As mandated by Kentucky law, the Kentucky Board of Education develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky's 171 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education.
The Kentucky Board of Education Vision
Each and every Kentucky learner will become an engaged citizen and empowered learner prepared to lead a life filled with purpose.
Kentucky Board of Education Mission
Improve the future of all Kentucky learners by providing leadership, advocating for resources, advancing policy, and cultivating community partnerships to ensure each and every student has equitable access to high-quality, lifelong learning.
Resolution Supporting the Use of State Dollars to Exclusively Fund the Common System of Public Schools
Kentucky Board of Education
2024-2025 Goals
The Kentucky Board of Education is steadfast in its dedication to ensuring equal access, opportunities, and advancement for every student. We are committed to identifying and eliminating barriers that hinder learners, particularly those from historically underserved communities, enabling all Kentucky students to realize their full potential.
Goal 1: Foster Vibrant Student Learning Experiences
- Empower educators to design and implement engaging, real-world, and content-rich learning experiences that inspire students to participate actively and apply their knowledge meaningfully.
- Enhance policies and regulations, in collaboration with the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), to strengthen the teacher pipeline. Prioritize the recruitment and retention of teachers of color to increase the diversity of Kentucky's educators, enriching the educational environment for all students.
Goal 2: Advance Educational Innovation and Excellence
- Support the development and implementation of an accountability system that values innovative teaching practices and vibrant learning environments.
- Promote continuous improvement through community-based accountability measures, ensuring that all students have equitable access to high-quality education.
Goal 3: Cultivate Collaborative Partnerships
- Establish and sustain strong partnerships with all education stakeholders, including families, policymakers, and community members, to collaboratively enhance educational outcomes and support the holistic development of every student.
Kentucky Board of Education
2025 Legislative Priorities
The Kentucky Board of Education is committed to improving the future of all Kentuckians by providing leadership, advancing policy, and cultivating community partnerships to ensure every student has equitable access to high-quality, lifelong learning.
We pledge to develop authentic partnerships with other Kentucky agencies and education stakeholders to strengthen our efforts and maximize impact. To that end, we establish the following legislative priorities for the 2025 Regular Session:
1. Support the Work of the Kentucky United We Learn Council
- Advocate for legislative backing to promote the Kentucky United We Learn Council’s efforts in reimagining assessment and accountability systems. This includes fostering conversations around innovative approaches to measuring student success and ensuring the systems are meaningful and useful to all learners.
2. Secure Additional Funding for Key Initiatives
- Numeracy Counts Act Professional Development: Provide targeted professional development to educators to enhance math instruction and ensure the successful implementation of the Numeracy Counts Act.
- Read to Succeed Literacy Coaches: Increase funding for literacy coaches who can deliver job-embedded training and support for educators at all levels to improve literacy outcomes.
- Universal Preschool: Support the development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills by recognizing the need for high-quality early childhood educational experiences to ensure more students enter kindergarten ready to learn and be successful.
- High-Quality Instructional Resources (HQIRs): Support districts in adopting HQIRs that align with standards and promote grade-level, high-quality instruction in every classroom.
- Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS): Invest in the ongoing maintenance and sustainability of KETS ensuring that districts have access to modern educational technologies that enhance teaching and learning.
- Full Day Kindergarten: Advocate for the codification of funding for full-day kindergarten to ensure that all students have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for future learning.
- School Safety: Support ongoing efforts to create school environments where student and educator well-being is prioritized.
3. Statutory Updates and Clean-up
- Council for Education Technology: Remove or amend outdated references to the Council for Education Technology, which was repealed in 2006, from current statutes.
- State Textbook Commission: Update statutory language to reflect the modern selection and adoption process of curriculum materials, including High-Quality Instructional Resources (HQIRs).
- KETS Teacher Home Computer Program: Eliminate the obsolete KETS teacher home computer statute, which no longer aligns with current education technology needs.
4. Support the Educator Workforce
- Educator Preparation: Collaborate with the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) to update educator preparation programs (EPPs), ensuring future educators are well-prepared in both the art and science of teaching and equipped to create vibrant learning experiences for every student.
- Educator Recruitment and Retention: Expand on the opportunities afforded through funding in 2024 budget for teacher scholarships, student teaching stipends and additional mentoring to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession.
- Explore the possibility of a statewide common application system to support future educators in their search for a teaching placement and districts in their identification of high-quality candidates.
- Advocate for the inclusion of education as an eligible program to qualify for Work Ready scholarships.
- Mentoring Program Impact on Title II Funding: Address the negative impact on federal Title II funding for approximately 30% of districts due to the current structure of the mentoring program and seek legislative adjustments to protect district resources.
5. Facilities: Work directly with the Kentucky Department of Education and KDE advisory council(s) to explore pathways to modernize the funding of district facilities.
6. Review and Update Substitute Teaching Bill: Address limitations on districts that currently restrict use of emergency certified substitutes to no more than 20 days.
7. Continue the historic investment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) by addressing current funding inequities between Area Technology Centers (ATCs) and local centers.
- Include the ATCs in the CTE funding formula and increase CTE funding by $15 million to hold local programs harmless.
KBE's A Call to Action
The KBE's A Call to Action serves several purposes. Primarily, it will be a touchstone for the KBE to ensure future KBE actions align with the established values for the future of assessment and accountability in Kentucky. Additionally, the document will be used as a communication and advocacy tool by the KBE members when sharing about KBE goals, United We Learn, and the importance of a transformed educational experience for every student in the Commonwealth.
Document: Call to Action (Updated August 17 2023)
The Kentucky Board of Education also serves as the board for the Kentucky School for the Blind and Kentucky School for the Deaf, and Department of Education staff also serve as resources for those schools.
KBE Policy Manual (Approved August 2021)
Consolidated Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Compliance Plan
Title IX Compliance Statement 2023
The Kentucky Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender identity, veteran's status, genetic information, or disability in employment or the provision of services.