Kentucky High School Parent Communication Guide for Teachers

Kentucky has made significant investments in expanding college and career readiness over the past decade, and a new set of graduation requirements reflects that commitment. But the families who most need this information are often the least connected to it. In eastern Kentucky, where college attendance rates are among the lowest in the country, a teacher who communicates about dual credit, work-based learning, and scholarship opportunities changes outcomes for students who would otherwise not know these options exist.

Explain Kentucky's Graduation Requirements in Plain Terms

Kentucky's graduation requirements include a college and career readiness component that can be satisfied in multiple ways: a benchmark score on the ACT, SAT, or ASVAB; an industry certification or work-based learning experience; or completion of a dual credit course or postsecondary credential. This flexibility is helpful, but only if families understand it. Many Kentucky families assume graduation means passing enough courses. Tell them what the college and career readiness requirement is, which pathway their student is on, and what it takes to complete it.

Make the Kentucky Work Ready Scholarship Visible

Kentucky's Work Ready Scholarship provides up to 18 credit hours of free community and technical college education for students who complete certain CTE programs and meet other eligibility requirements. For families in Kentucky's rural communities where college attendance is lower, this scholarship can be transformative. A student who earns a marketable credential at no cost while completing a CTE pathway has a clear career entry point without requiring a four-year degree. Put this scholarship in your newsletter during course selection season.

Communicate the State ACT Administration

Kentucky administers the ACT to all 11th graders at no cost to families. This is the primary college readiness assessment in Kentucky, and it connects directly to the graduation requirement and to merit scholarships at the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Kentucky's regional universities. Tell parents the ACT date in the fall newsletter. Explain how your classroom instruction builds ACT-relevant skills. Point families toward free preparation resources. The students who do best on the Kentucky ACT are the ones whose families knew it was coming and took the preparation seriously.

Highlight Dual Credit and KHEAA Scholarship Opportunities

Kentucky has dual credit partnerships with Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) campuses that allow students to earn college credits during high school. The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) administers several scholarship programs, including the Kentucky Tuition Grant and College Access Program grant for lower-income families. Tell parents about these programs before the FAFSA filing window. A family that knows about CAP grant eligibility files the FAFSA early; a family that does not may miss the deadline and lose access to aid.

Reach Appalachian Kentucky Families With Accessibility in Mind

Eastern Kentucky has among the lowest broadband penetration rates in the country. Teachers in Appalachian Kentucky should design their newsletters to work on mobile data, keep them short and scannable, and supplement digital communication with phone calls for families who are difficult to reach digitally. The families who are hardest to reach digitally are often the ones who most need the information you are sharing. Extra effort to reach them is extra impact for students whose outcomes depend on informed family support.

A Sample Kentucky High School Newsletter Section

Here is what a graduation-pathway-aware section looks like:

"Kentucky 11th graders take the ACT at school on March 11 at no cost. This score counts toward Kentucky's graduation college readiness requirement. Students who score a 19 or higher composite meet the college readiness benchmark for graduation and may qualify for merit aid at Kentucky public universities. Free ACT prep is available at khanacademy.org. If your student needs support, let me know and I can connect you with free tutoring options."

Connect to Kentucky's Cultural and Economic Identity

Kentucky's economy spans horse breeding and agriculture, bourbon and distilling, healthcare, manufacturing, and a growing logistics and distribution sector. Teachers who connect classroom content to Kentucky's economic identity make the curriculum feel relevant to families who live and work in it. A business teacher who discusses the bourbon industry as a case study in brand differentiation is connecting theory to something Kentucky families understand from their own community. That specificity builds engagement.

Send Consistently With Daystage

Kentucky teachers who communicate consistently and specifically help families in communities where college and career information is not always easy to find. Daystage gives you a fast, reliable way to send that communication to every family at once. You write your content, add your key dates, and deliver in one click. For Kentucky high school teachers who want to make a meaningful difference in student trajectories, consistent and clear parent communication is one of the highest-leverage investments you can make.