Welcome to the official Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) website.
Grant Awarded for 2012-2017
In a collaborative effort to increase student achievement and post-school success for students with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), Division of Learning Services (DLS) submitted a proposal for the 2012 State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) and are proud to present a five year initiative linked in partnership with numerous agencies throughout the state.
The State Personnel Development Grants Program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides funds to assist states in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, education and transition services in order to enhance results for children with disabilities.
Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant
Partnerships
The Kentucky Department of Education, Division of Learning Services is collaborating with several agencies to address the five targeted outcomes identified in the Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant 2012-2017. It is our hope that this active partnership will not only foster collaboration among the agencies involved, but provide sustainability for the targeted initiatives. The ultimate goal of these collaborative partners is to improve teacher effectiveness, ultimately resulting in increased student achievement in Kentucky.
Some of the partners in this effort include:
Special Education Cooperatives
Parent Technical Assistance Center:
Kentucky Special Parent Involvement Network (KYSPIN)
Institutes of Higher Education:
Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant
Five Target Areas
Based on needs expressed in the Kentucky Department of Education, Division of Learning Services State Performance Plan, and consensus of personnel from the Division of Learning Services, Special Education Cooperatives, Kentucky Special Parent Involvement Network and a local Director of Special Education, five outcomes were targeted.
These include:
- Better prepare all students with disabilities to reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers through increased academic (reading and math) achievement and closing existing achievement gaps.
- Improving post-secondary outcomes for Kentucky’s students with low incidence disabilities.
- Building the instructional capacity of Kentucky’s teachers to increase academic achievement for students with low incidence disabilities.
- Improving communication and educational services to students with low incidence disabilities.
- Sustaining project efforts after the life of the SPDG.
Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant
Goals and Objectives
The Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant includes a series of research-based goals and objectives for the five proposed initiatives. It is our hope that these goals and objectives will be a catalyst in this comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support rigorous academic standards for students.
Closing the Achievement Gap
Goal: To better prepare all students with disabilities to reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers through increased academic (reading and math) achievement and closing existing achievement gaps.
Low Incidence
Goal: To better prepare students with low incidence disabilities to reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers through increased and enhanced academic achievement, communication capacity, and transition opportunities.
Objectives
- Objective 1: To develop the capacity of those providing PD and to define the expectations and commitment of those receiving PD.
- Objective 2: To provide high quality, evidence-based training to increase the competency of KY teachers, administrators, and staff to use evidence-based instructional strategies for students with disabilities.
- Objective 3: To provide ongoing coaching to sustain the use of evidence-based instructional strategies in KY’s classrooms.
- Objective 4: To increase the use of implementation, intervention, and outcome data to support decision making at the school, LEA, regional, and state levels.
- Objective 5: To insure administrators are trained to support their staff in implementing evidence-based instructional strategies in their school, while establishing an organizational culture based on data and program improvement.
- Objective 6: To sustain project efforts after the life of the SPDG.
Kentucky State Personnel Development Proposal
Evaluation
- Evaluation of the Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant Proposal is critical to ensure the proposed goals and objectives have been achieved and completed in a timely manner.
- A project logic model was developed to ensure clear and logical connections between goals, objectives and outcomes. Collecting, analyzing and reporting evaluation data remains consistent across initiatives.
- Project evaluators have developed evaluation strategies and methodologies designed to provide formative and summative feedback to project managers, program personnel and other stakeholders.
Project Evaluators
Evaluation staff at the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky
Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant
Resources
This section includes information and resources for the Kentucky State Personnel Development Grant Proposal. Links have been provided for each target area to assist you in learning more about Kentucky’s efforts to improve teaching and learning and support rigorous academic standards for students.
Grant Initiatives
Post-Secondary Transition