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 Applies to those high schools:  with graduation rates below 60% and  also identified as Priority Schools 3

 Serve eligible schools without regard to rank order to implement school reforms:  Select professional development (PD) around implementation of Kentucky Core Academic Standards  Implement student interventions  Focus on turning around climate, behavior, and attendance  Provide needs-based PD for any core courses (English/reading/language arts, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography) 4

 Applies to Priority or Focus Schools under the 40% schoolwide poverty threshold 5

 Serve eligible schools to implement a schoolwide program based on the school’s improvement plan  Provide interventions and supports to all students and teachers within a school  Allows more flexibility with use of funds than a targeted assistance program 6

 Frees up funds that were traditionally required to be reserved as follows:  10% reserved from a school’s allocation for professional development (PD) for those in improvement  10% reserved of the district allocation for district improvement PD  20% reserved of the district allocation for supplemental education services (SES) and school choice 7

 Districts may:  Continue to offer optional tutoring and school choice  Require their Focus and Priority Schools to reserve 10% of their school allocation to provide school- related PD  Serve schools not traditionally funded  Institute a district instructional assistance team  Priority Schools may use their allocations to enhance or continue School Improvement Grant (SIG) activities. 8

 No restrictions are imposed on hiring paraprofessionals with Title I, Part A funds due to improvement status.  Other Part A highly qualified (HQ) provisions are still in effect as follows:  Hiring of HQ staff  Parents’ right to request HQ status  Notice to be sent to parents when students are taught four consecutive weeks by a non-HQ teacher 9

 Districts may hire highly qualified (HQ), effective paraprofessionals to help implement:  school extension activities or  student interventions 10

 Districts may transfer up to 100% of their Title II, Part A funds into Title I, Part A.  Remember these factors:  No funds can be transferred out of Part A.  Funds transferred into Part A receive more flexibility in use. 11

 A district may:  Serve schools that have not been traditionally served to allow the incorporation of instructional support mechanisms  Use transferred funds for any other Title I, Part A allowable activity 12

 Spending restrictions tied to improvement status are lifted. 13

How to Maximize This Flexibility SRSARLIS Funds may be used to implement activities authorized under the following programs: Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title II, Part D; Title III; Title IV, Part A; Title IV, Part B ; and Title V, Part A. Funds may be used to: Implement strategies and incentives to recruit and retain HQ and effective teachers; Implement needs-based professional development; Increase parent and community involvement; and Conduct activities authorized under Title I, Part A or Title III, Part A. 14

For Questions on Flexibility Contact The Division of Consolidated Plans and Audits

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 In 2012, 34% or 59,755 students were successfully tested with the ACT online system.  Because of the immediate results and other changes to the end-of-course (EOC) assessments, there was an increased interest in the online testing in  65% of schools were planning to use online testing in  Over 10,000 students successfully tested throughout the school year prior to April

 From April 29 to May 3, ACT ran into significant capacity issues while trying to handle online testing from high schools in Alabama, Ohio, and Kentucky.  ACT informed KDE on May 3 that they were shutting down the online system to make repairs.  KDE decided to require all schools to move to a paper version of the test. 19

 Some schools were allowed to complete their tests using the repaired online system starting on May 8. These schools either had partially completed tests in the online system, severe scheduling issues or problems with delivery of paper tests.  Approximately 2,000 students in 30 schools are known to have had interrupted online test sessions but were able to complete the tests.  Schools converting from online tests to paper administration experienced challenges in rescheduling.  Local grading policies were reviewed for impact. Some schools revised policies or delayed grade reports.  Approximately 100% of high school students completed ACT QualityCore tests in the online system or with paper. 20

 KDE, HumRRO and ACT psychometricians will evaluate the impact of the testing problems on scores for individual students and schools.  KDE will make appropriate adjustments to the accountability scores for the affected schools.  KDE will contact district staff as this process evolves. 21

 Two important issues are being discussed:  Contractual impact for the 2013 testing program  Contractual impact for the school year 22

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24 Kentucky Core Academic Standards

 Senate Bill 1 (2009) required new standards that:  Focus on the “critical knowledge, skills and capacities needed for success in the global economy.”  “Consider international benchmarks” and “consider standards that have been adopted by national content advisory groups and professional education consortia.”  The new standards:  Were developed by education experts and state partners  Included broad input from Kentucky and other states’ teachers, administrators, higher education officials, business and industry, and the staffs of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and KDE. 25

 The Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS):  Were approved for implementation by CPE, EPSB and KBE in February 2010  Were adopted as the Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS)  Are clearer, more consistent, rigorous, and more in-depth than previous standards  Are benchmarked to what the leading education nations require their students to learn in order to ensure college/career readiness and international competitiveness  Are expectations of “what” K-12 students should learn and be able to do by the end of each grade level  Don’t define the “how” – the teaching methods, instructional resources or the curricula that are used, which is all determined at the local level 26

 The KCAS :  Are designed to be relevant in the real world and promote 21st century skills -- including critical thinking and problem solving  In English/language arts, require a combination of informational and literary text  Include literacy standards to be taught in science, history, and technical subjects  In mathematics, stress procedural skills and conceptual understanding to make sure students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels 27

 The percent of college going students prepared to successfully take credit-bearing entry-level courses has increased. 28

 The overall college and career readiness rate jumped nine percent in the first year the standards were taught and tested. 29

 Resources: KDE website: Kentucky Core Academic Standards--Communication pieces from KDE

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