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Kentucky's Gap Rules Need More Discussion

Only 30 Kentucky schools have significant achievement gaps between African American students and the school’s top scoring racial or ethnic group? That’s what this year’s school report cards say.I hope someday to live in a commonwealth where that claim makes sense.To me, this year, it doesn't.I see 152 schools that had 2018-19 gaps of 20 points or more between African American students and other groups, including 49 with gaps of 30 or higher and two with gaps of 40 points or beyond.These gaps are based on a score that combines reading and math data on a zero to 125 scale, with full credit for proficient scores, half credit for apprentice results, and extra credit for distinguished work. Some parts of Kentucky school report cards call that number the proficiency indicator score, while others call it the gap rate, but it’s the same calculation.Here’s a chart showing six different types of gaps, again with many schools having gaps listed as not significant:

Our new state accountability regulation said gaps would matter if they were “statistically and practically significant,” but the regulatory language never offered the mathematical specifics that would be used. The final criteria weren’t clear to most of us until after the report cards came out. The Department's "Accountability Gap Identification" document (dated September 27) explains the technical details:

  • “A Cohen’s d is used to determine statistical and practical significance. Cohen’s d provides a measure of effect size for comparisons of groups with differing sizes and variability as seen in student groups across the state.”
  • Cohen recommended that a d of 0.2 be considered a small effect size, with 0.5 counted as moderate, and 0.8 as large.
  • “In Kentucky’s school accountability system, the 1.0 level is used to determine if the achievement gaps are statistically and practically significant.”

That puzzles me. I'm not fluent in this type of statistical analysis, but it sure sounds like Kentucky’s rule is that moderate and even large gaps will not be considered significant.Kentucky is also treating gaps very differently from other achievement issues. When two schools differ by 20 points or so, they are rated differently on our school dashboard’s proficiency indicator. When two groups have the same kind of 20 point difference, that does not get dashboard attention. Here's an illustration using real schools' data to show that inconsistency.

Here's my puzzle:

  • Caverna High and Eminence High differ by 19.0 points, with proficiency indicators of 35.5 and 54.5 respectively. The dashboard gives them very different ratings for that indicator: one very low and one medium.
  • African American and white student results differ by 19.6 points at Jeffersontown High, with scores of 34.7 and 54.3, respectively. The dashboard says the school has no significant gaps.
  • The school difference has a high-visibility impact on dashboard ratings. Why isn't the very similar group difference worthy of dashboard attention?

Over and over, state leaders remind us that the school report cards are supposed to start important conversations. That they aren’t a judgment. That no one gets more money for high ratings or less money for lower ones. That they’re meant to create opportunities for communities to discuss issues that matter in their local schools.On gaps, I think our current system is closing off conversations that need to happen. When citizens look at their school report cards and see “no significant gaps,” that invites them to think they don’t need to dig deeper to understand how the school is serving different groups of students.So I want to start a conversation, too, and here are my starting questions:

  • Is a Cohen’s d of 1.0 the right cut point?
  • What was the reasoning that led to selecting that cut point?
  • Should Kentucky choose a different cut point to reflect our serious intent to close these gaps?
  • Even more radically, should we make a policy choice that gaps of 20 points are always substantive and definitely worthy of public engagement?

I think those gaps, and the children caught in them, matter.Source notesThis analysis draws on the research data files for the 2018-19 school report cards. Click on Assessments/Accountability at the top of the page to locate the files I used:

  • Gap shows a score for each group with enough students at each school and then shows a gap calculation next to each of the historically underserved groups.
  • Accountability Proficiency By Level contains each school’s percent novice, apprentice, proficient, and distinguished for each group in reading and mathematics. I used that data to verify that the scores in the Gap file do indeed use the formula for the proficiency indicator.
  • Accountability Profile includes the proficiency indicator score based on all students at a school and also provides a column identifying all the gaps counted as significant at that school.

The use of Cohen’s d and effect sizes of 1.0 or greater is specified in the Department’s September 27 “Achievement Gap Identification” document.To review data on a single school, go to kyschoolreportcard.com. After you select a school, click the link that says "View Accountability Data" to see a dashboard of major indicators and a summary of the school's significant gaps. Then click "Explore Data" and use the left-side menu to see achievement gaps by groups, including those not considered significant.

Susan Perkins Weston
October 8, 2019
Press Release

Warren County parent recognized with leadership award

A Warren County parent described as being “dedicated to helping all students...


September 30, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Brigitte Blom Ramsey, Executive Director
(office) 859-233-9849
(cell) 859-322-8999
brigitte.blomramsey@prichardcommittee.org

Warren County parent recognized with leadership award

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Warren County parent described as being “dedicated to helping all students reach their potential” is the recipient of the 2019 Beverly Nickell Raimondo Leadership Award from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.

Allison Mefford “models parent leadership that is focused on helping students, staff and parents become the best they can be,” former Cumberland Trace Elementary School Principal and Prichard Committee Member Mary Evans noted in her nomination letter.

A fellow of the Prichard Committee’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, which trains parents to help improve the achievement of all students, Mefford took on the role of parent volunteer coordinator at the school to put parents’ talent and skills to work in ways to help both teachers and students.

When the school’s science scores needed improvement, she organized a Family Science Night that filled the school with students, parents, teachers and community members who explored science topics together and served as a catalyst for a renewed emphasis on science in the classroom.

She has served as secretary of the Cumberland Trace PTA and is lead sponsor for Kentucky Youth Assembly, which involves students in model state government activities.

“Allison is dedicated to helping all students reach their potential,” Evans wrote. “She is a champion for supporting teachers so they can meet children where they are and take them as far as they can go. Our school is so much better because of her parent leadership.”

The Prichard Committee award is named in honor and memory of Beverly Nickell Raimondo, who was instrumental in the development of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership in 1997. Since its founding, the institute has trained and supported hundreds of parents as advocates for educational excellence.

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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary

The Prichard Committee
September 30, 2019
Early Childhood
Innovations in Education

Support After School Programs

Support for afterschool is overwhelming and demand is growing. Nationwide, 9 in 10 adults say afterschool programs are important to their community—and more than 19 million kids are waiting to get in. Decades of research prove afterschool helps kids attend school more often, get better grades, and build foundational skills, like communication, teamwork, and problem solving.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs. Grants support Kentucky schools and community-based organizations provide afterschool and summer learning programs to over 37,000 Kentucky students in over 170 communities across the Commonwealth.

For more information on how you can support out-of-school time programs in Kentucky, please visit the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance (KYOSA).  KYOSA is our state’s network for out-of-school time professionals and advocates focused on supporting the continued growth, development, and accessibility of quality out-of-school programs to promote the success of children and youth.

The Prichard Committee
September 9, 2019

Superintendent as CEO

Would you drive a car whose technology hasn’t changed in 30 years? Would you trust a surgeon who uses the same techniques used 30 years ago? As a consumer, would you expect continued innovation, research, development, and respectful progress in the profession? Would you support and invest in the organizations responsible for creating and producing these products and services in hopes of receiving the best and most innovative outcomes?Organizations must change to adapt to external pressures and demands to bring value to its customers. Boards of directors expect, encourage, and support research and development practices to remain competitive within each respective industry. To meet these demands, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of corporations instill a culture of continued change in order to survive. Most CEOs are hired to create and manage change, as status quo and lack of innovation render organizations irrelevant, outdated, and replaceable. As head over multiple divisions and possible product lines, the CEO works with its cabinet leaders and middle-level leaders to lead and manage continued growth through the development of an organizational mission and vision, through investment in its people, and through continued monitoring of outcomes. Leaders of innovative organizations create cultures of learning which encourage members to take risks. Members properly document, learn from, and share information to all organizational members through careful and meaningfully constructed information systems. Information garnered from both mistakes and correct results is considered valuable in an effort to assist in future research and development (R&D) and innovation efforts (Qinxuan, Wang & Wang, 2013). Further, innovative organizations encourage the discarding or “unlearning” of dated practices which may hinder the adoption or “learning” of new and improved practices (Tsang & Zahra, 2008). A CEO’s role may differ from organization to organization – manager, politician, communicator, although the same adage holds true: the relationship that the CEO has with the board of directors has a profound effect on the overall performance of the organization (Conforth & Macmillan, 2016).CEOs and boards of directors exist in our communities and effect our children everyday: school district superintendents and boards of education. The leaders of these multi-million-dollar enterprises make direct decisions for organizations that produce our citizenry, our future employees, and our future community members. Superintendents and boards of education recognize the need to provide their students with the necessary tools to meet the 21st century world. Through the distribution of resources – time, money, and personnel (Crawford, 2008), superintendents and their boards of education can directly impact the learning outcomes of our students. Superintendents work with their cabinet members and building-level leaders to ensure that the needs of students and their learning goals are being met.Education faces different external pressures than those faced by business. As varying reform acts have ensued across the United States, education continues to be over-regulated and under-funded (Björk, Kowalski, & Young, 2005). New education reform mandates overlap outdated mandates, some communities expect 19th and 20th century models of teaching and learning because it’s “the way we’ve always done it”, and state funding for education continues to decline (Spalding, 2019). Nevertheless, our superintendents go beyond the rules and regulations of our current system to create meaningful, innovative learning environments for their students. Leaders are leading with moral imperative and piecing together budgets with unsustainable grant dollars, doing more with less in order to meet the needs of our kids (District Management Council, 2014, p. 128).In business, innovation and progress is expected and supported in various ways. CEOs create a vision for what their organization should supply based on external needs and internal capacities. They work with their board of directors, c-level executives, and mid-level managers to ensure optimal functionality. All the while, innovative CEOs think to the future and work to make all aspects of the business better, ridding their organization of policies, procedures, and requirements that are no longer suitable, and most likely building budgets based on increased funding projections, not decreased. In education, innovation isn’t necessarily expected but good leaders find ways to make meaningful, positive changes happen. Superintendents constantly prepare for the future, and work with their board of education, cabinet, and building level leaders. Additionally, these leaders work with their communities, area businesses, state and federal level leaders, local colleges and trade schools, and network with schools and organizations from across the country gathering ideas and garnering support. They strive to meet the expectations of state and federal mandates, while hoping to meet the needs of a new generation of kids with unprecedented challenges.Can we expect the same level of innovation and leadership from our education leaders as we do from our business leaders, yet not provide them the same level of support? As community members and educational influencers in this state, shouldn’t we provide the resources for superintendents in their plight for better educational opportunities for our students? These leaders deserve recognition of their credentials and expertise, and deserve to have us listen, understand and appreciate the challenges they face. We should address the unrealistic expectations and pressures that years of education reform has put their system of educators and allow them the time to un-learn old ways of educating and the freedom to then create a more beneficial system for our students. Further, I would encourage us to voice our concerns in a thoughtful manner instead of remaining silent. Ultimately, I believe that we all believe our students deserve an instructional experience that is supportive, innovative, engaging and rewarding for both student and teacher - a system that also creates hope and opportunity for every child.

Björk, L. G., Kowalski, T. T., & Young, M. D. (2005). National education reform reports. In L. G. Björk & T. J. Kowalski (Eds.), The contemporary superintendency: Preparation, practice, and development (pp. 45–69). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Cornforth, C., & Macmillan, R. (2016). Evolution in Board Chair–CEO Relationships: A Negotiated Order Perspective. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 45(5), 949–970. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764015622705

District Management Council. (2014). Spending money wisely: Getting the most from school budgets. Retrieved from https://smarterschoolspending.org/sites/default/files/resource/file/Research_Spending%20Money%20Wisely.pdf

Qinxuan, G., Wang, G., & Wing, L. (2013). Social capital and innovation in R&D teams: The mediating roles of psychological safety and learning from mistakes. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/radm.12002

Spalding, A. (2019). Cuts to k12 funding in Kentucky among worst in the nation. Retrieved from https://kypolicy.org/cuts-to-k-12-funding-in-kentucky-among-worst-in-the-nation/

Tsang, E. W., & Zahra, S. A. (2008). Organizational unlearning. Human Relations, 61(10), 1435–1462.

August 6, 2019
Data

2019 Prichard Committee Education Poll

The 2019 Prichard Committee Education Poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc....

About the Poll: The 2019 Prichard Committee Education Poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc., of Jacksonville, Fla., from June 14 through June 26, 2019. A total of 1,000 registered Kentucky voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. Those interviewed were randomly selected from a phone-matched Kentucky voter registration list that included both landline and cell phone numbers. The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than ±3.2 percentage points.

The Prichard Committee
May 16, 2019
Adequate and Equitable
Ed.

Postsecondary Affordability

At a time when we need more students succeeding in postsecondary, affordability trends are not promising.

At a time when we need more students succeeding in postsecondary, affordability trends are not promising. Rising tuition prices, declining state support for higher education, increasing student debt levels, growing negative public perceptions of college cost and value, and stagnant wage growth are threatening to erode college access, particularly for lower-income students, part-time learners, and working adults. Kentucky must build a shared understanding of what affordability means, its impact, and the challenges facing students, families, institutions, and policymakers as Kentuckians navigate paying for postsecondary education. This critical step will help policymakers guide state investment decisions and students and families better understand the possible pathways to achieve a degree or credential.

Access to affordable, high-quality postsecondary education opportunities is a must for Kentucky to meet its educational, economic, workforce, and civic potential. Research clearly documents the positive individual and collective benefits of greater educational attainment.

  • In Kentucky, the average annual earnings of bachelor’s degree holders are estimated at $42,800 in contrast to $28,300 for those with only a high school diploma. This $14,500 differential represents a 51% earnings premium for those holding a bachelor’s degree.
  • The Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky has estimated other benefits of greater educational attainment: lower unemployment, less chronic disease, less dependence on public assistance, and greater rates of volunteerism.
  • Underscoring these positive impacts is recent research that indicates raising Kentucky’s educational attainment level to the national average would generate $903 million annually in new tax revenue and cost savings. Specifically, the state would realize approximately $500 million in additional income tax receipts, $200 million in Medicaid cost savings, $200 million in other healthcare cost savings, and $3 million in crime-related cost savings.

Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education has set a new attainment goal for 2030, while economic projections suggest that the supply of workers with postsecondary education continues to fall short of the demand for an educated workforce.  To reach our goals, we must break down barriers to college access and ensure higher education remains affordable for all citizens.

The big question: How can Kentucky better define postsecondary affordability? Kentucky must pursue answers to this critical issue in order to more effectively coordinate funding, connect key data, and communicate expectations for policymakers, postsecondary institutions, students, and families. In doing so, an affordability framework can be built that:

  • Defines affordability goals.
  • Determines how to measure affordability.
  • Assesses the current state of affordability.
  • Develops parameters for students’ share of the cost.

This framework will increase understanding of how various funding sources impact affordability and:

  • Align funding to postsecondary institutions, financial aid, and tuition,
  • Illustrate the impact of funding policies on all students,
  • Support strategic investment and policies to make postsecondary education more affordable, and;
  • Communicate expectations for the responsibilities of each stakeholder – the state, institutions, and students.
The Prichard Committee
April 26, 2019
Early Childhood
Elementary Reading and Math

K-3 Blueprint

Investments in the early years of education, including kindergarten through 3rd grade, build the foundation...

Investments in the early years of education, including kindergarten through 3rd grade, build the foundation in reading and mathematics necessary for student success in the future. This foundation is critical as students read to learn after 3rd grade, not just learn to read.

Research demonstrates:

  • By the end of 3rd grade, 16% of students not reading proficiently do not graduate high school on time, four times higher than the rate of those who are proficient. (Double Jeopardy)
  • The rate rises to 26% for those students who live in poverty, 25% for African American and Hispanic students, and nearly one-third for African American and Hispanic students who live in poverty. (Double Jeopardy)
  • Students who are chronically absent are far less likely to achieve levels of proficiency across all student groups. (Chronic Absenteeism)

Students need to be ready to learn for academic success as soon as they enter kindergarten, and learning must persist at a high level through the early grades to ensure a strong start. Currently, too many Kentucky students begin school underprepared and struggle to realize the promise of proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of 3rd grade. Consider:

  • In 2017, only 55.8% of all Kentucky 3rd grade students scored proficient or better in reading on the K-PREP assessment compared to 32.8% of African American students, and 42.7% of Hispanic students – with even larger gaps for English language learners and students with learning differences.
  • In 2017, half of Kentucky’s children started behind, and achievement gaps seen later in school begin early. This is demonstrated in the kindergarten readiness rate, which is far lower for Hispanic students, English language learners, students with learning differences, and those qualifying for free/reduced price lunch.
  • Similarly, only 50.9% of all Kentucky 3rd grade students scored proficient or better in mathematics on the K-PREP assessment compared to 30.3% of African American Students, 40.6% of Hispanic students – with even larger gaps for English language learners and students with learning differences.

The K-3 Blueprint will elevate best practices and policies to move Kentucky forward in ensuring every student achieves proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of third grade.

By bringing key data to light, telling stories of high-performing schools, and highlighting evidence-based policies and practices, the K-3 Blueprint will offer a tool to school leaders and community members to build awareness and impact practice in the following key areas:

Increase Student Learning Time

In class time is predictive of grade level achievement in reading, mathematics, and general knowledge, with even greater impact on children from low-income families. Learning time can be increased through summer reading and transition programs and through a number of other methods.

Since chronic absenteeism is a significant problem in Kentucky and a critical factor in the likelihood of academic success, it is important to note that:

  • From kindergarten through fifth grade, 10% of Kentucky students are chronically absent, with much higher rates in kindergarten and first grade.
  • Proficiency rates on the state K-PREP assessment are substantially lower for chronically absent students across all student groups.

Improving What and How Students are Taught

A knowledge-rich curriculum can have a positive impact on student reading performance.

Effective professional learning strategies for teachers and elementary principals have a positive effect on student achievement.

Early and Effective Intervention

Sixteen percent of students not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade do not graduate high school on time, four times higher than the rate of those who are proficient. It is critical for improving early intervention to help those that are struggling.

The Prichard Committee
April 22, 2019
Equity Lens
Innovations in Education

School Climate and Culture

Assessing student success typically entails a focus on standardized test scores and academic performance.

Assessing student success typically entails a focus on standardized test scores and academic performance. In ignoring school climate and culture, this approach provides an incomplete picture of the quality of teaching and learning. Further, more comprehensive assessments that do take school climate and culture into account rarely share back findings with the key stakeholders who can and must be part of climate and culture improvement efforts – including students themselves.

The Prichard Committee Student Voice Team’s student-led research contrasts with traditional, top-down school improvement research in which external researchers conduct “rigorous research” on educational problems, identify “what works,” and expect practitioners to use this knowledge to inform policy and practice (Tseng & Nutley, 2014).  

Efforts to improve school climate are stunted because the stakeholders upon whom improvement most depends have not been involved in the learning process that helps them understand why their schools are struggling and what role they might play in improvement.

The Student Voice Team model assumes that deeper, more sustainable change inside schools must be driven by the most primary stakeholders, namely students and staff. Consequently, these stakeholders must be engaged in research design, data collection, analysis, and solution finding if they are expected to implement solutions to making school climates safer, more inclusive, and more engaging.  

As a student:

On the micro level, get to know as many students and adults in your school as possible, especially those from different backgrounds than you. Help everyone in your building feel valued and visible. On the macro level, consider launching your own school climate audit, including a student and staff survey, classroom observations, and interviews. Consult with the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team or visit the National School Climate Center’s website to get a sense of the tools you can use and how to get started.  Then, use the data you collect to create space in your school for a candid conversation about whether school is working for all students and if not, determine how you, as a school community, can ensure that it does.

As a parent:

Ask and observe for yourself whether and how students are supported beyond academics. What is the ratio of school counselors to students? Where do students go if they have mental health concerns? Are students and staff taught social and emotional skills? How does the school create a sense of community that values students from all backgrounds? Make it a point to express interest and concern about issues beyond grades and testing results to your school administrators. And if you want to join forces with parents from across Kentucky pushing for improved school climate and schools overall, check out the wealth of resources and training available to you through Prichard Committee’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL).

As a community supporter of better public education:

Advocate for the value of a safe, inclusive, and engaging school that affirms every member of the school community beyond academic output. Invite students, particularly those from more marginalized backgrounds, into spaces where education issues are being discussed and intentionally solicit their feedback. Make integrating students into school board and school council discussions, educator professional development, policymaking and other education arenas normal and expected.

The Prichard Committee
April 22, 2019
Meaningful Diploma

Meaningful High School Diploma

A high school diploma should be evidence that a student is ready to succeed after high school.

A high school diploma should be evidence that a student is ready to succeed after high school. Unfortunately, too many students today graduate, diploma in-hand, without having mastered the knowledge and skills required to be successful in college, career, and life. Ensuring Kentucky’s high school graduates are prepared for success in postsecondary, master content knowledge, and acquire skills such as creativity, communication, problem solving, and team work will require:

  • High expectations through rigorous course work and adequate supports
  • Greater access to early postsecondary opportunities, including relevant career pathways.
  • A highly-qualified teacher in every classroom, every year.
  • Innovative alternative systems for earning high school credits.

First and foremost, jobs. In Kentucky, 62% of jobs by 2020 and a majority of those paying a family-sustaining wage will require some level of postsecondary education.  Those holding a bachelor’s degree in the Commonwealth earn 51% more than those with just a high school diploma.  Research clearly documents other positive benefits of more education including: lower unemployment, less chronic disease, less dependence on public assistance, and greater rates of civic participation. A meaningful high school diploma is the gateway to postsecondary success and these benefits. But, while nearly 90 percent of Kentucky high school students graduate in four years, far fewer are meeting college and/or career readiness standards, putting them at a disadvantage for future success.  For example, 67% of those college and/or career ready transition to college, while less than 30% of those not ready do.   Less than 50% of high school students demonstrate proficiency on end-of-course exams in Math and Science, and just over 50% demonstrate proficiency in English and History.

State law requires the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) to set minimum high school graduation requirements. Currently, students must earn a total of at least twenty-two credits to graduate. This includes credits aligned to the content standards in the Kentucky core academic standards, as well as additional electives aligned to the student’s individual learning plan. Kentucky’s school accountability system since 2011 has included measures of student college and/or career readiness for high school accountability.  Kentucky’s new accountability system  builds on this measure with multiple ways for a student to show evidence of “transition readiness” in both academic and career domains.

To review KDE’s side-by-side comparison of current and proposed changes on minimum graduation requirements, click here.

There are significant concerns about whether Kentucky is delivering on the promise of future success to all high school students.  Too many are graduating with a diploma, but without the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and career.

In response to these concerns, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is developing revisions to Kentucky’s minimum high school graduation requirements. In spring 2018, KDE hosted town halls, roundtables with business leaders and online surveys to gather public feedback on the competencies needed for high school graduates to successfully transition.

The state Board of Education had a first reading of the proposed regulation on August 2, 2018 and is scheduled to have a second reading at their October 2018 meeting. These proposed changes are summarized in the infographic above. The public will have an opportunity to comment on any changes to the regulation during late summer or fall of 2018.

As Kentucky’s citizen advocacy group for excellence and equity in education, we are collecting public input throughout the process. We will share feedback with the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education as they finalize policy decisions over the coming weeks. Tweet comments using the hashtag #KYdiploma on Twitter, comment on our Facebook page, or email us feedback directly.

The Prichard Committee
April 22, 2019
Kindergarten Readiness Press Releases
Kindergarten Readiness Toolbox Posts

High Quality Early Learning

Kentucky’s young children and their families benefit from high-quality early learning that keeps each and every child...

Kentucky’s young children and their families benefit from high-quality early learning that keeps each and every child on a path toward proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of the third grade. It is imperative to increase the number of infants, toddlers, and preschool children from low-income families enrolled in high-quality child care and public preschool through policies, practices, and funding that sustain quality early learning environments.

Kentucky’s young children and their families benefit from high-quality early learning that keeps every child on a path toward proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of the third grade. Research demonstrates that learning begins early and high-quality early learning impacts long-term outcomes for students.

  • Cognitive skill development begins early and rapidly. The Toddler Brain by Laura A. Jana, M.D. indicates that 85-90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5.
  • Research also shows children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are 40 percent less likely to drop out of school and 50 percent less likely to be placed in special education.

Investments in high-quality early childhood make business sense – by the numbers – and also provide opportunities for families to access the workforce.

What’s more, the investments in high-quality early childhood education are not only a solution for reducing achievement gaps and improving academic performance but pay long-term dividends to society as a whole. These benefits include reduced need for special education, higher rates of educational attainment, a reduction in health costs, a reduction in the incidence of crime, and less demand for social welfare services.

  • Early Childhood – Returns $5 for every $1 invested. – Cost-benefit analyses conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky in 2009 estimated that investment by Kentucky in expanded early childhood education would yield a return of $5 in public and private benefits for every $1 of public investment. Other research from across the country finds the cost-benefit ratio of investing in early childhood ranging from $2:1 to $10:1.
  • Kentucky ranks 41st in the nation in the number of three- and four-year olds enrolled in preschool.
  • In 2017, only 50% of incoming kindergarten students scored “prepared” on the BRIGANCE screener. Half of Kentucky’s children are starting behind, and achievement gaps seen later in school begin early. Readiness rates are far lower for Hispanic students, English-language learners, students with learning differences, and students from families with low income.
  • More than half (53% or 170,000) of Kentucky’s children live under 200% of the federal poverty level, the income necessary to meet basic needs of food, housing, health care, child care, and transportation. Yet our child care assistance program only serves families at or below 160% and currently only serves 27,000 children.

Many Kentucky children who most need the foundation of high-quality early learning do not have the opportunity due to cost and/or a lack of high-quality programs in their area. To build a strong future for Kentucky, the best economic investment we can make is in early education that gives all students a strong foundation.

The evidence is clear – a high-quality early childhood environment “can enhance children’s development, reduce achievement gaps at kindergarten entry, and even have long-term benefits in school and beyond.”

Kentucky needs greater commitment from policymakers to make the critical investments necessary, as well as greater commitment from communities to find new ways to deliver the highest quality early childhood programs. Specific steps the state can take to support a high-quality early childhood education system for all kids include:

Increasing eligibility level and investment in high-quality, full-day early learning environments – both preschool and childcare – and incentivize public-private partnerships.

  • This builds learning that is the foundation for future success and helps families enter and stay in the workforce.

Supporting family engagement and maternal and child well-being through sustained investment in HANDS home visiting program.

  • This shares the importance and impact of early childhood education and supports health and development in the earliest years.
The Prichard Committee
April 16, 2019
Leadership & Innovation
Meaningful Diploma

Transitions to Postsecondary

With job demands continuing to increase, more workers will need some type of postsecondary education and training.

With job demands continuing to increase, more workers will need some type of postsecondary education and training. By 2020, postsecondary education or training will be required by 62% of jobs in Kentucky. High-quality postsecondary education opportunities in Kentucky must be inclusive of all students, and Kentucky should ensure that all students are prepared for, have knowledge of, and are encouraged to pursue opportunities through postsecondary education pathways.

Unfortunately, the transition from high school to postsecondary education is rocky for many students. Achievement gaps remain despite recent gains in the college readiness of Kentucky high school graduates. Overall, college readiness rates grew from 34% in 2010 to 55% in 2017. But only 33% of African American students, 45% of Hispanic students, and 42% of students from families with low incomes achieved college-ready status in 2017. This means traditional college entrance exams leave many students behind and are growing inadequate for determining admission.

Despite the fact that more students were ready for college, the number of students actually going to college in Kentucky has declined from 55.5% in 2010 to 53.5% in 2014. Similarly, recent research by the Strategic Data Project at Harvard University, in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education and the Kentucky Center for Statistics, have focused on the entirety of the college-going pathway, beginning in the ninth grade. Their analysis found that for every 100 Kentucky ninth graders, 45 seamlessly transitioned to college upon graduating, while only 34 persisted into their second year.

As outlined by the Prichard Committee in Pursuit of Excellence: Principles to Guide Kentucky’s Future Postsecondary Success, improved practices that help ensure students are prepared and encouraged to transition and persist in postsecondary education can lead to greater levels of student success. We are developing a Postsecondary Transitions Blueprint that will elevate best practices and policies that ensure every student can progress and successfully transition to postsecondary education, with an emphasis on increasing equity and closing achievement gaps. This tool will be designed to help education leaders and community members build awareness and impact practice by illuminating key data and telling success stories of high-performing schools. The Postsecondary Transitions Blueprint will also highlight evidence-based policies and practices, including:

  • Maintaining rigorous academic standards that clearly establish what students should know and be able to do to achieve postsecondary readiness.
  • Encouraging greater college going and persistence.
  • Ensuring that high-quality early postsecondary opportunities and career pathways are available to all students.

Parents and community members should work closely with school leaders and teachers to ensure all students are prepared for, have knowledge of, and are encouraged to pursue opportunities through postsecondary education pathways. Important questions to ask include:

  • Do all students have access to rigorous courses needed to prepare them for postsecondary education?
  • Are all students provided with advising and support to explore career options based on their skills and interest? How can parents and community members help in this process?
  • Do all students have opportunities for early postsecondary education such as dual credit and Advanced Placement courses?
The Prichard Committee
April 16, 2019
Numbers Up

New School Report Cards: Big Upgrade, Still With Some Challenges‍

The new format for annual data on our schools has a friendlier layout and some important innovations, so I’m going to...

Kentucky’s new School Report Cards are here! The new format for annual data on our schools has a friendlier layout and some important innovations, so I’m going to share what I saw in my first tour of the site.

When you arrive at the main landing page, you can choose any public school or district: my notes are based on looking at Toliver Elementary and Danville High School. Once you choose, you can scroll down and start seeing the news.

Clear charts of key data points

The main page is broken into five sections, each with a nice selection of charts showing important facts about each school. For example, here’s how the Overview section shows who attends Toliver:

Notice that the chart on economically disadvantaged students says data on free and reduced lunch eligibility is not available? Good charts can highlight questions about our schools, and I definitely want to ask about the missing data for Toliver. Further down the page, there are also short displays for Academic Performance, Educational Opportunity, Transition Readiness, and School Safety.

Quick links to more detailed data

Just to the right of each group of charts, there are three links to additional kinds of data. For example, for the Overview section, there’s more about students, more about faculty, staff and community, and more about access to technology. For Academic Performance, there’s more on assessment and performance, achievement gap and growth, and career and technical education.

Easy-to-read tables of information

Here’s how some of Toliver’s reading results are displayed, much easier to read than the 17-column version of the older report cards:

Great disaggregated KPREP data, including the “not” groups

The previous report card format did not include KPREP results for students who are not economically disadvantaged, do not have identified disabilities, and are not English learners. Those “not” results are key to understanding the gaps between better-served and worst-served groups, so it’s good to see them published again. The KPREP charts are also set up to show results for gifted students and for students who are and are not homeless, migrant, in foster care, or dependents of a member of the military. That information help us understand the strengths and experiences students bring with them and the effectiveness of school efforts to support each learner. (Sadly, the fully expanded list appears to be only for KPREP: data on KSCREEN, ACT, graduation, and other results are disaggregated much less.)

New looks at educational opportunity

To check out this sections, I switched over to Danville High School, looking at student work toward college and career readiness. This was great new information. For career and technical education, I learned that 94 DHS students enrolled to learn about marketing, and 29 completed a multi-course marketing “career pathway.” 57 took the first step on Project Lead The Way Engineering, and six completed that pathway. For advanced coursework, 403 students took AP courses, 204 took AP tests, and 45% of the test-takers had at least one score that qualified them for college credit (quick multiplication: that’s 108 students). There was plenty more to explore, including detail on visual and performing arts, health and physical education, and world languages.

These most recent trends show Kentucky is moving toward a better-educated adult population, with good reason to expect that to add strength to our economy and richness to all aspects of our civic life. They also show that we need to continue and accelerate our growth in attainment, with particular attention to groups who are not sharing fully in that growth, including Black non-Hispanic students and students with low-incomes.

Some Openings for Improvement

While admiring the innovations just mentioned, I do want to note some places where I thought the design could be stronger:

  • The “not” groups could be included in more charts.
  • Graduation rates could be easier to find: they’re under the second tab for the academic readiness link in the Transition Readiness section.
  • The “Number of Instructional Minutes Students Receive per Week in Arts” could be better explained. For Danville High, the report shows 1,200 minutes per week in visual arts. That can’t mean that all students spend 20 hours in art classes. Does it mean there are four hour-long courses offered each term?
  • Graduates reaching academic and/or career readiness benchmarks could be shown clearly. I could only find a “readiness count” that seems to include both graduates meeting benchmarks and English learner graduates attaining English Language proficiency. I know the new Transition Indicator reflects both kinds of data, but the detailed charts could show us those counts separately before combining them.
  • A site map would be a great addition. There are five main sections with thirteen links to more detail, and many of those links lead to multiple tabs that each have several charts. A map would make this wide array of information easier to navigate.
  • A “data not available” message appeared almost every time I clicked a new link. Often, that message was replaced in a few seconds by helpful information. If the data can’t be displayed instantly, it might be helpful to have replace “not available” with “being located,” so users don’t leave the page too quickly.

Overall, these new School Report Cards are a great step up in data access for the public. There’s room for further improvement, but first this project deserves a round of public applause. I recommend that every Kentuckian use it heavily to learn more about students, schools, and results in our communities.

Susan Perkins Weston
January 31, 2019
Our mission

We promote improved education for all Kentuckians.

We believe in the power and promise of public education – early childhood through college - to ensure Kentuckians’ economic and social well-being. We are a citizen-led, bipartisan, solutions focused nonprofit, established in 1983 with a singular mission of realizing a path to a larger life for Kentuckians with education at the core.