limited to:
o Complying with the maintenance of effort provision in section 2004(a)(1) of the
ARP Act, absent a waiver by the Secretary pursuant to section 2004(a)(2) of the
ARP Act; and
o Complying with the maintenance of equity provisions in section 2004(b) of the
ARP Act, and ensuring its LEAs comply with the maintenance of equity provision
in section 2004(c) of the ARP Act (please note that the Department will provide
additional guidance on maintenance of equity shortly);
• The SEA will allocate ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner
and, to the extent practicable, not later than 60 days after the SEA receives ARP ESSER
funds (i.e., 60 days from the date the SEA receives each portion of its ARP ESSER
funds). An SEA that is not able to allocate such funds within 60 days because it is not
practicable (e.g., because of pre-existing State board approval requirements) will provide
an explanation to the Department within 30 days of receiving each portion of its ARP
ESSER funds (submitted via email to your Program Officer at [State].OESE@ed.gov
(e.g., Alabama.OESE@ed.gov)), including a description of specific actions the SEA is
taking to provide ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner and the
SEA’s expected timeline for doing so;
• The SEA will implement evidence-based interventions as required under section 2001(f)
of the ARP Act and ensure its LEAs implement evidence-based interventions, as required
by section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act;
• The SEA will address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
underserved students (i.e., students from low-income families, students from racial or
ethnic groups (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by
race or ethnicity), gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender), English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students), as
required under section 2001(f) of the ARP Act, and ensure its LEAs address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students (i.e.,
students from low-income families, students from racial or ethnic groups, gender, English
learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and
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youth in foster care, and migratory students), as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the
ARP Act; and
• The SEA will provide to the Department: (1) the URL(s) where the public can readily
find data on school operating status and (2) the URL(s) for the SEA and/or LEA websites
where the public can find the LEA plans for a) the safe return to in-person instruction and
continuity of services required under section 2001(i) of the ARP Act, and b) use of ARP
ESSER funds. SEAs should consider ensuring a standardized URL format in all cases
(e.g., xxx.gov/COVIDplan).
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Appendix D
OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS
The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you access to, and participation in, its Federally-
about a new provision in the Department of assisted program for students, teachers, and
Educations General Education Provisions other program beneficiaries with special
Act ("GEPA") that applies to applicants for needs. This provision allows applicants
new grant awards under Department discretion in developing the required
programs. This provision is Section 427 of description. The statute highlights six types
GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving of barriers that can impede equitable access
America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law or participation: gender, race, national origin,
(P.L.) 103-382). color, disability, or age. Based on local
circumstances, you should determine
To Whom Does This Provision Apply? whether these or other barriers may prevent
your students, teachers, etc. from such access
Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for
to, or participation in, the Federally-funded
new grant awards under this program. ALL
project or activity. The description in your
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS
application of steps to be taken to overcome
MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN
these barriers need not be lengthy; you may
THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS
provide a clear and succinct description of
THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO
how you plan to address those barriers that
RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS
are applicable to your circumstances. In
PROGRAM.
addition, the information may be provided in
(If this program is a State-formula grant a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be
program, a State needs to provide this discussed in connection with related topics in
description only for projects or activities that the application.
it carries out with funds reserved for State-
Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the
level uses. In addition, local school districts
requirements of civil rights statutes, but
or other eligible applicants that apply to the
rather to ensure that, in designing their
State for funding need to provide this
projects, applicants for Federal funds address
description in their applications to the State
equity concerns that may affect the ability of
for funding. The State would be responsible
certain potential beneficiaries to fully
for ensuring that the school district or other
participate in the project and to achieve high
local entity has submitted a sufficient section
standards. Consistent with program
427 statement as described below.)
requirements and its approved application, an
What Does This Provision Require? applicant may use the Federal funds awarded
to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.
Section 427 requires each applicant for funds
(other than an individual person) to include in
its application a description of the steps the
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable
87
What are Examples of How an Applicant Provisions Act (GEPA) in the same manner
Might Satisfy the Requirement of This in which it ensures compliance with GEPA
Provision? for all other federal programs. KDE
maintains a robust system of internal
The following examples may help illustrate controls and monitoring procedures that
how an applicant may comply with Section ensure that both KDE and its subrecipients
427. remain in compliance with the GEPA.
(1) An applicant that proposes to carry Specifically, KDE has addressed its own
out an adult literacy project serving, efforts to remain in compliance with the new
among others, adults with limited English GEPA provisions in questions A3, A4, B1,
proficiency, might describe in its B2, C2, D1, D2, D3, E1, E3, E4, F1, G1,
application how it intends to distribute a and G2 of this application.
brochure about the proposed project to
such potential participants in their native
language.
(2) An applicant that proposes to develop
instructional materials for classroom use
might describe how it will make the
materials available on audio tape or in
braille for students who are blind.
(3) An applicant that proposes to carry
out a model science program for
secondary students and is concerned that
girls may be less likely than boys to enroll
in the course, might indicate how it
intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to
girls, to encourage their enrollment.
(4) An applicant that proposes a project to
increase school safety might describe the
special efforts it will take to address
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students, and efforts to reach
out to and involve the families of LGBT
students.
We recognize that many applicants may
already be implementing effective steps to
ensure equity of access and participation in
their grant programs, and we appreciate your
cooperation in responding to the
requirements of this provision.
KDE will ensure that all applicants for new
awards include information in their
applications (plans) to address the new
provisions of the General Education
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Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA Requirements
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain
benefit (Public Law 103-382). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or
email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0005.
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