The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Division of Student Success is hosting the 2024 Persistence to Graduation Summit at the Hilton in downtown Lexington on June 11-12.

During this two-day event, superintendents, district-level personnel, school administrators, school counselors, educators, family resource and youth services center coordinators, school mental health and social service professionals, and community partners from across Kentucky will convene to share information and best practices to support students who may experience challenges to reaching graduation. Engaging and interactive sessions will be led by facilitators from across the state and will include:

  • Student Transition and Re-engagement Strategies;
  • Alternative Education Programming;
  • Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities;
  • Safe and Supportive Learning Environments; and
  • Effective Use of Education Technology.

These sessions are designed to be more engaging than the typical “sit-and-get” format of most conferences and are structured to encourage dialogue and exchanges that leverage the expertise of the session participants as well as the session leaders. Facilitators will engage with participants throughout the session and help cultivate an interactive experience, mirroring the type of interactions that take place in highly engaging classrooms. Participants will have prior access to any materials submitted by facilitators.

Those interested in facilitating a session should submit a proposal in the Persistence to Graduation Call for Proposals portal by April 12. If there are multiple presenters for a single session, only one person needs to complete the form. If you would like to suggest multiple session topics, please access the portal link again and submit a proposal for any additional topic. Submissions will be reviewed by DSS staff and selected based on content, proposed methods for participant engagement, and event needs. Those selected will be notified by email.

Registration for the 2024 Persistence to Graduation Summit is available at no cost to participants through Title IV, Part A funding, but registration is limited to the first 300. For more information, contact Michelle Wilson.