KDE accepting public comment on revisions to Kentucky’s Consolidated State Plan

Public Comments end at 5pm this Friday

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is accepting public comment on revisions to Kentucky’s Consolidated State Plan to implement the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Public comments must be received by 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 27, 2023. The public can review the revised plan on KDE’s website.

KDE also has submitted the plan to Gov. Andy Beshear for review.

Amendments to Kentucky’s plan are necessary to ensure alignment with federal and state laws. Changes made since May 9, 2022, are indicated through track changes. 

Under federal law, state education agencies are required to submit a plan detailing the implementation of the law and how federal education dollars will be spent. After public comments and the governor’s review, the state plan must be resubmitted to USED for review.

With KDE's last plan submission, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) approved school accountability for the 2021-2022 school year based on Status (current year performance) only. To fully implement the requirements of Kentucky Senate Bill 158 (2020), Kentucky must receive approval from USED to incorporate the Change component (difference of status from one year to the next) on state indicators.

These modifications are to the current school accountability system. The Kentucky Board of Education and Kentucky Department of Education are leading efforts to change school accountability in the future based on United We Learn. The vision builds around three big ideas: creating a more vibrant experience for every student, encouraging innovation in our schools – especially when it comes to assessment – and creating a bold new future for Kentucky’s schools through collaboration with our communities.

The Kentucky United We Learn Council, designed to support the state’s vision for the future of public education in Kentucky known as United We Learn, met for the first time in Frankfort on Nov. 29 as part of a two-day convening.

Since the initial plan approval, updates have been made when required to align with federal and state law. The public is being invited to provide feedback on this latest update to the plan. 

Comments may be emailed to kdecommunications@education.ky.gov or submitted to Todd Allen, General Counsel, Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Blvd, 5th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Comments also may be submitted via fax at (502) 564-9321. All comments that are received by the deadline will be considered before submission of the revised state plan to USED.