KDE Items
Accommodations for Top Three Issues in Restraint and Seclusion Regulation
If you were unable to join us for today’s superintendents’ webcast, I am sharing the most recent accommodations to the proposed restraint and seclusion regulation. The accommodations address the top three remaining issues as indicated by superintendents acting through their representative organizations.
KDE is amending the regulation’s language:
- to permit physical restraint to be used in response to the imminent danger of physical harm, removing the word “serious” but replacing it with direct references to KRS Chapter 503.
- to permit physical restraint to be used to protect property, in accordance with the current provisions of property protection under KRS Chapter 503.
- on physical restraint that is prohibited by a licensed medical professional. Instead, the regulation will state that physical restraint may not be used if it is contraindicated based on the student’s disability, health care needs, or medical or psychiatric condition.
By explicitly referencing KRS Chapter 503, the regulation clarifies the rights of school personnel to use force to protect themselves, to protect students, to maintain reasonable discipline in a school or class, and to protect property within the limits set out in Chapter 503 and its definitions of “physical force” and “imminent.” The regulation will refer to those statutes by number.
As you know, before this communication, in response to the concerns of KSBA and superintendents, we already:
- broadened the definition of physical restraint
- made clear that the use of physical restraint and seclusion in the IEP is not prohibited
- amended debriefing requirements
- removed the requirement of face-to-face monitoring
- clarified the definition of “parent”
- clarified that restraining therapies are permitted
- clarified that the regulation permits most kinds of physical contact between school personnel and students
- added a definition for “school resource officer”
- allows the restraint of a student’s hands when that student communicates through sign language
- added language to permit the use of physical restraint by untrained staff
- removed the 24-hour reporting window and replaced it with “next school day”
- removed the requirement that all school personnel participate in debriefing
- clarified that training is annual
- clarified that annual training may be web-based
- clarified that districts, and not schools, report data
- made over 1000 technical and substantive changes to the regulation based upon comment
It is time for us to present a united front to the people of the commonwealth and to display our joint commitment to the health, welfare and safety of Kentucky’s schoolchildren and school personnel.
Verification of SEEK At-Risk Data A full report on each district’s 2011-12 SEEK At-Risk count data is available via the following link:
http://odss.education.ky.gov/atrisk/.
Once you have reviewed your school district’s data, please send an e-mail stating that you verify the data to Lori Davis at
lori.davis@education.ky.gov.
School districts have until December 21, 2012 to verify their SEEK At-Risk Data. After that date, KDE will use the numbers indicated at the link above as the final count.
Please contact Lori Davis at 502-564-5279 or at the e-mail address above with any questions.
2013-2014 SEEK Data Requested
The
2013-2014 Trend form is now open for your district’s data submission. This data will be used in the 2013-2014 SEEK Forecast calculation which determines your SEEK payments for July, August, and September 2013.
If your district does not submit estimated data, KDE will use the trended data for your 2013-14 SEEK Forecast which will impact your SEEK payments. The form will be open until December 31st.
Please note the following changes this year:
At-Risk (Free Lunch) has not been finalized for some districts in 2012-2013 and may change. Please check with your DPP or contact Lori Davis at (502) 564-3846 ext. 4413 if you have questions.
KDE will post the 2013-2014 SEEK Forecast by January 7th, 2013. We will allow 2 weeks for districts to request changes to their data if needed. No changes will be made after that window has closed.
Please contact Chay Ritter at
chay.ritter@education.ky.gov or (502) 564-3846 ext. 4453 if you have questions.
Webinar Invitation: “Building Goals and Plans in ASSIST” for Kentucky School and District Leaders
AdvancED Kentucky and the Kentucky Department of Education are interested in making sure that we have provided all the information and support that’s needed for using ASSIST to complete school improvement plans.
In addition to up-to-date websites that include tools and resources to support improvement planning, (see links below), we’re also offering a webinar entitled “Building Goals and Plans in ASSIST” four times over the next few days.
“Building Goals and Plans in ASSIST for KY Schools and Districts Webinar”:
(In order to participate, you will need to register by clicking on one these links.)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 3:30 pm EST
KDE and AdvancED Improvement Planning links:
Operation Preparation
Operation Preparation is an important strategy in achieving college/career readiness for all Kentucky school children. While we have made great progress in this area, we haven’t reached our goal of every child graduating college/career-ready just yet.
If you have not already started making plans for March 2013 Operation Preparation, I strongly encourage you to do so. Next week, we will post a map that shows which districts are participating. Please take a few minutes to fill out a brief
survey to let us know your plans and the contact person for your district (even if you are holding Operation Preparation events outside of the month of March).
Upcoming PGES Webcast
The next PGES monthly webcast is scheduled for Wednesday, December 12 at 3 p.m. ET and can be accessed
here at that time. The focus is Observations and Accessing PD 360 Videos. This webcast will feature a conversation with Effectiveness Coach Mike York to discuss questions from the field regarding principal and peer observation. Resources and additional support materials that appear in the Educator Development Suite will be demonstrated.
Next Interim Assessment in CIITS
The Kentucky Department of Education is asking you to help determine the next interim assessment that will be placed in CIITS. Please take advantage of this opportunity to provide important input by January 4, 2013, by clicking
here.
Districts may choose from the list provided in the survey or write in the name of another assessment. Each district should rank its top three choices.
PD 360, Kentucky Board of Education, TOY in Kentucky Teacher
Kentucky Teacher, the Kentucky Department of Education’s award-winning online publication, is the place to go to stay abreast of what is happening in Kentucky’s public schools.
Kentucky Teacher includes education news, feature articles that highlight successful classroom practice, helpful resources and more.
Here’s a look at what’s coming in Kentucky Teacher this week:
- Ensuring students are college- and career-ready isn’t just about raising standards; it’s also about rethinking teaching. Learn how PD 360, an online, on-demand professional development tool free to all Kentucky public school educators, is helping individual teachers hone their instruction techniques.
The Kentucky Board of Education met last week and discussed the Unbridled Learning accountability results. Find out what board members had to say about that and a host of other topics on their agenda.
The new test scores can put a damper on teacher optimism. But it doesn’t have to, says Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin. The results also present an opportunity for teachers to work together and highlight the great teaching going on in Kentucky.
Make sure you don’t miss anything in Kentucky Teacher by signing up to receive e-mail updates whenever new stories or features are added (usually 1-2 times a week). Rest assured, we won’t share your e-mail address.
We want to hear from you too, so send your comments, feedback or story suggestions to us at
kyteacher@education.ky.gov or post your comments online.
Kentucky Teacher is produced by KDE’s Division of Communications.
Items from Outside Agencies
PLEASE NOTE: Inclusion of items in this section does not constitute endorsement by the Kentucky Department of Education or the Commissioner of Education.
A New Opportunity for High School Students – Summer 2013
Governor Beshear recently announced a new statewide summer program titled “Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE)” for high school students to become available in the summer of 2013. This new opportunity is a three-week residential summer program for high school students. GSE is a unique entrepreneurship program which places a strong emphasis on innovation and design as elements of creating a sustainable business model. GSE will teach students critical life and work skills of problem-solving, teamwork, iteration and social responsibility.
An application will be available on line by December 20, 2012. Applications are due by January 31, 2013.
Please see the
attached document for further information.
For further information, please contact Shari Ball at
sball@kstc.com or 859-3233.
Kentucky Equine Youth Festival
The Kentucky Equine Youth Festival will be held on March 27, 2013, at the Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET. Learn the many uses of horses, such as driving, working cattle, jumping and many other exciting demonstrations.
- The festival will also include:
- live demonstrations of many disciplines in which horses compete
- interactive activities and presentations
- educational booths from organizations representing all facets of the equine industry
hands-on activities
Advance registration is required. Make checks payable to Kentucky 4-H Foundation.
- Schools: $25 (up to 35 students); $50 (more than 35 students)
- Youth Groups: $25
- Individuals: $5
Contributing sponsors are University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs; Kentucky 4-H Horse Program; Kentucky Equine Education Project; Kentucky Department of Education; United States Pony Clubs; Kentucky Horse Council; United States Equestrian Federation; Kentucky Horse Park; the Equine Academy at Lexington Catholic High School; and Equine Land Conservation Resource.
Nominations Sought for 2013 History Teacher of the Year
Do you know a fantastic K-6 history teacher? If so, take a few minutes and nominate them for the 2013 Kentucky History Teacher of the Year award.
Nominations can be made by a student, parent, colleague, principal or other administrator familiar with the teacher’s work. All nominees will receive an e-mail notification with further instructions for completing the nomination with supporting materials.
Teachers will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- at least three years of classroom teaching experience
- a demonstrated commitment to teaching American history (including state and local history)
- evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom
- effective use of documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories and other primary resources to engage students with American history
The Kentucky winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, a certificate of recognition, an archive of books and resources for his/her school library, and the opportunity to participate in a Gilder Lehrman professional development summer seminar.
KHS to Adopt Winter Hours
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) history campus in downtown Frankfort – including Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and the Old State Capitol – is now on its winter operating schedule. The Kentucky Military History Museum at the State Arsenal will be undergoing renovations throughout the winter and will reopen to the public on March 9, 2013.
The following KHS services will be available throughout the winter season:
- Visits for groups of 10 or more people will be held with at least seven days’ notice.
On Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, KHS will offer genealogy workshops in partnership with the Kentucky Genealogical Society, as well as student programs and teacher training workshops. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library at the Center for Kentucky History, KHS exhibitions and the 1792 Store also will be open, along with tours of the Old State Capitol.
- Outreach programming including the KHS HistoryMobile, Kentucky Junior Historical Society/National History Day program, oral history technical services, KHS Museums-to-Go exhibits, historical markers and work with the Civil War and War of 1812 related sites and museums will continue.
- Reference services through the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library are available year-round by e-mail at KHSrefdesk@ky.gov and telephone (502) 564-1792, ext. 4460.
- Rental facilities and services are available at KHS year-round.
Beginning Saturday, March 9, 2013, the KHS history campus will resume its regular public hours of operation (Wednesday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET; Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. ET; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ET).
Earthquake Awareness resources/contest
Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) is making available the "Earthquake Awareness & Great ShakeOut" instructional unit in support of Earthquake Awareness Month in February 2013. This tool provides teachers with a unique opportunity to educate students and families on how to prepare, protect and recover from earthquakes. Teachers are asked to present the "Earthquake Awareness & Great ShakeOut" instructional unit to students anytime during January or February 2013. It can be downloaded free of charge
here:
In conjunction with the school unit, KYEM will host a statewide earthquake awareness poster contest for all 3rd- through 5th-grade classes. One statewide winner from each grade level will receive an eReader, along with a certificate of achievement and have their posters promoted across the commonwealth. All posters must be submitted to
KYEMEQ@gmail.com by March 28, 2013, to be eligible.
2012 winners and full contest details can be found on the KYEM website.
NASA Seeks Female High School Juniors for WISH
WISH, the Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars project, is now accepting applications from female high school juniors from across the country. Selected participants will complete online activities and participate in online forums focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) topics to be eligible for the summer experience at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. During the summer experience, they will chart a course for Mars, engage with NASA female role models, interact with scientists and engineers and learn about careers in STEM.
Information sessions will be led by a NASA education specialist who will speak live about tips for creating a successful application. To attend, one must e-mail
JSC-NHAS@mail.nasa.gov for log-in instructions. The session dates are December 10 at 3 p.m. CT, December 13 at 3 p.m. CT and December 20 at 3 p.m. CT.