As mandated by Kentucky law, the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky's 171 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). The KBE also serves as the board for the Kentucky School for the Blind and Kentucky School for the Deaf, and KDE staff serve as resources for those schools.
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.
KBE's A Call to ActionThe 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: KBE Call to Action - Updated August 17, 2023
Kentucky Board of Education 2025-2026 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
- Support educators to design and implement engaging, real-world, and content-rich learning experiences that inspire students to participate actively and apply their knowledge meaningfully.
- Strengthen the educator workforce through enhanced collaboration with the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). Prioritize the recruitment, retention, and diversification of the educator workforce to enrich the teaching and learning experience and 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.
- Advance statewide efforts to support educators in the implementation of high-quality literacy and numeracy instruction aligned with high quality literacy and numeracy instructional resources.
- Explore opportunities for high school transformation across the Commonwealth aligned with workforce development.
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.
- Encourage and strengthen statewide and local community support of professional educators.
Goal 4: Measurement and Reflection
- Develop measurability and reporting for each board goal, thereby reinforcing the board's accountability to its mission and established legislative priorities.
Kentucky Board of Education 2026-2028 Legislative Priorities
The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) is committed to fostering an educational environment in the Commonwealth that ensures equitable learning opportunities for every student and staff member by recognizing their unique strengths and needs and collaborating with families and communities to provide resources necessary for their success
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 2026-2028 biennium:
1. Advance Kentucky's Reimagined Assessment and Accountability System
- Promote wide-spread implementation of Kentucky's Reimagined Assessment and Accountability System, including locally developed indicators of quality authorized under House Bill 257 (2026).
- This includes continued support for the work of United We Learn in partnership with the Kentucky United We Learn Council to advance meaningful, useful measures of student success and vibrant learning experiences for all learners.
2. Strengthen and Sustain Kentucky's Educator Workforce
- Advocate for strategic investments across the educator career continuum: recruitment, preparation, induction, career growth, and retirement. This includes:
- Reimagined teacher scholarships that could provide a tuition-free pathway into the classroom;
- Mentoring for early, mid-career, and veteran educators to improve recruitment, retention, and long-term workforce stability; and
- Continued collaborations with the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) to ensure future educators are well prepared in both the art and science of teaching and equipped to create vibrant learning experiences for every student.
- Strengthen the pipeline of effective school and district leaders by increasing support for principal mentorship initiatives established through Senate Bill 4 (2026) and other talent-development supports that recruit, develop, and retain leaders who drive continuous improvement, foster educator success, and develop positive student outcomes.
3. Secure Adequate and Sustainable Funding for Student Success and School Improvement
- Vibrant Learning for Every Student: Advocate for sustained investment so every Kentucky learner—including students experiencing poverty, students with disabilities, gifted/talented learners, multilingual/English learners—can access high-quality, engaging, and supportive learning from early childhood through college, career, and military readiness pathways.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen and scale cross-sector partnerships among Kentucky schools, families, communities, employers, and service providers to provide high-quality, lifelong learning and comprehensive supports that improve student outcomes.
- Build systems that remove barriers and improve measurable outcomes across the education continuum.
- Operational Efficiency for Public Schools:
- Support ongoing efforts to create school environments where student and educator well-being is prioritized.
- Continue to work directly with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and KDE advisory councils to explore pathways to modernize the funding of district facilities.
- Continue the effective and responsible use of technology to advance student learning and operational efficiency through support for the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS).
4. Statutory Clean-Up
- Advance priorities that improve the operational efficiency of Kentucky's public schools through greater flexibility for local innovation and continuous improvement.
- Improve the operational efficiency of Kentucky's public schools by removing outdated, duplicative mandates that divert time and resources from high-quality teaching and learning.
The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) 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.
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