Kentucky Department of Education

Welcome! Whether you are a parent, an educator, a student, or simply an interested new resident, we welcome you. This section of our Web site is designed to give new residents basic information about our state's education system. Our aim is to help you make informed decisions about selecting a school for your child, enrolling your child in our public schools, and about becoming a teacher or administrator in Kentucky. For statistics about our state's schools, visit Facts About Kentucky's Education System.

We also want to share information about the history of our education system, especially our education reform initiative, which started in 1990 and continues today, recognized worldwide as the most comprehensive and sustained education reform effort ever undertaken in the United States. Since 1990, Kentucky has been the focus of the education establishment. We have hosted visitors from throughout the country and the world - all wanting to see what we're doing and how it's working. For background information about our reform initiative, read our 10th Anniversary Report or our 15th anniversary report, "Strategic Plan Progress Report 2005." If you are interested in knowing how Kentucky's education system compares nationally, visit our Kentucky's K-12 Achievements page.

For background information about the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, visit the KERA Resources site managed by the Western Kentucky University Libraries. This site provides useful information to parents of KERA-educated students; to students (and others) performing research on KERA; and, generally, to anyone interested in education reform in Kentucky and elsewhere. 

If you are a parent seeking enrollment information, read the Frequently Asked Questions about Kentucky's School Enrollment Requirements section, which includes information about immunizations and other requirements. You will also be interested in the portion of our Web site called For Parents and Families. It provides a wealth of practical information, including what you should expect from your school, strategies for being involved in your child's school, and how to resolve problems with the school, among other things. If you're looking to contact a school or district, visit their Web site, or if you want information about the academic standing or test results of a specific school, visit our "About Schools & Districts" section.

If you are an educator seeking certification to teach in Kentucky, you will want to visit both our Educator Quality & Diversity section as well as the Web site of the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, the agency that certifies all Kentucky teachers. You might also want to review past issues of Kentucky Teacher, our flagship publication.