156.108 Districts of innovation -- Definitions -- Approval by Kentucky Board of to prescribe conditions and -- Administrative regulations Education procedures to be used by local boards. (1) For purposes of this section and KRS 160.107: (a) (b) (c) "District of innovation" means a district that has developed a plan of innovation in compliance with this section and has been approved by the Kentucky Board of Education to be exempted from certain administrative regulations and statutory provisions to improve the educational performance of students within the district; "Innovation" means a new or creative alternative to existing instructional and administrative practices intended to improve student learning and student performance of all students; and "School of innovation" means a school that voluntarily participates in a district of innovation plan to improve instruction, including waivers and exemptions from local board of education policies, selected provisions of Kentucky Administrative Regulations promulgated by the Kentucky Board of Education, and selected sections of the Kentucky Revised Statutes, as permitted under this section and KRS 160.107. (2) The Kentucky Board of Education is hereby authorized to approve districts of innovation for the purposes of improving students' educational performance. Districts of innovation shall be provided flexibility from selected Kentucky Administrative Regulations, Kentucky Revised Statutes, and local board of education policies for school administrators, teachers, and staff to meet the diverse needs of students. The initial approval of a district of innovation shall be for a five (5) year period. Each renewal of a district of innovation shall not exceed five (5) years and shall comply with administrative regulations promulgated by the board pursuant to subsection (4) of this section. (3) The Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate administrative regulations to prescribe the conditions and procedures to be used by a local board of education to be approved as a district of innovation. (4) Administrative regulations promulgated by the board under subsection (3) of this section shall specify: (a) The regulatory areas which may be exempted or modified if approved by the state board, except as provided in KRS 160.107(2) and in addition to those areas identified in KRS 160.107(3); (b) The application, plan review, approval, and amendment process for a district; (c) Timelines for initial approval as a district of innovation, the renewal process, and on-going evaluative procedures required of the district; (d) Acceptable documentation of a critical mass of parental, community, educator, and business support and capacity to effect a change; (e) The approvals required of the plan by certain employees of a school; (f) Evidence of teacher collaboration and shared leadership within the district and the schools to be designated as schools of innovation; (g) The process of revocation of the designation of district of innovation or school of innovation; (h) Reporting and oversight responsibilities of the district and the Kentucky Department of Education; (i) The financial detail relating to budgets of schools and evidence of sound fiscal management practices; (j) Acceptable areas of emphasis for innovation; (k) Acceptable documentation of job-embedded professional development within the proposed innovation design; and (l) Other components deemed necessary to implement this section and KRS 160.107. Effective: July 12, 2012 History: Created 2012 Ky. Acts ch. 40, sec. 1, effective July 12, 2012.