About KDE

Kentucky's Education Organizations and Resources

Published: 10/1/2026 3:14 PM
​​​This page provides links to many of the organizations who support our education system.
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ACT
The American College Testing Program.

The mission of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum is to develop and maintain an environment in which people of all ages can discover the richness of bluegrass music through an exciting and educational experience. The museum offers opportunities to see, touch, hear and explore our rich bluegrass music heritage.

CEI is an organization of teachers, parents and other adults interested in promoting best educational practices for children from infancy through early adolescence.​
 
Collaborative for Teaching & Learning
The Collaborative for Teaching and Learning is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping schools and other organizations meet the needs of all learners, both children and adults.

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
The Council of Chief State School Officers is a nationwide, nonprofit organization composed of public officials who lead the departments responsible for elementary and secondary education in the states, the US extra-state jurisdiction, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity.  In representing the chief education officers, CCSSO works on behalf of the state agencies that serve pre K-12 students throughout the nation.
 
East Kentucky Science Center​
The East Kentucky Science Center is a private, nonprofit education organization devoted to providing science learning opportunities to students, teachers and the East Kentucky community.
 
Education Commission of the States (ECS)
Bringing education leaders together from across the aisle and across states, ECS provides education leaders with unbiased information and opportunities for collaboration.
 
Family Resource & Youth Services Centers (FRYSC)
These school-based centers work to enhance students' abilities to succeed in school by developing and sustaining partnerships that promote early learning and successful transition into school, academic achievement and well-being, and graduation and transition into adult life. Each center has a unique blend of program components depending on location, available resources, local needs and community input. The goal of the FRYSCs is to meet the needs of all children and their families who reside in the community or neighborhood served by the school in which the center is located. 
 
Kentucky's source for postsecondary education information, where students can access online applications, explore campuses, take virtual campus tours, explore financial aid options and much more.
 
GED
The General Educational Development Tests program.
 
Sponsor of the Governor's Cup Competition and other academic events.
 
Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE)
The Kentucky Association for Gifted Education connects and empowers parents, all educators and community members to meet the unique needs of high potential/gifted and talented individuals through awareness, advocacy and action. 
 
Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA)
KASA, founded in 1969, is a unified professional organization for more than 2,500 educational leaders across Kentucky. KASA's mission is to draw upon the strength of school leaders' diversity to best serve the needs of Kentucky's children and school administrators by continuous improvement of education through professional development of strong leaders, advocacy for the welfare of children, and effective participation in shaping education policy.  
 
Kentucky Association of School Councils (KASC)
The Kentucky Association of School Councils is a nonprofit membership organization formed in 1992 to help school councils make decisions that ensure student achievement at higher levels by educating, supporting and providing services to the parents, teachers and principals of member schools. ​

Kentucky Association of School Librarians (KASL)
KASL is the professional organization of all Kentucky school librarians. It is a state affiliate of the Kentucky Library Association, and a national affiliate of the American Association of School Librarians, a section of the American Library Association.​

The Kentucky Center for Mathematics was established by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2006 to support diverse teacher and student populations across the Commonwealth. KCM believes that mathematics must never stand in the way of a child fulfilling a dream and that mathematics is an effective vehicle for developing the skills children need for college and career readiness. 

Kentucky Center for School Safety
The center’s mission is to serve as the central point for data analysis; research; dissemination of information about successful school safety programs, research results and new programs; and, in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education and others, to provide technical assistance for safe schools.   
 
Kentucky Center for the Arts​
Kentucky Center for the Arts works in partnership with KDE to provide professional development for teachers through Arts Academies held across the state in June of each year.
 
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce provides bold leadership as the major catalyst, consensus builder and advocate for economic growth and for expanding the business community of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Its mission is to support a dynamic business climate in the Commonwealth, work to advance Kentucky, and provide substantial value to its members by articulating a vision for Kentucky and providing advocacy, information, program management and customer service in order to accelerate business creation, recruitment, expansion and retention.  ​
 
 The Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a community of educators and partners in learning dedicated to advancing the success of students with exceptionalities in Kentucky. As a local CEC unit, Kentucky CEC's mission is to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the education and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities and/or special needs and to enhance engagement of their families. 
 
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is a coordinating board overseeing Kentucky's state universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Its website provides access to information about, and links to, Kentucky's colleges and universities.
 
Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts
The Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts is a nonprofit, service organization for Kentucky English and language arts teachers of all levels (kindergarten-graduate school).

Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics​ (KCTM)
The Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics, a National Council of Teachers of Mathematics affiliate, provides support and professional development for teachers of mathematics students from kindergarten and beyond. 

Kentucky Education Association (KEA)
KEA is a voluntary membership organization for school employees, the vast majority of whom are public school teachers. KEA has members among school administrators, Workforce Development Cabinet teachers, college students preparing to become teachers and retired educators.
 
Kentucky Educational Cooperatives
Kentucky has a host of educational cooperatives that provide assistance and expertise for the benefit of their member school districts. The cooperatives provide comprehensive educational services and programs that support the member districts and their schools in their school improvement efforts. Member districts also work through the cooperatives to maximize their purchasing power, thereby improving their fiscal efficiency. 
 
Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children​
The Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children is committed to the belief that all children can learn and have a right to a quality education. KECSAC protects and assures this right by accessing resources and providing support to programs that educate state agency children.
 
Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
​Serving the public interest, KET enriches lives and builds stronger communities by educating, informing, inspiring and connecting people of every age and circumstance through the power of public media. KET supports school-readiness, student achievement and an educated workforce through the creation and delivery of standards-aligned instructional resources and services.
 
Kentucky Geographic Alliance
The Kentucky Geographic Alliance is a grassroots organization of educators supporting geographic education. It provides support services for P-12 teachers in the Commonwealth to enhance the geographic awareness of students.​
 
Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program​
The Governor's Scholars Program is a stimulating, five-week, residential summer program for outstanding Kentucky students completing their junior year in high school. Established in 1983, the popular program provides academic and personal growth in a challenging, nontraditional experience that balances a strong liberal arts program with a full co-curricular and residential life experience.   

KHEAA is a state agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to higher education. KHEAA strives to expand educational opportunities by providing financial and informational resources that help Kentuckians attain their educational goals. It administers state student aid such as the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program, the College Access Program (CAP) Grant, the Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG) and other scholarship and grant programs. KHEAA also provides college access programming across the Commonwealth via its robust array of outreach services and free print and electronic resources to help students and families plan for postsecondary education.   
 
Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA)
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 290 member schools, both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 229 state championships to 59 teams and 178 individuals in 13 sports and six sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 109,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials. 
 

The division provides administrative support, technical assistance and training to local school-based Family Resource​ and Youth Services Centers (FRYSC). The primary goal of these centers is to remove non-academic barriers to learning as a means to enhance student academic success​.

 
Kentucky Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
PTA began in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers, a group of mothers concerned with the education, health and safety of children and youth – the same concerns the PTA has 100 years later. PTA is the largest volunteer organization in the United States with one purpose – to serve children, their families and their school communities.  
 
Kentucky Reading Association
The Kentucky Reading Association is a professional organization of educators and individuals actively engaged in the development of literacy throughout the Commonwealth. They are committed to encouraging lifelong reading for pleasure and learning, providing information related to literacy, increasing opportunities for professional growth and promoting research-based instructional practices.   
 
Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA)
The Kentucky School Boards Association provides advocacy, consultation, information, professional development and district support services for local school board members as well as district and school staff. Established in 1936, KSBA is a private, nonprofit service organization composed of almost 900 members of local boards of education.
 
Kentucky School Public Relations Association (KYSPRA)
As the voice for school public relations in Kentucky, the KYSPRA mission is to meet the professional development needs of its members and to advocate for the employment of public relations practitioners in all Kentucky school districts.

Kentucky’s Special Education Technical Assistance Network supports the efforts and initiatives of the Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Early Learning to build the capacity of local education agencies to serve students who receive special education and related services. 
 
Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System (KTRS)
Established by law in 1938, KTRS – legally known as the “Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Kentucky” – became operational on July 1, 1940. KTRS is classified as an “actuarial reserve, joint-contributory" system, meaning that contributions of the members and employers and the earnings from KTRS investments are placed in reserve to pay for the system's annuity obligation.    
 
Kentucky Virtual Library​
Preparing students, faculty and staff of Kentucky's educational institutions and the citizens of the Commonwealth to be full participants in today's information-based global economy and in the life-long learning process by providing services to develop information literacy.
 
Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA)
The Kentucky World Language Association is a network of individuals who support, promote and advocate the teaching and learning of a variety of world languages and cultures. It is a clearinghouse for data, information and research relevant to effective programs and practices in the learning and teaching of world languages and cultures. KWLA also is a provider of professional development for P-16+ teachers of world languages and cultures.  
 
Kentucky Science Center

Kentucky Science Center, located in Louisville, is advancing a statewide science literacy campaign to encourage people of all ages to explore science in everyday life. With daily programming for children, families and adults, the Science Center plays an ongoing role in the region as a resource for caregivers and teachers, a gathering place for the science community and a chosen source of entertainment for all.


Morehead Writing Project

An affiliate of the research-driven National Writing Project, the Morehead Writing Project identifies and supports great teacher-leaders via leadership institutes that bring together experienced and developing teachers of different grade levels and disciplines by inviting them to surface their successful practice, activate an inquiry stance toward educational challenges, and innovate and test new approaches and ideas.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as “the Nation's Report Card,” is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography and the arts.  

National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders and circumstances. Its mission is to develop, support and empower citizen leaders on state boards of education to strengthen public education systems so students of all backgrounds and circumstances are prepared to succeed in school, work and life.
 
National PTA
National PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the United States. PTA is a nonprofit network of millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. 

Since 1983, the Prichard Committee has worked to study priority issues, inform the public and policymakers about best practices, and mobilize citizens, business leaders, families, students and other stakeholders in a shared mission to move Kentucky to the top tier of all states for education excellence for all children, from their earliest years through postsecondary education. 

U.S. Department of Education
Here you will find information on initiatives, laws, speeches, and other efforts to pursue the mission of the U.S. Department of Education (USED). Its mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.​

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​​Jennifer Ginn
Communications Director
Office of the Commissioner
Division of Communications
300 Sower Blvd., 5th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-2000
Fax (502) 564-3049