KRS 158.6455: State school accountability system -- List of certifications, licensures, and

credentials -- Dashboard -- Reimbursement for assessment -- Administrative

regulations -- Consequences for schools that fail to exit support status --

Components of ac countability system -- Appeals of performance judgments --

Report.

It is the intent of the General Assembly that schools succeed with all students and receive

the appropriate consequences in proportion to that success.

(1) (a) The Kentucky Board of Edu cation shall create an accountability system to

classify districts and schools in accordance with the academic standards and

student assessment program developed pursuant to KRS 158.6453.

(b) The state accountability system shall include an annual meaningf ul

differentiation of all public schools in the state using multiple measures that

describe the overall performance of each district, school, and student

subgroup. Beginning with data from the 2026 -2027 school year, performance

shall be based on a combination of academic and school quality indicators and

measures, hereinafter called "state indicators." The state indicators shall

exclusively include:

1. Student assessment results;

2. Measures of individual student growth in reading and mathematics;

3. Progress toward achieving English proficiency by limited English

proficiency students;

4. Student engagement as measured by chronic absenteeism, which shall

be defined as a student missing ten percent (10%) or more of yearly

school time for excused or unexcused reasons throughout the school

year;

5. High school graduation rates;

6. Beginning July 1, 2030, targeted quality measures, which shall include a

measure of the change from the prior school year on the following

factors:

a. The percentage of certified teachers within the school and district

who have attained:

i. Rank II status or hi gher as determined by the Education

Professional Standards Board; or

ii. Certification from the National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards;

b. For schools and districts containing students in grade eight (8), the

percentage of students earning at l east one (1) high school credit

upon the completion of the student's grade eight (8) school year;

and

c. For schools and districts containing students in grade twelve (12),

the percentage of graduating students who have:

i. Completed the Free Application f or Federal Student Aid by

the student's graduation date; or

ii. A parent or legal guardian that has submitted an appropriate

form to the school or district to opt out of completion of the

Free Application for Federal Student Aid after completing a

district-approved presentation regarding the Free Application

for Federal Student Aid.

The targeted quality measures shall have a cumulative weight in

accountability of no less than five percent (5%);

7. Postsecondary readiness for each high school student, which shall be

included as an academic indicator, and shall be measured by one (1) of

the following:

a. Meeting or exceeding a college readiness benchmark score on the

college admissions examination used as the statewide assessment

in KRS 158.6453(5)(b)3. or a college placement examination

approved by the Council on Postsecondary Education. The college

readiness benchmark score shall be established by the Council on

Postsecondary Education;

b. Achieving a minimum of three (3) hours of dual credit by

completing a course approved by the Kentucky Board of

Education or qualifying for a minimum of three (3) hours of

postsecondary articulated credit associated with a statewide

articulation agreement;

c. Achieving a benchmark score on an Advanced Placement,

International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Advanced International,

or other nationally recognized exam approved by the Kentucky

Board of Education that generally qualifies the student for three

(3) or more hours of college credit;

d. Completing a required number of hours or achieving a benchmark

within an apprenticeship, cooperative, or internship that is:

i. Not required to be offered as a high school course or during

the regular school day, week, or year;

ii. Aligned with a credential or associate degree; and

iii. Approved by the Kentucky Board of Education after

receiving input from the Local Superintendents Advisory

Council; or

e. Achieving any industry -recognized certifications, licensures, or

credentials, with more weight in accountability for industry -

recognized cert ifications, licensures, or credentials identified as

high demand in accordance with the process described in

paragraph (e) of this subsection. Eligible industry -recognized

certifications, licensures, or credentials shall not be limited to

those earned in c onjunction with a minimum sequence of courses.

Each high school shall publicly report the credits, hours, and

credentials on an annual basis; and

8. Any other factor mandated by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act

of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-95, or its successor.

(c) 1. The Kentucky Department of Education shall develop an online display

of the state accountability system results hereinafter called a

"dashboard." A color -coded performance level for each state indicator

and overall performance shall be displ ayed in a straightforward manner

on the dashboard by district, school, and individual subgroups. Overall

performance shall aggregate all available data for the state indicators.

2. The percentile cut scores for the color -coded performance level for each

state indicator and overall performance shall be based on distribution

and shall be approved by the Kentucky Department of Education and the

Local Superintendents Advisory Council. The cut scores shall remain in

place for at least six (6) years unless existi ng cut scores no longer

support a meaningful differentiation of schools as required by the

federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114 -95, or its

successor.

(d) Based on data from the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce

Statistics, each local workforce investment board, in conjunction with local

economic development organizations from its state regional sector, shall

annually compile a list of industry -recognized certifications, licensures, and

credentials specific to the state and r egional workforce area, rank them by

demand for the state and regional area, and provide the list to the Kentucky

Workforce Innovation Board. The Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, in

conjunction with the Kentucky Department of Education, may revise the lists

before the Kentucky Department of Education disseminates the lists to all

school districts to be used as postsecondary readiness indicators.

(e) 1. The Kentucky Department of Education shall pay for the cost of an

assessment taken by a high school st udent for attaining an industry -

recognized certification, credential, or licensure if the student

consecutively completes at least two (2) related career pathway courses

approved by the department prior to taking the assessment.

2. If a high school student has not completed the two (2) course

requirement described in subparagraph 1. of this paragraph but meets

performance-based experience eligibility and passes an assessment, the

department shall provide a weighted reimbursement amount to the

school distric t for the cost of the assessment based on the level of

demand of the certificate, credential, or license earned. The Kentucky

Board of Education shall promulgate regulations establishing the

performance-based experience eligibility requirements and weighte d

reimbursement amounts.

(f) Prior to promulgating administrative regulations to revise the accountability

system, the board shall seek advice from the School Curriculum, Assessment,

and Accountability Council; the Office of Education Accountability; the

Education Assessment and Accou ntability Review Subcommittee; and the

department's technical advisory committee.

(2) A student's test scores shall be counted in the accountability measure of:

(a) 1. The school in which the student is currently enrolled if the student has

been enrolled i n that school for at least a full academic year as defined

by the Kentucky Board of Education; or

2. The school in which the student was previously enrolled if the student

was enrolled in that school for at least a full academic year as defined by

the Kentucky Board of Education; and

(b) The school district if the student is enrolled in the district for at least a full

academic year as defined by the Kentucky Board of Education; and

(c) The state if the student is enrolled in a Kentucky public school prior to the

beginning of the statewide testing period.

(3) After receiving the advice of the Office of Education Accountability; the School

Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's

technical advisory committee, the Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate

an administrative regulation in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and

KRS Chapter 13A to establish more rigorous action, intervention, and appropriate

consequences for schools that fail to exit comprehensive support a nd improvement

status described in KRS 160.346. The consequences shall be designed to improve

the academic performance and learning environment of identified schools and may

include but not be limited to:

(a) A review and audit process to determine the app ropriateness of a school's or

district's classification and to recommend needed assistance;

(b) School and district improvement plans;

(c) Eligibility to receive Commonwealth school improvement funds under KRS

158.805;

(d) Education assistance from highly skilled certified staff; and

(e) Observation of school personnel.

(4) All students who drop out of school during a school year shall be included in a

school's annual average school graduation rate calculation.

(5) After receiving the advice of the Educatio n Assessment and Accountability Review

Subcommittee, the Office of Education Accountability; the School Curriculum,

Assessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's technical advisory

committee, the Kentucky Board of Education may promulgate by administrative

regulation, in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and KRS Chapter 13A,

a system of district accountability that includes establishing a formula for

accountability, goals for improvement over a three (3) year period, rewards for

leadership in improving teaching and learning in the district, and consequences that

address the problems and provide assistance when one (1) or more schools in the

district fail to exit comprehensive support and improvement status after three (3)

consecutive years of implementing the turnaround intervention process described in

KRS 160.346.

(6) After receiving the advice of the Office of Education Accountability; the School

Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's

technical advisory committee, the Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate

administrative regulations in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and

KRS Chapter 13A to establish a process whereby a school or school district shall be

allowed to appeal any performanc e judgment made by the department under this

section or KRS 160.346 of a principal, superintendent, school, or school district

which it considers grossly unfair. Upon appeal, an administrative hearing shall be

conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B. The state board may adjust a

performance judgment on appeal when evidence of unusual circumstances warrants

the conclusion that the performance judgment is based on fraud or a mistake in

computations, is arbitrary, is lacking any reasonable basis, or when there are

significant new circumstances occurring during the three (3) year assessment period

which are beyond the control of the appellant school or school district.

(7) Advice and recommendations provided by the department's technical advisory

committee shall be summarized and reported by the department by July 1 and

December 1 of each year to the Office of Education Accountability. The report shall

include:

(a) Advice and recommendations provided by panel members relating to:

1. Development and modificat ion to the assessment and accountability

system;

2. The development of administrative regulations governing the

assessment and accountability system;

3. The setting of standards used in the assessment and accountability

system; and

4. KRS 158.6453, 158.6455, 158.782, or 158.860; and

(b) Any documentation used by the panel in support of the panel's advice and

recommendations.

Upon receipt of the report, the Office of Education Accountability shall forward the

report to the Education Assessment and Accountab ility Review Subcommittee and

the co-chairs of the Interim Joint Committee on Education.