Editor’s Note:
This article originally appeared in the Atherton Aerie Student run newspaper. It’s author, Miles Davis, now contributes to The Louisville Voice.
— Jay
Over the course of 2025-26 school year, JCPS has already used seven of the ten NTI days that they are allowed to implement in response to harsh weather conditions or any circumstance that would prevent students and staff from being in the school building.
NTI, or Non-Traditional Instruction, has become a common emergency response for Kentucky schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, when a worldwide shutdown forced them to operate virtually. But despite the program’s obscurity before this, NTI has existed in the state of Kentucky for almost 15 years.
According to the Kentucky Department of Education, The Nontraditional Instruction program began as a pilot in 2011. Over the years, the program spread across the state, and in 2019-2020, 84 districts were participating. The program functioned much like it does today: as a short-term solution for districts by providing them ten days of virtual instruction that wouldn’t have to be made up in person.
Districts in Kentucky are not guaranteed ten NTI days by default. Rather, they must submit an application to the Kentucky Department of Education, confirming that they have a plan on how to continue students' educations remotely. If approved, a district will have access to ten NTI days that can be implemented in the case of weather related emergencies, city/state advisories, or illness.
When a district implements an NTI day, they must quantify student and teacher participation. Every student is expected to participate in at least one of the following ways:
One-on-one video communication or phone calls between teacher and student (or teacher and parent with smaller children or students with special needs).
Group video communication or phone calls between the teacher and a whole class or between a teacher and smaller groups of students within a class.
Student’s time logged into a learning management software system completing assignments.
Submission of paper-based assignments for students in a non-digital, Nontraditional setting. (KDE)
While there is not a minimum participation requirement for each district, low student participation could result in an NTI not being recognized as a school day, meaning the district would have to make up the day in person.
JCPS averaged around 90% NTI participation from students this year. While this number seems strong, it’s hard to tell how engaged students are given the lenient requirements for a student to be counted as a “participant.”
JCPS students have varying perspectives on NTI. Sean Barron (12) likes not having the stress of finishing before a bell rings.
“NTI makes me feel like I can do my work at my own pace,” said Barron.
An anonymous Atherton student said they think students like it more than teachers because it’s probably harder to teach online.
“As a student, I do like that I get the whole day to complete a single assignment and it’s lowkey less stressful, but I don’t like not being able to socialize.”
Lillie Gernert (12), a student at Western High School, thinks NTI is a great fall back plan, but not a full proof one.
“It sounds great on paper: kids login online and do their work from home. But in reality, many kids don’t even open their chromebook,” said Gernert.
With NTI making the progress that it has in just the past few years, it’s impossible to guess what exactly it’ll look like in the future.
Written by Miles Davis, staff writer for The Louisville Voice and The Atherton Aerie, Class of 2026 Atherton High School, Louisville KY.