Commissioner of Education
Dr. Jon Draud has been a teacher, a coach, a principal, a superintendent and a state representative. In December of 2007, he took on a much larger statewide role as Kentucky’s fourth education commissioner. Prior to this, Dr. Draud was state legislator, representing Kentucky’s 63rd District from 1998-2007, and was vice-chair ... More
Data & Research
This page contains information on how to make a data request from the Kentucky Department of Education and requirements for varied school/district data collections.
District Support Services
Doing Business With KDE
The Department of Education, like all state agencies, must follow the Kentucky Model Procurement Code (KRS 45A) for the requisitioning and purchasing of products and services. For education-related services, the department contracts with local school districts, universities, educational cooperatives and other educational entities, as well as, individuals. The department purchases goods ... More
Educator Quality & Diversity
Educator Quality and Diversity secures the talents and skills of the highest quality professionals for every classroom, school, and district in Kentucky. The Division seeks to recruit, select, and retain exceptional, multi-dimensional individuals who have chosen education as their career. Traditional educational programs, scholarships, alternative certification routes, professional development, and early identification ... More
Facilities
Division of Facilities Management is responsible for ensuring sanitary, safe and accessible construction of public school buildings and grounds. The division provides assistance to school districts by reviewing and approving all sites, new buildings, additions, alterations of existing buildings, energy savings projects and hazardous material abatement from initial construction project application ... More
Federal Programs and Instructional Equity
Federal program funding includes a wide range of direct assistance programs to local schools and districts which provide funding for programs that boost student acheivement, and provide additional resources to engender a supportive environment for students.
Finance & Funding
This section provides financial, technical, and administrative support from Commonwealth of Kentucky and U.S. Department of Education sources. This support is available to local school districts to assist them with ensuring efficient and effective use of resources, and achievement of high state and federal student assessment goals.
Grant Information
The Kentucky Department of Education administers a variety of state and federal grant programs through allocations and competitive process. In addition, the Department works with private foundations to coordinate the distribution of private grant funds to schools and districts throughout the state. For specific program areas and the grants they offer, or ... More
Kentucky Board of Education
As mandated by Kentucky law, the Kentucky Board of Education develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky's 174 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education. Department officials follow board guidelines as they both lead and serve public elementary, middle and high schools.
Legal & Legislative Services
The Office of Legal and Legislative Services provides Department of Education staff and the Kentucky Board of Education with legal counsel and advice on matters pertaining to education-related state and federal laws and regulations. The department's chief counsel also serves as hearing officer for the Kentucky Board of Education and manages ... More
Nutrition and Health Services
Good nutrition makes a vital contribution to physical development and cognitive performance. KDE administers several programs that deliver quality nutrition and nutrition education to Kentucky students and other citizens. In addition to the important mission of providing fuel for growth and learning, these programs bring into Kentucky more than $150 million ... More
Professional Development
Professional development (PD) is defined in 704 KAR 3:035 Section (2) as "those experiences which systematically over a sustained period of time, enable educators to acquire and apply knowledge, understanding, skills, and abilities to achieve personal, professional, and organizational goals and to facilitate the learning of students." KRS 158.070 requires four ... More
School Based Decision Making
In the 1990 legislative session, the Kentucky legislature passed HB 940, which is best known as the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). Essentially, this piece of legislation changed the face of education in Kentucky from curriculum to finance. One drastic change that came with KERA was how governance was handled, and ... More
School Improvement
School Improvement provides a data-driven, research-based framework for defining goals and objectives for improving student learning and for selecting and implementing strategies to improve the instructional and organizational effectiveness of every school.
Technology
The Kentucky Education Technology Systems (KETS) is a direct result of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990. Within the work of KETS, a Master Plan was developed along with the KETS Implementation Plan that guides our continuing work. This section will provide current and historical information on the KETS project ... More
Testing & Reporting
Kentucky's educational reforms are based upon the principle that schools must be held accountable for the progress of their students. Frequent, meaningful testing is required to assess the extent of student progress toward proficiency; accurate, understandable reporting is required so that all stakeholders in Kentucky education have the data needed for ... More
Transportation
The Kentucky Department of Education's Pupil Transportation Branch is dedicated to the safe transport of Kentucky's school children.