Kentucky schools and districts recognized for best practices at the 2025 Continuous Improvement Summit

Carroll County Middle School Recived

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) presented 13 awards for best practices to schools and districts during the 2025 Continuous Improvement Summit at the Central Bank Center in Lexington on Sept. 22-23.

“I continue to be inspired by the dedication of our educators and the innovative approaches they bring to Kentucky classrooms. This year’s winners demonstrate how best practices can spark curiosity and create opportunities for our students.” said Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher.

The summit allowed attendees to invest in their growth as a leader and a teacher and offered strategies to make a difference in their work and in their students’ experiences.

KDE Associate Commissioner Kelly Foster presented each Best Practice winner with a $500 check to be used for school improvement.

Those recognized were:

• Fleming County – Local Accountability: A Thriving Learner;
• Carroll County Middle School – Intentional Strategy Mapping for Student-Led Math Discussions;
• Corbin School of Innovation (Corbin Independent) – Designed for Discovery: A Look at Virtual, Hybrid and Hands-on Learning Spaces;
• Bryan Station Middle School (Fayette County) – Addressing Multifaceted Needs of English Language Learners;
• Jacob Elementary (Jefferson County) – MTSS: Real Talk on Real Support;
• Jacob Elementary (Jefferson County) – Healing, Learning, Leading: Rebuilding Jacob's School Culture with Neuroscience;
• Jacob Elementary (Jefferson County) – Solving for Success: A Systematic Approach to Tiered Math Interventions;
• Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, Sproutbox: Elevating Learning, One Box at a Time;
• Owensboro High School (Owensboro Independent) – Teaching Multilingual Learners in the General Content Classroom with an Asset-Based Approach;
• Owensboro Public Schools – Developing a Successful System Using the Curriculum Implementation Framework.
• Rodburn Elementary School (Rowan County) – Math Mastery: Building Foundations for Equitable and Effective Instruction;
• Rich Pond Elementary (Warren County) – Lead By Letting Go! Building Systems of Shared Leadership; and
• Whitley County, Grade-Level Roundtable Discussions.

In 2013, KDE launched the Best Practices and Sustainability website, which was designed to serve as a clearinghouse to promote practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in student learning, achievement and school/district processes.

The website supports teachers, administrators, district personnel and any other education advocates seeking strategies that have been proven successful in a variety of settings. KDE has identified effective practices that improve student performance and promote practices for educators to improve educational opportunities for all children.

Any Kentucky teacher, school or district may submit a best practice to KDE for consideration to be a Best Practice award recipient by visiting the Best Practices and Sustainability website.