{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-158.6455","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 158.6455","heading":"State school accountability system -- List of certifications, licensures, and","body":"credentials -- Dashboard -- Reimbursement for assessment -- Administrative\nregulations -- Consequences for schools that fail to exit support status --\nComponents of ac countability system -- Appeals of performance judgments --\nReport.\nIt is the intent of the General Assembly that schools succeed with all students and receive\nthe appropriate consequences in proportion to that success.\n(1) (a) The Kentucky Board of Edu cation shall create an accountability system to\nclassify districts and schools in accordance with the academic standards and\nstudent assessment program developed pursuant to KRS 158.6453.\n(b) The state accountability system shall include an annual meaningf ul\ndifferentiation of all public schools in the state using multiple measures that\ndescribe the overall performance of each district, school, and student\nsubgroup. Beginning with data from the 2026 -2027 school year, performance\nshall be based on a combination of academic and school quality indicators and\nmeasures, hereinafter called \"state indicators.\" The state indicators shall\nexclusively include:\n1. Student assessment results;\n2. Measures of individual student growth in reading and mathematics;\n3. Progress toward achieving English proficiency by limited English\nproficiency students;\n4. Student engagement as measured by chronic absenteeism, which shall\nbe defined as a student missing ten percent (10%) or more of yearly\nschool time for excused or unexcused reasons throughout the school\nyear;\n5. High school graduation rates;\n6. Beginning July 1, 2030, targeted quality measures, which shall include a\nmeasure of the change from the prior school year on the following\nfactors:\na. The percentage of certified teachers within the school and district\nwho have attained:\ni. Rank II status or hi gher as determined by the Education\nProfessional Standards Board; or\nii. Certification from the National Board for Professional\nTeaching Standards;\nb. For schools and districts containing students in grade eight (8), the\npercentage of students earning at l east one (1) high school credit\nupon the completion of the student's grade eight (8) school year;\nand\nc. For schools and districts containing students in grade twelve (12),\nthe percentage of graduating students who have:\ni. Completed the Free Application f or Federal Student Aid by\nthe student's graduation date; or\nii. A parent or legal guardian that has submitted an appropriate\nform to the school or district to opt out of completion of the\nFree Application for Federal Student Aid after completing a\ndistrict-approved presentation regarding the Free Application\nfor Federal Student Aid.\nThe targeted quality measures shall have a cumulative weight in\naccountability of no less than five percent (5%);\n7. Postsecondary readiness for each high school student, which  shall be\nincluded as an academic indicator, and shall be measured by one (1) of\nthe following:\na. Meeting or exceeding a college readiness benchmark score on the\ncollege admissions examination used as the statewide assessment\nin KRS 158.6453(5)(b)3. or a college placement examination\napproved by the Council on Postsecondary Education. The college\nreadiness benchmark score shall be established by the Council on\nPostsecondary Education;\nb. Achieving a minimum of three (3) hours of dual credit by\ncompleting a  course approved by the Kentucky Board of\nEducation or qualifying for a minimum of three (3) hours of\npostsecondary articulated credit associated with a statewide\narticulation agreement;\nc. Achieving a benchmark score on an Advanced Placement,\nInternational Baccalaureate, Cambridge Advanced International,\nor other nationally recognized exam approved by the Kentucky\nBoard of Education that generally qualifies the student for three\n(3) or more hours of college credit;\nd. Completing a required number of hours or achieving a benchmark\nwithin an apprenticeship, cooperative, or internship that is:\ni. Not required to be offered as a high school course or during\nthe regular school day, week, or year;\nii. Aligned with a credential or associate degree; and\niii. Approved by the Kentucky Board of Education after\nreceiving input from the Local Superintendents Advisory\nCouncil; or\ne. Achieving any industry -recognized certifications, licensures, or\ncredentials, with more weight in accountability for industry -\nrecognized cert ifications, licensures, or credentials identified as\nhigh demand in accordance with the process described in\nparagraph (e) of this subsection. Eligible industry -recognized\ncertifications, licensures, or credentials shall not be limited to\nthose earned in c onjunction with a minimum sequence of courses.\nEach high school shall publicly report the credits, hours, and\ncredentials on an annual basis; and\n8. Any other factor mandated by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act\nof 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-95, or its successor.\n(c) 1. The Kentucky Department of Education shall develop an online display\nof the state accountability system results hereinafter called a\n\"dashboard.\" A color -coded performance level for each state indicator\nand overall performance shall be displ ayed in a straightforward manner\non the dashboard by district, school, and individual subgroups. Overall\nperformance shall aggregate all available data for the state indicators.\n2. The percentile cut scores for the color -coded performance level for each\nstate indicator and overall performance shall be based on distribution\nand shall be approved by the Kentucky Department of Education and the\nLocal Superintendents Advisory Council. The cut scores shall remain in\nplace for at least six (6) years unless existi ng cut scores no longer\nsupport a meaningful differentiation of schools as required by the\nfederal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114 -95, or its\nsuccessor.\n(d) Based on data from the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce\nStatistics, each local workforce investment board, in conjunction with local\neconomic development organizations from its state regional sector, shall\nannually compile a list of industry -recognized certifications, licensures, and\ncredentials specific to the state and r egional workforce area, rank them by\ndemand for the state and regional area, and provide the list to the Kentucky\nWorkforce Innovation Board. The Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, in\nconjunction with the Kentucky Department of Education, may revise the lists\nbefore the Kentucky Department of Education disseminates the lists to all\nschool districts to be used as postsecondary readiness indicators.\n(e) 1. The Kentucky Department of Education shall pay for the cost of an\nassessment taken by a high school st udent for attaining an industry -\nrecognized certification, credential, or licensure if the student\nconsecutively completes at least two (2) related career pathway courses\napproved by the department prior to taking the assessment.\n2. If a high school student  has not completed the two (2) course\nrequirement described in subparagraph 1. of this paragraph but meets\nperformance-based experience eligibility and passes an assessment, the\ndepartment shall provide a weighted reimbursement amount to the\nschool distric t for the cost of the assessment based on the level of\ndemand of the certificate, credential, or license earned. The Kentucky\nBoard of Education shall promulgate regulations establishing the\nperformance-based experience eligibility requirements and weighte d\nreimbursement amounts.\n(f) Prior to promulgating administrative regulations to revise the accountability\nsystem, the board shall seek advice from the School Curriculum, Assessment,\nand Accountability Council; the Office of Education Accountability; the\nEducation Assessment and Accou ntability Review Subcommittee; and the\ndepartment's technical advisory committee.\n(2) A student's test scores shall be counted in the accountability measure of:\n(a) 1. The school in which the student is currently enrolled if the student has\nbeen enrolled i n that school for at least a full academic year as defined\nby the Kentucky Board of Education; or\n2. The school in which the student was previously enrolled if the student\nwas enrolled in that school for at least a full academic year as defined by\nthe Kentucky Board of Education; and\n(b) The school district if the student is enrolled in the district for at least a full\nacademic year as defined by the Kentucky Board of Education; and\n(c) The state if the student is enrolled in a Kentucky public school prior to the\nbeginning of the statewide testing period.\n(3) After receiving the advice of the Office of Education Accountability; the School\nCurriculum, Assessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's\ntechnical advisory committee, the Kentucky Board  of Education shall promulgate\nan administrative regulation in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and\nKRS Chapter 13A to establish more rigorous action, intervention, and appropriate\nconsequences for schools that fail to exit comprehensive support a nd improvement\nstatus described in KRS 160.346. The consequences shall be designed to improve\nthe academic performance and learning environment of identified schools and may\ninclude but not be limited to:\n(a) A review and audit process to determine the app ropriateness of a school's or\ndistrict's classification and to recommend needed assistance;\n(b) School and district improvement plans;\n(c) Eligibility to receive Commonwealth school improvement funds under KRS\n158.805;\n(d) Education assistance from highly skilled certified staff; and\n(e) Observation of school personnel.\n(4) All students who drop out of school during a school year shall be included in a\nschool's annual average school graduation rate calculation.\n(5) After receiving the advice of the Educatio n Assessment and Accountability Review\nSubcommittee, the Office of Education Accountability; the School Curriculum,\nAssessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's technical advisory\ncommittee, the Kentucky Board of Education may promulgate by  administrative\nregulation, in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and KRS Chapter 13A,\na system of district accountability that includes establishing a formula for\naccountability, goals for improvement over a three (3) year period, rewards for\nleadership in improving teaching and learning in the district, and consequences that\naddress the problems and provide assistance when one (1) or more schools in the\ndistrict fail to exit comprehensive support and improvement status after three (3)\nconsecutive years of implementing the turnaround intervention process described in\nKRS 160.346.\n(6) After receiving the advice of the Office of Education Accountability; the School\nCurriculum, Assessment, and Accountability Council; and the department's\ntechnical advisory committee, the Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate\nadministrative regulations in conformity with KRS 158.6471 and 158.6472 and\nKRS Chapter 13A to establish a process whereby a school or school district shall be\nallowed to appeal any performanc e judgment made by the department under this\nsection or KRS 160.346 of a principal, superintendent, school, or school district\nwhich it considers grossly unfair. Upon appeal, an administrative hearing shall be\nconducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B. The state board may adjust a\nperformance judgment on appeal when evidence of unusual circumstances warrants\nthe conclusion that the performance judgment is based on fraud or a mistake in\ncomputations, is arbitrary, is lacking any reasonable basis, or when there are\nsignificant new circumstances occurring during the three (3) year assessment period\nwhich are beyond the control of the appellant school or school district.\n(7) Advice and recommendations provided by the department's technical advisory\ncommittee shall be summarized and reported by the department by July 1 and\nDecember 1 of each year to the Office of Education Accountability. The report shall\ninclude:\n(a) Advice and recommendations provided by panel members relating to:\n1. Development and modificat ion to the assessment and accountability\nsystem;\n2. The development of administrative regulations governing the\nassessment and accountability system;\n3. The setting of standards used in the assessment and accountability\nsystem; and\n4. KRS 158.6453, 158.6455, 158.782, or 158.860; and\n(b) Any documentation used by the panel in support of the panel's advice and\nrecommendations.\nUpon receipt of the report, the Office of Education Accountability shall forward the\nreport to the Education Assessment and Accountab ility Review Subcommittee and\nthe co-chairs of the Interim Joint Committee on Education.","path":["KRS Chapter 158"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57838","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:05Z","sha256":"b5a4fc6ca94105f73e8d5db696185e8936d7da6ab8d1dc47d443ff6c118ade16","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-158.6454","next":"us-ky/krs-158.6456"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}