HB 257 Kentucky House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to the education assessment and accountability system.

Summary
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; permit local school districts to develop and implement a local accountability system; require data publication on the local accountability system; require the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide technical assistance in the development of local accountability; permit KDE to incentivize local accountability; set the time frame for requiring local accountability in all local school districts; authorize the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate necessary administrative regulations; amend KRS 158.6453 to update terminology regarding academic standards; remove specific writing and editing and mechanics as required summative assessments; require KDE to incorporate a writing program into academic standards and professional development; require school-based decision making councils to adopt a writing program policy and publish it on the school's website; remove requirement for KDE to establish recommendations on using preliminary assessment data to identify students for advanced coursework; amend KRS 158.6455 to add individual student growth metric and student engagement as state indicators in the accountability system, remove quality of school climate and safety as state indicator, remove "status" and "change" metrics from state accountability system; amend KRS 158.6459, 164.7874, and 157.069 to conform.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 8, 2026 Signed Apr 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was updated from a draft version to its final engrossed form, changing the official bill number and page count. Substantively, the definition of 'vibrant learning' was expanded to require partnerships with families and communities, and the financial incentive for districts developing new quality indicators was increased from $13,000 per district to $15,000 per district. Additionally, new definitions were added for key educational terms like 'accelerated learning' and 'formative assessment' to clarify the accountability system.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on Kentucky's education assessment and accountability system, but the applicability of the new 'vibrant learning' definition now explicitly requires local partnerships with families and the workforce.
FISCAL

The maximum financial incentive for local school districts developing locally developed indicators of quality was increased from $10,000 plus $3 per student to a flat $15,000 per district.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'vibrant learning' was changed to explicitly require that educational experiences be developed in partnership with students' families, local communities, and the local workforce.

New definitions were added for 'accelerated learning,' 'advanced coursework,' 'constructed-response items,' 'criterion-referenced test,' 'formative assessment,' 'interim assessments,' 'summative assessment,' and 'writing' to standardize terminology.

TECHNICAL

The document was updated from a preliminary draft (BR 1141) to the final engrossed version (HB 257/EN), reflecting the official bill number and updated page count.

Floor votes · House Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
44
Key actions
19
Committee
19
Amendments
3
Apr 13, 2026
Signed into law
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 138)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 84-2
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Free Conference Committee report adopted in House
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 30-6
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee report adopted in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee report (1) filed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for receding from Senate Floor Amendment (6) and Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
to Rules (S)
upper
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Mar 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 32-5 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (6) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (7) filed to bill
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Introduced
floor amendments (2) and (5) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendments (1-title), (3) and (4) filed to bill
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Committee
to Education (S)
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 92-1 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Introduced
floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Committee
to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
lower
Jan 8, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Jan 8, 2026
Introduced
introduced in House
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.