The Kentucky Department of Education’s Superintendents Webcast scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 11 will focus on the department’s newly issued guidance on the use of federal coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The webcast will be live streamed on the department’s media portal.

The ARPA provided more than $2 billion for Kentucky public schools to fund a third round of the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) and requires districts to reserve not less than 20% of ARP ESSER funds to address learning loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic through evidence-based interventions. Possible interventions can include summer learning or enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool or extended school year programs, etc. Interventions must address students’ social, emotional and academic needs, as well as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.

Please read this urgent May 5 communication sent to board teams by KSBA about developments pertaining to the newly enacted supplemental school year legislation and its potential impact on NCAA athletic eligibility.

At issue: NCAA rules state that Division I play requires the 16 core-course units to be completed within eight semesters from the initial start of year nine (on-time graduates may also complete one additional core unit within a year after graduation and before initial full-time college enrollment). In addition, 10 of the required 16 units (including seven units in English, math or science) must be completed before starting the seventh semester (resulting in a max of six core units in grade 12). As a result, repeating a year could detrimentally impact a student’s ability to meet Division I core-course requirements.

KSBA's May 12 Learn and Earn webinar addresses interscholastic athletics. Presented by KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett, the training will review communication strategies, issues with local control and re-evaluation of some long-held decisions. Learn more and register.

The Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance is asking districts to take a brief survey about their planned summer programs for students. The information from the survey will help schools and community-based programs share information about their plans for the summer.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. Information districts choose to provide will be made available to the public via a map on the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance website (updated weekly), which schools/districts, program providers, community partners, families and other stakeholders can use to help them develop partnerships and create sustainable summer learning ecosystems.

For questions or more information email: kyosa@savechildren.org

KSBA staff traveled to Ignite Institute Thursday for the Spring 2021 PEAK Award ceremony. Ignite Institute, a collaborative high school shared by Boone County Schools and Kenton County Schools, offers students the opportunity to use project-based learning while earning college credit or participating in a career pathway.

About 10% of the student enrollment is comprised of students from other districts in the area. Industry partners collaborate with curriculum specialists and create mentorship opportunities for students that provide the skills needed to succeed in a competitive job market.

"Ignite embodies the spirit of innovative collaboration with the northern Kentucky region," said Boone County board member Karen Byrd. "And it can only continue to grow and improve as we expand the educational pathway offerings and acquire more business partnerships. The best days are yet to come."

Learn more about Ignite Institute in the May 2021 Advocate and the June 2019 Advocate.

As K-PREP testing gets underway in Kentucky public schools, the federal government has granted Kentucky a waiver of some accountability, school identification and reporting requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for the 2020-21 school year.

Though students will still take the state tests, the results will not be used in the state’s accountability system this year, avoiding concerns and doubts about the comparability of accountability determinations within and across years.

“Federal issuance of this waiver is good news for Kentucky students and teachers. It acknowledges the difficulties endured by everyone due to the prevalence of COVID-19, and gives our school districts the flexibility they need to continue serving students,” Kentucky Commissioner of Education Jason E. Glass said.

Using state’s accountability system as designed was not possible due to the lack of testing data during the 2019-20 school year and the unprecedented challenges of virtual education during this school year, Kentucky Department of Education officials said.

KSBA’s 2021 Annual Conference is one week away! There is still time to make arrangements to join hundreds of school board members, superintendents and education leaders May 14-16 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. With 50 breakout sessions, nearly 80 trade show exhibitors and an impressive lineup of keynote presenters, attendees will have ample opportunities to earn board training credit and network with colleagues. Click the “Register Now” button below to complete easy online registration or visit the annual conference page of KSBA’s website. For those already registered for our 2021 Annual Conference, see below for a checklist of "know before you go" conference resources.

A limited number of special conference rate hotel rooms are still available at SpringHill Suites Louisville Downtown (132 East Jefferson St.) but the deadline to take advantage of this special rate is this Friday. Click here to book a room at special conference rate of $139 per night.

In preparation for KSBA’s 2021 Annual Conference, see below for a list resources for making the most of your conference experience. More detailed information, including downloadable session handouts, maps and session locations, will be distributed to all registered conference attendees next week.

New location: Please note that this year’s event is being held at the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) at 221 South 4th St., Louisville, Ky. 40202. Directions/maps to the convention center are available on the KICC website along with general parking information. Note that parking information for attendees staying at participating conference hotels (Marriott, Hyatt and Springhill) will be provided in an email to all registrants early next week. You may also view floor plans of the inside of the convention center denoting the location of the KSBA conference registration desk.

Download the conference app: The “KSBA Events” mobile app puts virtually all conference information in the palm of your hand. The app is available for free via your smartphone’s app store. If you have not previously used KSBA’s conference app, we recommend downloading it in advance of conference. If you have previously used the conference app, we recommend checking your phone’s settings to ensure you have the updated version of the app. For all registered conference attendees, you may sign into the app using your registrant email address and the password “PublicEd1” (case sensitive). A mobile app help desk will be available at Annual Conference should you have questions.

Check out our trade show participants: View a directory of exhibitors participating in KSBA’s 2021 Annual Conference trade show – the largest in KSBA conference history!

Coming next week: If you are currently registered for KSBA’s 2021 Annual Conference, be on the lookout for an email early next week for a final “Know Before You Go” email that will include:

Bonus tip - Bring business cards: To help make networking easier and to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, KSBA recommends bringing business cards to be used in place of sign-up forms in the trade show area.

The Kentucky Department of Education and Public Health Department have updated the state’s Healthy at School guidance to mirror Gov. Andy Beshear’s order that removes the mask mandate for outdoor gatherings of 1,000 or fewer people.

As of May 3, students are no longer required to wear masks when outdoors. The mask mandate remains for all indoor school activities.

Last month, the state updated the guidance to no longer require temperature checks when entering schools or riding the bus.

The 2021 General Assembly has adjourned leaving several laws passed that will impact public education. This month's Kentucky School Advocate takes a look at Senate Bill 128, which allows students the opportunity to choose a supplemental year; House Bill 563, which creates school-choice related tax credits and enables students to move from one public school district to another; and numerous other bills that passed.

The Louisville Courier Journal reported on May 5 that the Jefferson County Board of Education has filed suit against McKinsey and Company for their alleged role in Kentucky's ongoing opioid crisis, citing in court documents the management group's involvement in an "unlawful plan to sell more OxyContin by addicting more people."

This edition of KSBA Aware is made possible in part