District Writing Plan

As shared by the KY Department of Education:

Purposeful writing across disciplines strengthens students’ understanding of content, supports critical thinking, and improves overall writing proficiency. Per KRS 158.6453(1)​​, "writing" is defined as "a purposeful act of thinking and expression that uses language to explore ideas and communicate meaning to others. Writing is a complex, multifaceted act of communication and is distinct from basic handwriting or penmanship." 

Effective writing functions not only as a communication skill, but as a tool for learning, allowing students to analyze evidence, articulate reasoning, and construct knowledge in discipline-specific ways. When districts prioritize coherent writing expectations across classrooms and provide support for content-area teachers, interdisciplinary writing serves as a lever for improving instructional quality, access to grade-level learning, and postsecondary readiness for all students. 

​Requirements for district-wide writing programs 

Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, HB 257 (2026), amended Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.6453(19) to require each superintendent to adopt policies that determine the writing program for the local school district as a whole. The writing program the superintendent adopts must be published on the district's website and include disciplinary-specific writing across the curriculum that incorporates a variety of language resources, technological tools, and multiple opportunities for students to develop complex communication skills for a variety of purposes.  

With the implementation of district-wide writing programs, HB 257 (2026) further amended KRS 158.6453 to no longer require an on-demand writing assessment or an editing and mechanics assessment as part of the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA). 

To support superintendents in implementing the district-wide writing policy, KDE has developed guidelines for implementing an effective writing program across content areas.  The guidelines provide direction for aligning writing instruction to the Kentucky Academic Standards, ensuring adequate instructional time, using language resources appropriately, and incorporating technology to support instruction. Additional resources also support text-based writing across disciplines. -`  

Additional resources  

Text-Based Writing Across Disciplines provides students with opportunities to engage in discipline-specific learning that uses reading and writing skills specific to each field to teach content knowledge, demonstrate content knowledge and publish learning. Text-based writing grounds students in complex, grade-level texts (Interdisciplinary Literacy Practice 1), meaning students engage with a wide range of multimodal texts across disciplines and grade levels. 

Composition in the Classroom is designed to help Kentucky teachers and administrators better understand the Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing's Composition strand. This resource takes an in-depth look at each of the three modes of writing, the three types of writing and authentic audiences, forms and purposes. Each section on the three modes of writing includes examples of potential instructional resources for elementary and secondary classrooms.