Education

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require African history instruction in certain middle and high school world history and civilization courses; require Native American history instruction in certain middle and high school United States history courses; require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations establishing academic standards for the required historical instructions; require superintendents to adopt curricula for required instruction; require the Department of Education to collaborate with the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage and the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission to develop recommended curricula and instruction guidelines for the required historical instruction, elective high school course offerings in African history and Native American history, and relevant professional development materials.

Amend KRS 164.020 to prohibit the Council on Postsecondary Education from raising tuition for a postsecondary education institution more than 5% a year for Kentucky resident students and 7% a year for non-Kentucky resident students; provide a 4-year tuition freeze for an enrolled Kentucky resident student; require an institution to notify a student before expiration of a tuition freeze; require any increase in tuition or fees to be approved before March 1; provide that the Act may be cited as the Kentucky Student Tuition Protection and Accountability Act; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2029.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; require the Kentucky Department of Education to establish an approved list of reading curriculum and interventions that do not use a three-cueing system; prohibit school districts from using any curriculum or program that employs a three-cueing system; prohibit the use of a three-cueing system in teacher professional development; require the Educational Professional Standards Board to promulgate administrative regulations establishing curriculum for each approved educator preparation program; amend KRS 158.307 to require rather than allow local boards of education to develop a policy on dyslexia; require rather than allow the policy to include listed items; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs to include instruction on dyslexia by the 2027-2028 school year, rather than the instruction being contingent on funding availability; amend KRS 164.306 to specify that educator preparation programs shall use evidence-based reading instruction and intervention programs and shall not provide instruction on a three-cueing system; amend KRS 161.028 to require the board to include in the standards set for teacher preparation programs that the programs shall use evidence-based reading instruction and intervention programs and shall not provide instruction on a three-cueing system.

Amend KRS 164.7874, relating to KEES awards, to define terms; amend KRS 164.7879 to establish the use of a specified equivalent grade point average for eligible graduates of certain private, parochial, or church schools based on the Advanced Placement exam score, dual credit courses grade point average, or a combination of both; amend KRS 164.7881 and 164.7884 to conform.

Amend KRS 159.075 to require a school district to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child of a military family who has an individualized education program or section 504 plan shall receive comparable services when the child begins school; amend KRS 200.664 to require a point of entry to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child with an individualized family services plan shall receive comparable services prior to the child's arrival to their new location.

Create a new section of KRS 164.740 to 164.7891 to establish a coal county paramedic scholarship to be administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA); define terms; establish a fund in the State Treasury to be administered by KHEAA for providing coal county paramedic scholarships.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 161 to enact and enter into the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact; declare purpose; define terms; set requirements for member states and for school psychologists to participate in the compact; establish provisions for active duty military members or their spouses; designate procedures for adverse actions against a school psychologist; create the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact Commission and establish its internal procedures; provide for the commission to facilitate the exchange of information; establish rulemaking procedures, oversight, financing, dispute resolution, and enforcement provisions of the compact; create member state compact withdrawal procedures; provide for amendments to the compact; specify applicability of the compact to certain Kentucky state law.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 247 to define terms; establish the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative to promote farming to youth in urban counties with a pilot program in at least 1 University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service office by September 1, 2026; set each program term to 1 year in duration, beginning each January; establish guidelines and participant eligibility.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to state legislative findings; define terms; establish additional free speech protections for student journalists; place limitations on additional protections; establish protections for student media advisors; require each local school board to adopt a written policy for time, place, and manner restrictions and for an appeals procedure; provide that student speech not be considered school speech; allow for a student journalist or student media advisor to seek injunctive relief; provide that the Act may be cited as the New Voices Act.

Amend KRS 164.7874 to include the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy, or the United States Merchant Marine Academy to the definition of "participating institution" under the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship program if the academy enters into the necessary agreements with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.