Supporting Postsecondary Achievement and Resources for Kentucky Students with Disabilities (SPARK) Grant

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), through its Office of Special Education and Early Learning (OSEEL), is offering the KY Transition 360 SPARK grant to support improved postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. This initiative, Supporting Postsecondary Achievement and Resources for Kentucky students with disabilities (SPARK), is part of a broader effort to enhance interagency collaboration, strengthen family-school partnerships, and increase the use of high-quality transition assessments across school districts in Kentucky. This competitive grant aims to build sustainable practices and systems that promote successful transitions into postsecondary education, competitive employment, and adult life for students with disabilities. Participating districts will be awarded approximately $75,000 each and must apply by November 25, 2025. The program focuses on piloting a framework aligned with the Predictor Implementation Self-Assessment (PISA) Collaborative Systems Cluster. Grantees will conduct a self-assessment, establish goals in collaboration with stakeholders, and create action plans targeting interagency collaboration with the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), engagement of families in transition planning, and consistent use of student-centered assessments. Districts will form a transition team including school administrators, teachers, parents, and students, and work collaboratively to implement and sustain improvements. The program outlines specific strategies by grade level to strengthen relationships with OVR and embed support services throughout a student’s education. Family engagement will include co-designed opportunities, resource sharing, and training for staff on meaningful family involvement. Transition assessments will begin as early as sixth grade and inform the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development process. Districts are expected to track outcomes, including employment and education metrics for youth aged 14–24. Funding may be used for staff salaries (up to 1.0 FTE and 50% of the total award), training, consultants, travel, assessment materials, and other implementation costs, but not for technology or furniture. The reimbursement-based contract runs from February 2, 2026, to June 30, 2027, and grantees must submit quarterly reports and pre-approve expenditures over $500 with KDE. A budget form using MUNIS codes and a performance indicator matrix are required components of the application. Applications must include a cover page, assurances, narrative responses, budget forms, and certifications, all formatted per KDE requirements. Only electronic submissions will be accepted, and all identifying information must be redacted in the scoring copy. Evaluation will be based on a rubric addressing comprehensive needs, design, team structure, and use of funds. Districts scoring at least 77 out of 105 points may be eligible for selection, with top-ranking applications selected per workforce region. The SPARK grant does not require matching funds and is open exclusively to Kentucky local school districts. The KDE will prioritize geographic representation, selecting two high-scoring districts from each Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA). KDE anticipates releasing awards in December 2025, with funding available by February 2026.

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