KECSAC Regulations
In 1990, the Kentucky General Assembly enacted the landmark Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), passed in response to a Kentucky Supreme Court decision declaring the state's entire system of public schools unconstitutional (Rose c. Council for Better Education, 790 S.W.2d 196 {Ky. 1989}).
That decision was the culmination of a 1985 lawsuit filed by 66 of Kentucky's 176 local schools districts against the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, the State Treasurer, and the Kentucky General Assembly for failing to provide an efficient system of common schools.
The Supreme Court relied upon Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution which states:
"The General Assembly shall, by appropriate legislation, provide for an efficient system of common schools throughout the state" (Ky. Const. 183) in holding Kentucky's school system to be inadequate.
KERA called for sweeping changes in the funding and delivery of elementary and secondary education in the Commonwealth. However, it did not specifically address the needs of State Agency Children. In response to this deficiency, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 260 (SB260) in 1992, which called for the establishment of the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC) (KRS 158.135). Kentucky House Bill 826 (HB826), passed by the Kentucky General Assembly in March 1994, broadened the eligibility for State Agency Children beyond those located in state operated and contracted day treatment, group homes, and residential placements. Under HB 826, the definition of State Agency Children was expanded to include youth placed or financed through the Cabinet for Families and Children in other residential treatment programs.
In 1996, the Gener
al Assembly enacted House Bill 117 which established public juvenile offenders to the new agency.
In 1998, the statute was again revised with the passage of House Bill 447 and House Bill 689 which expanded the definition of State Agency Children to include youth in therapeutic foster care placements and those confined in state operated juvenile detention facilities.
The Collaborative works with local education agencies and treatment programs to provide quality educational experiences that meet the varying needs of youth designated as State Agency Children. These educational experiences include academic, pre-vocational, vocational, special education, social skills, and postsecondary offerings, which are in compliance with state and federal educational laws and regulations.
KECSAC News
Teaching in Action - November 18, 2009
The Teaching in Action Series is an exciting new opportunity for KECSAC programs to share their classroom and administrative strategies with a small group of colleagues. Please join us at The Providence School in Nicholasville, KY on December 4, 2009. TPS was named one of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Best Practice Sites for Alternative Education in 2009. Participants will enjoy hands-on demonstrations of successful techniques from TPS staff and be treated to a tour of the facility.
>> 2009-2010 KECSAC Deadlines Now Available - May 19, 2009
KECSAC Deadlines for 2009-2010 are now available on our website. Please refer to this document to see when ADM counts and other important materials are due.
Feel free to contact our office with any questions.
>> New Sample Forms Now Available - October 28, 2008
There are some new sample forms available on the KECSAC website! Visit our documents page to see sample Program Improvement Plans, Transition Plans and Implementation and Impact Check Forms.
>> 2008-2009 Annual Report Now Available - September 16, 2009
The 2008-2009 KECSAC Annual Report is available online. You'll find information about our activities and interesting educational statistics relating to our programs.
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