LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) –Jefferson County Public Schools and the Kentucky Department of Education have finalized a corrective action plan as part of their settlement to avoid a takeover of the state’s largest school district.
The two-year plan will be presented to the Jefferson County Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday, according to materials posted Wednesday.
The school board narrowly approved the takeover settlement on a 4-3 vote Aug. 27. Some opponents cried foul on a provision that allowed interim Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis to decide aspects of the corrective action plan if JCPS and KDE couldn’t compromise, and they also expressed concerns that the plan itself hadn’t been crafted ahead of the settlement vote.
The plan covers several deficiencies detailed by the state in its 14-month audit of JCPS and includes areas like restraint and seclusion, special education, early childhood education, and career and technical education.
KDE will audit the district again in 2020, and until then, JCPS will provide monthly reports to the state on its progress with the corrective action plan.
Leaders at JCPS and KDE say they’re ready to move forward.
“Now that the final plan has been put together, we are eager to begin the implementation phase,” JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said in a statement. “We are confident that we can implement the plan and correct the deficiencies as a district in the time allotted by the agreement.”
“A lot of work and time went into the development of the plan,” Lewis said in a statement. “I believe the plan addresses the deficiencies identified in the audit and, if the plan is implemented with fidelity, I am confident it will lead to significant improvement in the district.”
Lewis recommended state management after the audit, prompting the school board to request a hearing before the Kentucky Board of Education. Both sides expressed their desire to avoid what could have been a costly legal battle over the future of JCPS.
The settlement gives KDE veto authority over any policy changes that impact early childhood education, restraint and seclusion, and special education, which is reflected in the corrective action plan.
The plan grants KDE access to all early childhood staff meetings at JCPS and requires the district to share the results of state monitoring visits and have those reflected in staff evaluations.
Similarly, the results of state monitoring visits regarding special education must be shared with assistant superintendents and reflected in assessments of principals and other relevant staff, according to the plan. The state will also have access to all special education staff meetings and training sessions.
JCPS must provide training on special education placement and ensure that each student's transportation needs are met, including door-to-door service for students at the Kentucky School for the Deaf, according to the plan.
The corrective action plan also requires additional professional development on restraint and seclusion in schools, including training school resource officers on positive behavior supports. JCPS must also implement a system to review restraint and seclusion data.
The district will examine which bus routes need more bus monitors and train drivers de-escalation techniques to handle disruptive behavior as part of the plan. JCPS will also evaluate its bus routes for possible changes.
JCPS also committed to proposing changes to its student assignment plan for the 2020-21 school year. An advisory committee has already begun reviewing the student assignment policy for possible revisions.
Other areas in the plan include ensuring that career and technical course offerings at schools align with career pathways, evaluating the recent reorganization of central office personnel and ensuring schools receive equal portions of federal grants.
The entire corrective plan can be read here:
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