A year-long professional learning community designed to equip new special education teachers with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to serve students with disabilities while meeting compliance requirements and fostering inclusive, engaging learning environments.

Format:
4 – 2-hour sessions held virtually
4 – full-day sessions held in-person (September, December, February, April)
Register for all cadre dates at once
In person: 9/2/26, 12/3/26, 2/4/27, 4/1/27
Virtual: 10/1/26, 11/4/26, 1/7/27, 3/4/27
Contact susan.hall@ckec.org with questions.

This informal work session is designed to give alternate assessment teachers time to collaborate with colleagues while preparing work samples, instructional materials, and lessons aligned with required standards. There will be no structured training or formal agenda, so participants are welcome to come and go as their schedules allow. A color printer, laminator, and additional materials will be available, along with optional activities and lesson ideas that teachers may use or adapt for their classrooms. Up to 3 PD hours can be earned by attending this session.

The struggle can be where the learning happens! Join us for an engaging virtual session focused on how to create a math classroom where students are encouraged to think, persevere, problem-solve, and grow through productive struggle. Grounded in the Mathematics Teaching Practices, we’ll explore what productive struggle really looks like, how to support students without taking away the thinking, and practical ways to build a classroom culture where challenge is viewed as an important part of learning mathematics.

Come ready to rethink struggle and leave with strategies you can use right away!

The CKEC Multilingual Learner Teacher Network will be time to work with other EL/ML teachers, specialists, admin, and other educators in the region. Through participant input, training and workshop opportunities will be developed based on the needs, trends, and ongoing issues that face schools and districts across our region and the state. The network will provide open chair time for members to share success stories. There will also be time to vet specific issues in a supportive and constructive manner.

Network Dates/Times:
Sept 21, 2026 (In-person Lexington) 8:30am-3:30pm ET;
Oct 12, 2026 (virtual, Google Meet) 4:00-5:00pm ET;
Nov 16, 2026 (virtual, Google Meet) 4:00-5:00pm ET;
Mar 8, 2027 (In-person Harrodsburg) 8:30am-3:30pm ET;
Apr 19, 2027 (virtual, Google Meet) 4:00-5:00pm ET.
EILA credit will be awarded.

Historical thinking doesn't stop at the page. Grounded in the Science of Reading, literacy is about far more than just decoding text—it’s about building background knowledge, making connections, and extracting deep meaning. In this session, explore strategies that extend inquiry beyond primary and secondary text sources by reading images, artifacts, and data, while using discussion structures that push students to reason, question, and build understanding together. Designed for K–12 social studies, these approaches widen the toolkit for inquiry-based instruction and are ready to use on Monday.

Beyond the Basics: ASD Cadre
Seeing Success: Using Video Modeling to Teach Skills and Independence

Teachers will discover how video modeling can build skills, increase independence, and promote positive outcomes across settings. In this session, you will understand the power and purpose of video modeling, explore steps for creating effective video models, learn strategies for teaching a variety of skills, and apply video modeling across settings to support independence and success.

Participants will receive a 2 hour PD/EILA credit certificate.
This session continues in the Beyond the Basics: ASD Cadre. Participation in all cadre sessions is encouraged but not required.

For any questions, contact erica.price@ckec.org.

This professional learning cadre brings together those who work with and support students with disabilities as they prepare for life after high school. Through collaborative learning, resources, and best-practice strategies, participants will deepen their understanding of effective postsecondary transition planning. Topics will include college and career readiness, independent living skills, community-based opportunities, and connecting students with agencies and supports. The cadre will highlight practical tools, state and federal requirements, and real-world examples to help teachers design meaningful, student-centered transition plans. Educators will leave equipped to guide their students toward successful and fulfilling futures in education, employment, and independent living.

Contact sydney.green@ckec.org with questions.

The seminar teaches attendees the skills and knowledge needed to perform assistive technology assessments. Training covers essential terminology, the AT Cycle, the use of the SETT Framework, WATI, and other forms in an assessment, steps to perform feature matching, AT Trials, writing the final assessment report, and implementing AT.

As AI shows up in classrooms, planning periods, and district conversations, the question isn't whether to engage with it, but how to do it well. The AI Empowered Teacher Cadre is a standing community for educators who want to build real skill with AI tools and collaboratively figure out what responsible and effective use looks like in K-12 schools.

This cadre will meet monthly on the third Thursday to build AI literacy and skills, think together, integrate AI into instruction, and streamline workflows. An hour of PD credit will be provided for each session attended.

Writing is one of the most powerful tools for improving reading, thinking, and learning. In this one-hour virtual session, explore practical writing strategies that strengthen comprehension, analysis, and communication across K-12 ELA classrooms. Leave with ready-to-use approaches that fit seamlessly into the lessons you're already teaching and can be implemented immediately to deepen student thinking and improve writing outcomes.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) • 1 hour of PD credit provided • Zoom link sent prior to the session.

Great instruction isn't a performance — it's a responsive conversation between you and your learners. In this session, you'll dive into Danielson's Domain 3 and explore what it takes to move beyond delivering content to truly reaching every student in the room. You'll examine the difference between student engagement and student compliance, and learn how to build classroom learning systems that keep students thinking, discussing, and participating at every level. From questioning techniques that push past recall into critical thinking, to differentiation strategies you can adjust in real time, this session is about sharpening your instructional toolkit. You'll also explore academic mindsets — how what students believe about their ability to learn shapes everything they do in your classroom, and what you can do to shift those beliefs.

Whether you're a veteran who's ready to take instructional risks again, a new teacher building a repertoire of go-to strategies, or an alternatively certified teacher learning how to make instruction land for diverse learners, this session meets you where you are and pushes you forward. Walk away with an engagement strategy menu, a questioning stems guide, formative assessment tools you can use tomorrow, and a differentiation framework that won't overwhelm you.

Do your students struggle to communicate their thinking in math class? HB 257 (2026) mandates writing across disciplines in all grades. This session will explore strategies that can be used to increase written communication in the classroom. Both formal and informal writing will be addressed, including writing to learn, writing to demonstrate learning, and writing for publication. It will also provide instructional strategies and ways to incorporate technology in the process. Throughout the day, participants will work in grade bands to tailor the work to their student needs.

It will be beneficial if participants bring a computer and any rubrics they use for extended response or short answer, as well as HQIR materials.

Number lines are a powerful representation for building mathematical understanding across K–12! In this hands-on session, participants will explore the progression from number paths to number lines to open number lines and how these tools support number sense, operations, magnitude, and student reasoning.
Using the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide as an anchor, participants will build, model, and make sense of number lines in ways they can take directly back to the classroom.

This session equips participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize warning signs of suicide risk, implement appropriate intervention strategies, and support the ongoing
management of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Evidence-informed
practices and practical response techniques will be explored to enhance confidence and
competence in suicide prevention.

Contact:  erica.price@ckec.org

The Vibrant Learning Academy brings together district and school leaders and classroom teachers to build vibrant learning in our region — from the classroom to the system level. Participants join one of two pathways, Leaders or Teachers, and work across three sessions throughout the year, culminating in a joint showcase in April where both pathways present what they built, modeled after a student exhibition of learning. Districts are encouraged to bring both a leader and teachers so the work stays connected across pathways.

The Teacher Pathway

The Teachers Pathway is for classroom teachers ready to make vibrant learning a daily reality. Teachers will define what vibrant learning actually looks like day to day, work through small, medium, and large shifts to get there, and think through how to integrate it with their current HQIR. Teachers will also look at types of performance assessment systems and begin planning for how students might begin collecting evidence of their learning, building toward a system such as defenses of learning or student-led conferences. Teachers will leave with concrete moves they can use right away, and design and implement a shift throughout the academy.

Join fellow K–12 social studies educators for a monthly virtual professional networking hour designed to connect, collaborate, and share best practices. The Social Studies Cadre provides a dedicated space to discuss emerging curriculum strategies, exchange high-impact classroom resources, and build a supportive community of practice across schools and districts. Come ready to share insights, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen your instructional leadership.

The seminar teaches attendees the skills and knowledge needed to perform assistive technology assessments. Training covers essential terminology, the AT Cycle, the use of the SETT Framework, WATI, and other forms in an assessment, steps to perform feature matching, AT Trials, writing the final assessment report, and implementing AT.