tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92026875995048063182024-03-18T02:03:24.647-04:00Doc H's BlogDays in the life of Kentucky's commissioner of educationDr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-30477719931344618552015-08-28T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-28T08:00:02.807-04:00Final Words<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is my last blog as commissioner of education for Kentucky. It has been my privilege to serve the children of Kentucky. I am extremely proud that Kentucky educators have helped more students graduate from high school and achieve college- and career-readiness than at any point in the history of the Commonwealth. Student achievement on state assessments, the ACT, and other national assessments continue to show Kentucky students are making progress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While I am proud of these accomplishments, I am also aware that there is much work to do for the new commissioner and the Kentucky Board of Education. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Achievement gaps persist and unless addressed, many children will not be able to reach their potential. Early childhood expansion is critical if we are ever going to close achievement gaps. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While we have excellent teacher preparation programs in Kentucky, we must review the certification requirements for our upper elementary and middle school teachers who focus on mathematics. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Governor’s Bullying Task Force recommendations need to be fully implemented in our schools. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Funding for critical support systems like school transportation and career and technical education must be increased. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These issues and others will present many challenges to the Kentucky Department of Education leadership and the Kentucky General Assembly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While we have achieved much and there is much left to do, my fondest memories of Kentucky will be the people. I traveled to every county in the state and visited every school district. I visited more than 800 schools and personally talked with thousands of educators, parents and community leaders across Kentucky. I am convinced that the people of Kentucky are kind, caring and committed to support public education. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been the pinnacle of my career to work with a terrific Governor and First Lady. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Members of the General Assembly have been strong advocates of education and Senate Bill 1 (2009) has provided the road map for the last six years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The team at the Kentucky Department of Education is second to none and will continue to do terrific work in support of our schools and students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky teachers are the best in the nation and will continue to motivate students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, the reason educators do what they do is for the children. It is the reason I have done what I do for so many years. The Kentucky students I have met during my time as Commissioner are bright, eager to learn, and motivated to succeed. Kentucky has a very bright future with these students as future leaders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Best wishes to all.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-674640295269332932015-08-21T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-21T08:00:12.312-04:00The future of PGES<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">During the August Kentucky Board of Education
(KBE) meeting, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Associate Commissioner
Amanda Ellis provided the board with an update on results from the 2014-15
implementation of our Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES). This
was the first year that every district implemented the system for teachers and
leaders. Also, every local school board implemented the Superintendent
Professional Growth and Effectiveness System. In my </span><a href="http://kyedcommissioner.blogspot.com/2015/06/did-focus-on-teacher-evaluations-work.html" style="text-indent: 0in;">June
26 blog</a><span style="text-indent: 0in;">, I discussed the national perspective on this issue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The results from Kentucky mirrored those that
have been released in most other states. More than 90 percent of our teachers
and leaders received ratings of accomplished and exemplary. Some will take this
as good news and others will say that Kentucky has wasted five years and
significant resources to implement a state evaluation system that has a
mismatch between student performance and teacher performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The group that calls the PGES a waste of time
and resources will point to the student achievement distribution in Kentucky.
This distribution shows that slightly more than 50 percent of our students are
achieving proficient and distinguished performance on state tests while more
than 90 percent of teachers and leaders are receiving the highest ratings of
performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Kentucky Board of Education made a key
decision to not include the PGES results in the state accountability model for
2015-16. Key reasons for the decision were the concern about the results and
concerns about time to implement the system and problems with the technology
system used by PGES. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The key question should not focus on the past
but on the future. Certainly, the KDE team agreed with KBE that the PGES system
was not ready for inclusion in the accountability model. However, it is
critical to be clear about the purpose of PGES. The purpose was not to rank and
rate teachers. The ranking and rating system was a federal requirement. Most
major corporations have learned that evaluation systems that rank and rate do
not lead to a more productive and engaged workforce. The basic purpose of the
PGES was to promote professional growth and elevate the teaching profession.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving forward, I hope the KBE and KDE will
focus on a couple of key issues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Issue #1) – Ask teachers if the feedback they
receive from PGES helps them improve their instruction. We know that many of
our principals struggle to provide feedback to teachers since the principals
may not have the content knowledge in a specific area. However, PGES allows for
peer observers and also student feedback. These two sources in addition to the
principal could provide excellent suggestions on how to improve. Also, it is
very important that Kentucky focus time and effort on training principals on
how to provide solid instructional feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Issue #2) – KDE must partner with our
universities, leadership training programs and other partners to provide
coaching and feedback on how to develop rigorous but fair student growth goals.
Every teacher in Kentucky should have student growth goals. Every principal
will be evaluated on how well the teachers meet those student growth goals. KBE
and KDE should look closely each year at the correlation between student growth
goal performance and teacher/principal performance on PGES.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Issue #3) – KDE and districts must address
time and technology concerns. The amount of time required of teachers and
principals to complete the PGES measures must be manageable. The technology
must be user-friendly and be seen as a time saver rather than a time consumer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Issue #4) – This year the PGES data
represents only the tenured teachers who were in their evaluation year cycle.
The PGES data did not include statewide data from first year teachers or
teachers not in their evaluation cycle year. It is still too early to make any
long-term decisions on the future of the PGES system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Issue #5) – KDE must focus training and
support not only at the teacher and principal level, but also at the district
level. Too often, central office administrators do not have the capacity to
coach principals on how to provide instructional feedback to teachers. There
are excellent models in our districts and KDE needs to identify those best
practice districts and provide those models to all districts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If any state in the nation can serve as a
model for the implementation of a teacher and leader effectiveness system that
improves student learning outcomes, it will be Kentucky. We have all the
necessary ingredients: terrific teachers, strong leaders, terrific
collaboration among partners and a focus on children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;">Hopefully, everyone will give our schools and
KDE the time needed to make the necessary adjustments in training and support.</span></div>
Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-10879325590418436582015-08-14T09:29:00.000-04:002015-08-14T10:07:40.470-04:00Turning around low-performing schools<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week, the Interim Joint Committee on Education (IJCE) held
a hearing to discuss low-performing schools. The committee received testimony
from Dr. Charles Duke from the University of Virginia, Brent McKim with the
Jefferson County Teachers Association and Dr. Tom Shelton, the executive
director for the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) took effect in 2002, schools have
been accountable for closing achievement gaps and working toward a goal of 100
percent of students proficient in reading and math based on state assessments.
Under NCLB, if a school failed to meet targets for academic performance for all
student groups, then it faced a number of sanctions that increased in severity the
more years that a school failed to make progress. Sec. Arne Duncan used
stimulus dollars to help improve low-performing schools. The 2010 session of
the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation to connect to federal
requirements and Kentucky was able to gain more than $50 million in funding
through the School Improvement Grant process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This process required Kentucky to
identify the bottom five percent of schools based on reading and math
performance. These schools then underwent a leadership audit to determine if
the principal, school council and/or district had capacity to turn around the
school. The school had four options to choose from in turning around the school
– transformation, school closure, restaffing or external management. Most
schools chose the transformation model. Jefferson County used the restaffing
model. A number of school councils lost authority and some principals were
replaced. On rare occasions, the school district was found to lack the capacity
to lead the turnaround, so the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) assumed
control of school improvement efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the most part, the Kentucky turnaround model has been
successful. Three schools have been named model schools after improving student
performance. Pulaski County, East Carter and Franklin Simpson High Schools have moved
from the bottom five percent to the top 10 percent of high schools in Kentucky.
Many other schools also have improved, however, we continue to see schools in
our large urban areas struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The presentations to the IJCE this week highlighted what KDE
believes are some essential components of improving low-performing schools. KDE
believes that our low-performing schools need to have comprehensive reviews
that identify strengths and areas for improvement in teaching and learning.
These reviews are then the basis for short- and long-term plans. KDE also
believes that low-performing schools need full-time coaches for the principal,
language arts instruction and math instruction. The ONLY WAY to turnaround
student performance is by supporting classroom teachers in these schools and
providing them with the resources needed to improve student learning. KDE also
believes that parent/community support and strong discipline are essential
support tools to help teachers improve learning outcomes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The last few years have seen significant debate about the
pros and cons of school choice and charter schools. I have always been an
advocate of school choice. Anything that gets parents more involved in
educational decisions should be supported. However, school choice should be
controlled by the local school board, which has the responsibility for the schools
in its community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am certain the debate on how to turnaround low performing
schools and close achievement gaps will continue to be an important topic.
There are no simple answers. Our schools cannot do this work in isolation.
While we have seen many schools and communities improve dramatically, we have
also seen a number of schools languish in low performance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Schools are often a reflection of the community in which
they are located. In our large urban communities, high unemployment, poverty
and crime are often ongoing challenges. Many students and parents feel hopeless.
Turning around schools in these communities will require a unified effort – our
cities, local elected officials, school districts, business and community
leaders and our state policy makers will all need to work together. Failure to
unify these communities will result in a continued drain on local and state
economies and the lost promise of thousands of young people’s future.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-48490085883727816902015-08-07T09:54:00.001-04:002015-08-07T09:54:57.652-04:00Work yet to do<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky has made remarkable progress in high school graduation rates and in the percentage of high school graduates who are college ready. High school graduation rates are among the best in the nation at 87.5 percent and our college/career-readiness rates have soared from 30 percent of graduates in 2009 to more than 62 percent in 2014. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While this is good news, there is much work yet to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the improvement in college/career readiness, currently only 60 percent of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary programs. In some of our high schools that number is as high as 90 percent while in others it is less than 40 percent. However, back in 2012-13, more than 80 percent of students said they had plans to enroll in postsecondary when they graduated from high school. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Job number one is to find out why students who indicate an intent do not follow through and enroll in postsecondary. Is it the tuition rates? Is it a lack of support from families? Is it a lack of skills to complete the enrollment process or complete financial aid forms? Is it a lack of college scholarship funding from the Kentucky lottery?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Job number two is to make certain students who move on to postsecondary work are successful. We know that students who graduate from high school having reached the Kentucky college/career-readiness benchmarks realize more success their first year in college than those who are not college ready.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They have a higher GPA – 2.6 versus 1.7 for those who are not college<br /> ready.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They complete more college hours – 22 versus 11 for those who are not <br /> college ready. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They return for a second year of postsecondary at higher rates – <br /> 85 percent versus 65 percent for those who are not college ready.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is clear that Kentucky’s college/career-ready benchmarks are excellent indicators of success in postsecondary. I know our postsecondary institutions are working hard to build support systems for students who need additional support to reach success in their freshman year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Job number three is to make certain students who move on to postsecondary are enrolled in career pathways that lead to jobs paying a living wage. Too many of our students who are graduating from postsecondary programs are finding that they have large student debt and very few job prospects in their chosen field of study. In some areas, unemployment of college graduates exceeds 20 percent and underemployment is higher than 40 percent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preparing students to make wise career choices begins in elementary school and continues through postsecondary. We should NEVER put students into programs that lead to a dead end. Our career pathways programs should always provide students with plenty of on ramps and off ramps as they move through the education system.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Job number four is for Kentucky to decide what type of economy we are willing to support. Recently, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce released an <a href="http://www.kychamber.com/sites/default/files/Workforce%202015.pdf" target="_blank">analysis of the workforce pipeline</a> in the Commonwealth. Less than 10 percent of employers think the workforce is prepared with the skills needed for the 21st century economy. Similar reports from the Southern Region Educational Board, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Governor’s Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pointed to similar concerns about the workforce pipeline. While there are plenty of job openings, employers say it difficult to find employees with the skills needed for those openings. We have a huge skills gap in Kentucky and across this nation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky must decide if we are going to invest in an education and workforce system that will prepare our citizens for the 21st century economy. The states that invest in K-12, career pathways, the workforce pipeline and postsecondary today will outcompete other states for jobs in the future. As Kentucky prepares to elect the next governor, these are critical questions to be asking.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-39432392079291386472015-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-31T10:26:49.334-04:00What state testing tells us<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There has been a lot of controversy over state testing in the last year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fortunately, Kentucky has not seen much of this controversy thanks to the leadership of our General Assembly. In 2009, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1 which required Kentucky to develop college- and career-ready standards, assessments based on these more rigorous standards and an accountability system aligned to both the standards and assessments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What has happened in other states?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While most other states adopted college- and career-ready standards in 2010-11 time frame, the adoption of the standards was voluntary. Major push back on college- and career-ready standards occurred after President Obama and Education Secretary Duncan supported adoption and implementation of the standards through the Race to the Top grants and No Child Left Behind Waivers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most states moved slowly to implement the standards and relied on the Race to the Top (RTTT) assessment consortia – the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or Smarter Balanced – to develop new assessments. The first administration of these consortia-developed state assessments took place during the 2014-15 school year, and only now states are beginning to report the results.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Major push back on the state assessments happened within the last 12 months primarily due to opposition to the college- and career-ready standards; opposition from teachers who were concerned about being evaluated based on student test scores (a Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waiver requirement); and opposition from parent organizations who were concerned about over testing of students and narrowing of curriculum due to an emphasis on tested subjects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At one time, almost 40 states belonged to one or more of the assessment consortia. Very early in 2010, Kentucky belong to both. However, it became apparent to us that the consortia would not be able to provide an assessment that met our budget or timeline. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kentucky worked with classroom teachers and assessment experts to develop a Kentucky-specific assessment that was aligned from 3-8 through high school with the college-readiness expectations based on the ACT. Kentucky parents and teachers are able to determine as early as 3rd grade if a student is on track to reach the ACT college-readiness benchmark in the 11th grade. Since the ACT is a state-required assessment and is widely recognized by parents and colleges, this alignment seems to have given Kentucky an advantage with helping parents understand the importance of annual testing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I reflect on events since Senate Bill 1 in 2009, the key reasons that Kentucky has successfully navigated the rough political waters that have sunk other states are:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 1) General Assembly support and action on a comprehensive college- and career-ready agenda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 2) Overwhelming support and buy in from educators and parents for the college- and career-ready agenda.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving forward, I believe that we will continue to see other states struggle with state assessments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I predict the RTTT assessment consortia will have difficulty providing an assessment of college- and career-readiness that is comparable to accepted measures such as ACT. The consortia also will struggle to provide an assessment that is cost effective for states. Due to the political environment, we will continue to see more states drop out of the assessment consortia (currently the majority of states do not belong to an assessment consortium).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am very proud of the leadership of the General Assembly and the work of Kentucky educators to make a smooth transition to a college- and career-ready agenda. I predict that the Kentucky economy will continue to improve due to the education focus on college- and career-readiness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just this week, I reviewed data for the Class of 2013 that revealed students who graduated from high school, met the Kentucky college-readiness benchmarks and attend postsecondary out performed students who were not college ready. According to the data, in their first year of postsecondary, college-ready students </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>have a much higher GPA (2.6 vs 1.7)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>complete nearly double the number of college credit hours (21.9 vs 11.1) and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>return for a second year of postsecondary at a higher rate (85 percent versus 65 percent) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is great validation that our assessments and college-readiness benchmarks are strong predictors of postsecondary success.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-51667707555833064922015-07-24T08:30:00.000-04:002015-07-24T13:06:35.328-04:00Recovery of dropouts should be seen as opportunity<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Senate Bill 97, which the Kentucky General Assembly passed in 2013, raises the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18 for all Kentucky public school districts once 55 percent of districts voluntarily adopt such a policy. This took only two weeks in 2013. Because of the vision and leadership of these local boards of education, now all Kentucky school districts have adopted a policy to raise the dropout age to age 18, with the vast majority of districts implementing the policy in the upcoming 2015-16 school year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a result, local districts are contacting students between the ages of 16 and 18 who have dropped out of school so the students can re-enroll in school this fall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The recovery of young adults who have made the unwise decision of dropping out of school is an economic, moral, and civil rights imperative for Kentucky. For too long, Kentucky has chosen to forget about these students and hoped that they were able to find their way in life. For too many of these students, the path forward has led to unemployment, dependency on social programs and for some, incarceration. More than 70 percent of the inmates in our nation’s prisons are high school dropouts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The recovery of these young adults presents a tremendous opportunity for our schools and communities. The Kentucky Department of Education provided planning grants of $10,000 to assist school districts with this transition. Implementation grants also were provided to assist districts. And it should be pointed out that students who re-enroll are included in federal, state and local per pupil funding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As with any new initiative there have been some missteps with implementation of the recovery system. Recent media articles have drawn attention to isolated cases of students caught in the middle of the transition to raising the dropout age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the transition issues is related to the GED. For many years, high school dropouts looked to the GED as an alternative to a high school diploma. The GED was not intended for students between the ages of 16-18. The GED was intended for adults who were seeking to re-enter the education system to gain credentials that could help them gain better employment opportunities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A leading economic researcher, Dr. James Heckman, has well documented evidence that 16-18 year old high school dropouts who seek a GED have no better economic future than high school dropouts. Today’s economy does not support high school dropouts. There is substantial research to show the earnings difference between a high school dropout and students who move forward to a high school diploma and postsecondary credentials. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, the GED has made a major shift in the level of performance expected to pass. The GED transition was based on the academic and career skills that students need in order to be competitive in the current economy. Very few of the students who have dropped out would be able to pass the new GED without significant support in literacy and numeracy skills. What better place to receive this support than in our public schools?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While Kentucky is shifting to a higher dropout age, there will be a number of students caught in the transition over the next two years. We must seize this opportunity to be creative and innovative. School districts must look at innovative ways to provide educational opportunities to these students. Educators must use common sense. It makes no sense to tell a 17-year-old who will turn 18 in December and has only a handful of high school credits that he/she must return to school and enter traditional credit coursework. Instead, educators should look for creative alternatives. Educators should utilize the plans created as the result of the planning and implementation grants provided by the Kentucky Department of Education. Educators should look for community-based solutions that would provide academic skills in a competency-based model and career and technical skills in work-based learning model that would provide the students caught in the transition with an improved hope of job readiness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The alternative is doing nothing and continuing to ignore these students. This alternative would only serve to sentence these students to an outlook based on poverty, despair and hopelessness. </span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-46895944842758988622015-07-17T08:30:00.000-04:002015-07-17T08:30:00.945-04:00College and Career Readiness – Part II<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the last few weeks, I have been spending a significant amount of time meeting with other states and presenting at national conferences on issues related to accountability and career and technical education. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the past year, several very important reports have focused on career and technical education. The Council of Chief State School Officers published a report titled <i><a href="http://www.ccsso.org/documents/2014/EmbargoedCCSSOTaskForceonCareerReadiness120114.pdf" target="_blank">Opportunities and Options: Making Career Preparation Work for Students</a></i> and the Southern Regional Education Board recently released <i><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQFjABahUKEwjNgNDh7uDGAhVK1IAKHZPrD7A&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpublications.sreb.org%2F2015%2F15V09_CTE_Comm_exe_sum.pdf&ei=ZkaoVc21CMqogwST17-ACw&usg=AFQjCNE2M60PW4E71TXoql_x8UZDyNrxYw&sig2=2RR5jMLcx6ZNYwAOYuBkNw&bvm=bv.97949915,d.eXY" target="_blank">Credentials for All: An Imperative for SREB States</a></i>. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has published a report addressing the talent management pipeline and the National Governor’s Association has a major initiative with states that tackles the same issue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A common theme among all the reports is that we must change the national conversation concerning career and technical education and one of the strategies that can help is to elevate and integrate career and technical education within a state accountability system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2009, Kentucky had a clear mission to develop an accountability system that focused on the academic preparedness of high school graduates for entry-level courses at the postsecondary level. As we were developing the accountability model in late 2009 and 2010, every stakeholder group asked us also to address career readiness. One of our first steps was to come up with a clear definition of what that meant.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Career Ready:</b> the level of preparation (core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job-specific skills) a high school graduate needs in order to proceed to the next step in a chosen career, whether that is postsecondary coursework, industry certification, or entry into the military or workforce.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once we came to a consensus on how to define career readiness, it was critical that we have measures to gauge how well our students were doing in the areas that it encompasses</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> – </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job-specific skills</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the ACT already in place, we had a measure of core academic skills. It is clear that most jobs that pay a living wage will require reading and math skills that are commensurate with college-ready academic preparedness. A national organization has completed Lexile studies that show the reading level for jobs in most career-related areas require similar reading levels to college freshmen textbooks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the ACT provided the basic screen for academic readiness, Kentucky higher education provided tremendous support for Compass and other college placement tests (KYOTE), so that students had an opportunity to become academically ready during their senior year if they failed to do so on the ACT during their junior year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Additionally, working closely with the business community, Kentucky was able to determine that the WorkKeys silver, gold and platinum levels were excellent predictors of academic readiness and some employability skills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky worked with the military community to identify the appropriate level on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) that clearly established a potential military candidate had the academic skills needed to enter a military career path, which equated to a private career path and a job that pays a living wage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The technical and job-specific skills are more wide ranging than the academic readiness. These skills require career pathway-specific measures. Students in Kentucky can gain technical readiness through the completion of a set of career and technical courses that are aligned to career pathways. Additionally, students are required to exhibit an appropriate level of employability and technical skills through either the Kentucky occupational assessments (KOSSA) and/or an approved industry-recognized certificate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What we were able to do in Kentucky is to incentivize career and technical education by awarding accountability points for both college readiness and career readiness. In doing so, we elevated career and technical education to an equal status. The key for the future will be that we no longer talk about college- and career-readiness as separate issues. Educators should talk about students becoming “life ready.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Educators also should focus on the concept that there are no dead ends in education. A student may choose a career pathway and enter the workforce after gaining a one year technical certification and industry certification or a student may choose to enter the work force after a two-year or four-year degree. Either way, students should always be encouraged to return to education to gain additional and stackable credentials. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Countries like Switzerland, Germany and Singapore have recognized the need to elevate and integrate career and technical education and their economies show the wisdom of this national focus. Kentucky has been at the forefront of this work in the U.S. and I anticipate that in the next 3-5 years we will see many more states move in a similar direction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Creating the workforce of the future should be one of our primary goals of education. This does not run counter to the goal of creating an adult with a passion and commitment to lifelong learning. College- and career-readiness are two concepts go hand in hand since both ensure success for children and our nation.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-70692344861045424532015-07-10T00:07:00.000-04:002015-07-10T00:07:25.537-04:00College/career-readiness for ALL – Part I<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I reflect on the last six years of working with educators in Kentucky, one of the most successful strategies has been the focus on college- and career-readiness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently, the Education Commission of the States recognized the Kentucky Board of Education for the innovation of the Unbridled Learning accountability model, which has college and career readiness as a primary focus. The board’s recognition highlights the terrific job that our educators in Kentucky have done over the last six years helping more students reach college readiness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The focus on college readiness was a result of Senate Bill 1 in 2009. At that time, only 30 percent of our high school graduates were able to enter credit bearing courses at the postsecondary level without the need for remediation. That number came from </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ACT results, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;">the only measure we had at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks to a strong collaboration with our postsecondary partners under the leadership of Bob King at the Council of Postsecondary Education, Kentucky colleges developed several other measures of college readiness. Kentucky colleges expanded the use of the ACT Compass and the Kentucky-developed placement tests for math and language arts – KYOTE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of our Kentucky colleges offered college remedial courses at high schools so that seniors who had not met the ACT benchmarks for college readiness were able to successfully complete the remediation during their senior year at no cost to parents. By utilizing multiple measures of college readiness, high schools and colleges were able to help more students reach the postsecondary-defined college-readiness levels for language arts and math.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky has been recognized nationally for this work in many publications due to the strong collaboration between K-12 and postsecondary. It is critical to note that the measures for college readiness were not defined by K-12. ALL measures for college readiness were defined and agreed upon by Kentucky colleges. What this means is that any student who reaches college readiness as defined by Kentucky colleges on the ACT, Compass, and/or KYOTE can be placed in a credit-bearing college course upon being enrolled in the college. Since Kentucky began this work, the college readiness rates have moved from 30 percent to more than 60 percent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is estimated that students and parents have been able to save more than $1,000 per student by avoiding non-credit bearing remedial course tuition at the college level. With almost 15,000 more students reaching college readiness for the class of 2015 compared to the class of 2009, Kentucky families have realized an estimated savings of almost $15 million. On top of that, high school graduates who reach college readiness levels are more likely to return to college for a second year, take more credit-bearing courses, and have a higher GPA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am extremely honored to have worked in a state with such a focus on student success. The partnership between K-12 and postsecondary is a model for all states. Kentucky teachers are the envy of the nation. Kentucky students and families have benefitted. Thanks for letting me be a part of such important work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next week, I will focus on the tremendous work done in career readiness.</span></div>
Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-59483799473674215982015-06-26T13:38:00.001-04:002015-06-26T13:38:07.980-04:00Did a focus on teacher evaluations work?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I approach my retirement date of
August 31, my last few blogs will focus on my thoughts about education
initiatives at the state and national levels over the past six years. I caution
readers that these blogs will reflect my thoughts and not those of the Kentucky
Board of Education or the Kentucky Department of Education. My hope is that these
last few blogs will encourage others to reflect and prepare for the future of
education in Kentucky and across the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As part of the Race to the Top (RTTT)
and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
promoted improvements in teacher and leader (principals) evaluation programs
across the nation. With a little more than one year left in President Obama’s
and Secretary Duncan’s terms, there will be a lot of debate as to whether the
emphasis on teacher and leader evaluation programs has paid any dividends in
improving educator effectiveness and/or improving student learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I reflect on the last six plus
years, there were several different approaches that states took to improve
teacher and leader evaluation programs. There were states that took a fast
track. Overnight, it seemed that several states had a plan for new teacher and
leader evaluation programs. Some states, like Kentucky, took a slower approach
and asked for delays from the United States Department of Education (USED) until
the state had time to review research and make the transition to new standards
and assessments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">States took different approaches as to
components of teacher and leader evaluation systems. A number of states were
quick to develop a weighted model for teacher evaluation. Many states
interpreted the federal requirements as requiring student achievement to be
weighted at least 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation rating. Other states,
including Kentucky, took a matrix approach that did not use weights but relied
on principals and teachers to review the evidence from student learning and
then using a matrix developed by the state come to agreement on the teacher’s
rating for student achievement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">States took different approaches as
far as the major purpose for new teacher and leader evaluation systems. Some
states felt the new evaluation systems would drive a focus on student
achievement and failure to improve student achievement would allow the state
and school districts to dismiss ineffective teachers. Other states, like
Kentucky, focused on teacher professional growth and effectiveness and did not
see the new teacher evaluation system as primarily being an instrument for
dismissal of ineffective teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The time is fast approaching where
every state will be reporting out the results from teacher and leader
evaluation systems. USED has required a focus on distribution of effective
teachers across school districts to ensure students in low performing schools
have equal access to effective teachers as those in high performing schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Teacher preparation programs will be
completing accreditation processes that require them to report on how well their
graduates are doing on state teacher evaluations and with student achievement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">State tests will soon be reported
across the nation. The 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress results
will be released this fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There will be TONS of articles and
opinions about the impact of Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waivers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">I have a prediction about what we will
see from all the data. Those who supported RTTT and NCLB waivers will present
data to support the positive impact of these programs. Those who did not
support RTTT and NCLB waivers will present data that show these programs did
not have a positive impact.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the results are reported, here are
a few things to watch for:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will every state report that they have over 90 percent of their teachers <br /> rated effective or highly effective? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will NAEP student achievement results show any improvement? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will state student learning results show any improvement? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Are there large gaps between state achievement results and NAEP <br /> results? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How many state evaluation programs will be challenged in court as the <br /> impact of these programs start to impact teacher assignments? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As Governor’s change and chief state school officers change, will the <br /> evaluation systems fall away and be replaced by more local control? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will teacher preparation programs utilize accreditation results to <br /> improve their programs? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What role will the teacher evaluation debate play in local, state and <br /> national elections? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I caution educators as they prepare
for the bombardment of information this fall. In 43 years of education, I have
learned that there will always be someone who thinks they have the latest and
greatest answer to the perplexing problem of closing achievement gaps and
improving student learning. However, my warning to those who will lead
education for the next generation is that there is no silver bullet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;">Education issues are very complex.
Poverty, unequal opportunities, leadership, inadequate preparation programs,
low morale, low teacher pay, community expectations, lack of parental
involvement, and many other issues impact student learning. My advice?
Education leaders should never focus on just one of these challenges. Instead,
they must recognize that the public education system is multifaceted with many
interconnections and they must work to improve the entire system in order to realize real
progress. </span></div>
Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-29189888727686080002015-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:002015-06-12T10:05:32.956-04:00A moral imperative<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) presented several regulations for final review by the Interim Joint Committee on Education. The regulations are the final step in revisions to the Unbridled Learning Accountability Model that was developed 5 years ago as a response to requirements in Senate Bill 1 (2009). One of the major changes to the regulations was the addition of a new measure called novice reduction. Several legislators had questions about this new measure and I thought you might be interested in understanding why the new measure was added.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the past 3 years, KDE has used the Unbridled Learning accountability model. One of the concerns we have heard from education groups, civil rights groups and conservative groups is that the accountability model was not pushing hard enough on closing achievement gaps. While the accountability model did have a measure of efforts to close the achievement gap, many groups felt that individual groups of students were not as evident as they had been under No Child Left Behind. As I looked at the results from 2014 assessments, I became convinced that we needed more focus on the performance of individual groups of students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With our state assessments, students receive ratings of distinguished, proficient, apprentice, or novice. The novice level is very low and represents student performance that is several levels below college- and career-ready work. Here are some startling numbers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Percentage Novice Students</span></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Group</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elementary</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reading</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: .75in;" valign="top" width="108"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elementary
Math</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MS
Reading</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 40.5pt;" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MS
Math</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.6pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HS English II</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 49.5pt;" width="99"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -4.5pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HS Algebra II</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" valign="top" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All students</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">21</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: .75in;" valign="top" width="108"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">17</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">21</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">17</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">34</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">24</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" valign="top" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">African American</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">38</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: .75in;" valign="top" width="108"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">31</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">40</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">33</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">54</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">37</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" valign="top" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hispanic</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">28</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: .75in;" valign="top" width="108"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">22</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">29</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">22</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">43</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">28</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" valign="top" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Migrant</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">32</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: .75in;" valign="top" width="108"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">25</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">39</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 40.5pt;" valign="top" width="81"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">27</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">58</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">35</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 79.6pt;" valign="top" width="159"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Limited English</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 55.15pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">43</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the percentages are very concerning, the real numbers are even more alarming. We have more than 80,000 students performing at the novice level in reading and more than 60,000 students performing at the novice level in math. These are the students who will be challenged to complete high school. These are the students who will not reach college- and career-readiness. These are the students who will need social services. These are the students who have a high likelihood of incarceration. These are the students that Kentucky must care more about and provide intervention for before it is too late.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">KDE will be focusing efforts on helping schools and districts implement specific strategies to address this high percentage of novice students. We will provide specific support around reading and numeracy programs. We will provide support for positive behavior interventions to address student behavior that interferes with learning. We will provide support for culturally responsive instruction. We will also provide a significant focus on accountability and incentives for schools, districts, and educators for helping move novice students to apprenticeship levels or above. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This issue is moral imperative for our Commonwealth and a major civil rights issue for our communities. </span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-5386716152786290192015-06-05T12:14:00.000-04:002015-06-10T00:20:46.501-04:00Career and tech ed is key to workforce development<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For too long, parents, students and educators have thought of career and technical education (CTE) as a second-class education. Many are of the opinion that a 4-year degree is the only pathway to becoming a productive citizen. This belief has led to many students missing out on opportunities that could have led to careers that pay a middle class wage or above. It has also led to many students racking up a lot of debt and obtaining 4-year degrees that do not lead to careers. The unemployment and underemployment rates for students with a 4-year degree have been increasing significantly in recent years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Employers tell us there are huge gaps between what is needed in the workforce and the skills that U.S. workers have. There are more than 5 million jobs unfilled in the U.S. due to employers not being able to find workers with the skills needed for the jobs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In Kentucky, it is time to act. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the past two years, Kentucky has been involved in several initiatives that helped us work toward a strategic plan to elevate and integrate career and technical education. A <a href="http://www.ccsso.org/documents/2014/CCSSOTaskForceCareerReadiness120114.pdf" target="_blank">national task force report </a>from the Council of Chief State School Officers, <a href="http://education.ky.gov/CTE/Documents/ky_report_with_appendices_rev_5-22-14.pdf" target="_blank">a Kentucky-specific study</a> of career and technical education by the Southern Regional Education Board, a <a href="http://education.ky.gov/CommOfEd/blog/Documents/KYRising%20Indicator%207%20CTE.pdf" target="_blank">gap analysis</a> of the Kentucky career and technical program compared against leading states and countries that was completed by the National Center for Education and the Economy, and a <a href="http://education.ky.gov/CTE/Documents/KY%20CTE%20Funding%20Analysis.pdf" target="_blank">financial study</a> completed by Miller and Associates. The financial study was presented to the Kentucky Board of Education this week and there were seven specific recommendations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Base funding for Career and Technical Education on state goals and business and industry needs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Convene a committee to explore ways of funding state operated and locally operated centers equally. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Provide adequate funding for CTE in order to accomplish state determined priorities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Create a proactive, intentional process of funding large equipment purchases and maintaining and/or upgrading current equipment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Allow locally operated centers and schools to set a budget for the entire school year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Consider an additional per-pupil funding formula weight tied to state-prioritized occupational and program areas based on state and regional industry needs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Explore CTE performance funding. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next steps for the CTE plan include the development of draft legislation titled the Kentucky Economic Competitiveness Act. The Education Commission of the States is supporting us in looking at model legislation from other states. We will provide a brief overview of the CTE work to date at the July meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education. The Kentucky Board of Education will review the outline for the draft legislation at the August meeting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, we will be working with advisory groups over the next three months to finalize cost estimates related to the recommendations above. A statewide committee that has been working with the National Governor’s Association on workforce and economic development issues will provide support and coordination for this work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">EVERY state in the nation is working on workforce development and economic development issues. Jobs and improving the quality of life for our citizens are at stake. I feel confident that Kentucky will rise to the top based on our history of collaboration and innovation.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-34087305648046026332015-05-29T11:33:00.000-04:002015-05-29T11:33:19.293-04:00A history lesson to remember<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we wrap up the 2014-15 school year, I have high hopes for the future of our high school graduates in Kentucky. We will have a higher percentage of students successfully complete high school in four years than at any point in the history of the Commonwealth. Of those who graduate from high school, we will have the highest percentage of students reaching college- and career-readiness in the history of the Commonwealth. This is an amazing testament to the hard work and dedication of educators, parents and students in Kentucky. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Given these amazing results, I feel it important to remind readers of the recent important events in education history that have helped Kentucky reach these significant milestones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 was and remains the foundation of our work. KERA became reality based on significant business support and support from the Prichard Committee to reform education in Kentucky. By any measure of student success, KERA has been the basis for improvement. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While KERA moved Kentucky from the cellar of state rankings to about the midway point, there was continued concern voiced through the late 1990s and 2000s about how prepared high school graduates were for college and career. Too many high school graduates were taking college placement tests and finding out that they needed to take remedial courses prior to taking credit-bearing college courses. The college remediation rates were as high as 80 percent in a number of our technical colleges. Remediation is a significant cost for students and colleges, and students who need remediation are much less likely to return to college after their first year than students who are ready for college when they enroll. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In 2009, the Kentucky General Assembly came together again, as they did in 1990, and passed significant education reform legislation – Senate Bill 1. This legislation required the Kentucky Board of Education to set a goal to reduce by 50 percent by 2015 the percentage of high school graduates who were not ready for college-level work or prepared with the skills necessary to enter a career that would lead to a job that pays a living wage. In 2010, the percentage of students ready for college level work was 34 percent. A goal was set for at least 67 percent of high school graduates to be ready for college and career by 2015. From all indications, Kentucky will reach this goal with the Class of 2015.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In order to reach our goal, Senate Bill 1 required new standards, assessments, and accountability systems. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Throughout the 2009 session of the General Assembly and during the interim session of 2009, all of the stakeholders in Kentucky were aware and supportive of Kentucky adopting and implementing the Common Core standards for English/language arts and mathematics. It was very clear that a student must master these basic standards in order to achieve college- and career-readiness. Certainly, local districts could exceed the standards, however, not every student in Kentucky needs to take AP Chemistry, AP Calculus or other high level coursework in order to reach the college- and career-ready level. Acceptance into a top tier university requires students take more rigorous courses, however taking these courses is a decision students and their parents must make depending on college- or career-plans. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Senate Bill 1 asked Kentucky educators to implement standards, assessments and a new accountability system so more students would reach college readiness. The universally accepted definition of college readiness is that a student would reach a level of performance that would enable the student to enter credit-bearing course work at a two-year or four-year university. The measures include ACT, Compass, and the state placement exams used by all public higher education programs – KYOTE. All Kentucky higher education institutions agreed on these measures and the scores needed for high school graduates to reach college readiness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As parents talk with their students in grades 3-8 about the end of year K-PREP assessments and the high school end-of-course assessments, it is important to note that each parent and student will receive an assessment report in the fall. This assessment report will enable parents to know if their student is on track to reach the college- and career-readiness level upon graduation. It is very important for students that parents have a discussion with their child’s teacher and school officials concerning student performance and how to support students in reaching college- and career-readiness by high school graduation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the next few months, there will be a lot of political discussion and debate about the Kentucky’s academic standards, assessments and accountability systems. While we can certainly revise the systems and make them stronger, it is important that parents recognize that the systems are working. More students are graduating from high school with the skills needed for college and career success. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of politicians will tell you what they are against, however, it is difficult to find out what they really support, and if what they support has a track record of success. Hopefully, this brief history lesson will help filter the political rhetoric from the reality of proven systems that are successful in helping more children reach college- and career-readiness and emerge from high school ready to take the next step in life.</span><br />
<br />Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-47852142341580456812015-05-22T12:38:00.000-04:002015-05-22T12:38:02.767-04:00Improving Kentucky’s educator effectiveness system <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week Kentucky’s educator effectiveness system was a topic for discussion at a meeting sponsored by the Southern Regional Education Board. Teams from six states (Kentucky, Oklahoma, Maryland, South Carolina, Mississippi and North Carolina) convened to review progress on statewide teacher effectiveness models and identify possible improvement strategies for the models teams. Each team had a teacher, principal, superintendent, state department and education association representative. Kentucky’s 2014 Teacher of the Year Holly Bloodworth, Fayette Co. Principal Ron Chi, Boone Co. Superintendent Randy Poe and Chief Academic Officer Karen Cheser, Kentucky Education Association Executive Director Mary Ann Blankenship and President Stephanie Winkler, and myself constituted Kentucky’s team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was apparent from the discussions with other states that Kentucky has a strong state model for teacher effectiveness. The Kentucky model, the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES), was developed over a 4-year period with input from teachers, principals, superintendents, parents and other stakeholders. The PGES was fully implemented during the current school year. While the implementation has been successful, we have identified several challenges and areas for improvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Challenge #1 – too many of our principals and teachers are more focused on compliance with the PGES data collection rather than a focus on professional growth linked to the Framework for Effective Teaching. This is to be expected in the first year of implementation. With any new process, teachers and principals are trying their best to comply with expectations. It will take more time, resources, and support through training to move from compliance to professional growth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Challenge #2 – the software got in the way of the focus on professional growth. As with most software companies, our provider of the PGES evidence system over promised and then under delivered. We have gotten feedback from all stakeholder groups and are in the middle of making decisions about how to improve the evidence gathering process for PGES.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While there are other areas of improvement for PGES, these two challenges seemed to be the most pronounced based on stakeholder feedback and data analysis. Moving forward, we will continue to work with our Teacher Effectiveness Steering Committee and review the results from the first year of full implementation as we strive for improvement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the meeting it was evident that what Kentucky does better than most is work well together. We have been very successful in developing an excellent model for teacher effectiveness and I am confident that through continued collaboration, Kentucky will revise the system and ensure the system makes an impact on professional growth and student learning.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-41824063495967471342015-05-15T00:01:00.000-04:002015-05-15T00:01:00.503-04:00Graduation rate moving in the right direction<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In recent years, the high school graduation rate became a critical measure of success for our schools and districts across the nation. The National Governor’s Association developed a common definition for high school graduation rates, the cohort rate, and No Child Left Behind required all states to report the cohort graduation rate so a common report would be available for comparison.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">President Obama and Secretary Duncan added incentives for schools and districts to improve graduation rates through programs such as School Improvement Grants and Race to the Top.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two leading national organizations developed a collaborative model to focus the nation on improving graduation rates. <a href="http://www.americaspromise.org/program/gradnation" target="_blank">America’s Promise Alliance</a>, led by General Colin Powell and his wife Alma, joined forces with the <a href="http://all4ed.org/" target="_blank">Alliance for Excellence in Education</a>, led by former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise. The collaboration led to an effort called <a href="http://www.americaspromise.org/program/gradnation" target="_blank">GradNation</a> and a national goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020. GradNation produces an annual <a href="http://gradnation.org/report/2015-building-grad-nation-report" target="_blank">report </a>which is available online. Here are some highlights from this year’s report.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The 2013, graduation rate for the nation was 81.4 percent which is on target to reach 90 percent by 2020. Kentucky had a graduation rate of 86.1 percent, which was well above the national average and among the top ten rates in the country. Kentucky’s class of 2014 reached an all-time high grad rate of 87.4 percent, which will probably place Kentucky among the top five states in the nation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hispanic/Latino and African American students are beginning to close the graduation gap. Historically they have not graduated at the same high rates as most of their counterparts. However, in 2013, Hispanic students registered a 75.2 percent graduation rate and African American students recorded a 70.7 percent rate. Again, Kentucky again outperformed the nation with a 2013 graduation rate of 79.8 percent for Hispanic/Latino and 78.4 percent rate for African American students. According to state data, these rates continued to improve in 2014 with an 84.4 percent rate for Hispanic and 79.4 percent rate for African Americans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps the report’s most exciting news for Kentucky was the results for economically disadvantaged students. Most researchers know that Kentucky has one of the highest percentages of children living in poverty and one of the highest percentages of children qualifying for free- and reduced-price meals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite these challenges, the GradNation report revealed that Kentucky had the highest graduation rate in the nation for economically disadvantage students – 85 percent! It is a strong testament about the expectations of parents, communities and students; and a strong testament to the terrific work that teachers and school leaders do every day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the GradNation report should give Kentucky a reason for celebration, we must continue to work to address the challenges of those students who are not reaching graduation. Under the leadership of Governor Beshear and the advocacy of First Lady Jane Beshear, Kentucky raised the dropout age from 16 to 18. The new policy takes effect in nearly all 173 school districts in August with the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. This effort coupled with improvements in alternative schools, career and technical education, early warning systems, high school transition courses and many other strategies that our schools are implementing will certainly result in continued improvements for our high school graduation rate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel certain that, when it comes to graduation rates, Kentucky will continue to be a top performing state and will continue to help more students achieve a bright future.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-3803222944057949692015-05-08T13:34:00.000-04:002015-05-08T13:34:15.606-04:00The truth about teaching<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teacher Appreciation Week is drawing to a close. But I didn’t want it to pass without a nod to our state’s great educators. In my travels around the country, I often brag on our teachers. They are the ones on the front lines of learning day in and day out and are primarily responsible for the progress we have seen in recent years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coach John Wooden once said that the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession. I agree. Regular readers of my blog know that I often cite the importance that other countries place on the teaching profession. We should follow their lead. As businessman Lee Iacocca once noted, in a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of us think we know what it means to teach, and by extension, to be a teacher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But, the truth is, most people don't really know much about teaching. Their memories and perceptions come from being students — not teachers who spent hours, days and months preparing for them to arrive in their classrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most people have no knowledge of hours-long curriculum planning meetings, weekends spent correcting students' work or the time spent on professional learning seeking out new teaching strategies to help students master critical concepts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most people have never managed a classroom of 25 or more students, some of whom come to school angry or neglected, leery that another adult will let them down, but at the same time craving someone who will listen to them, see them, believe in them and help them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most people don't know what it is like to stress over learning new, more in-depth standards, master yet another new technology, or feel like a failure when all their hard work results in barely a percentage blip on state assessments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the public eye, teachers often swing between being revered and reviled. They are either members of the noblest profession or they are viewed as incompetent and ineffective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are simplistic, one-dimensional characterizations. Neither offers a true portrait of what it means to teach. In fact, the two extremes allow the realities of those who teach our children to be glossed over, unsaid and unshared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our preconceived notions and assumptions stop us from really knowing the first-year high school special education teacher who deals with students who cannot control their emotions and act out by swearing, throwing things, and sometimes physically harming themselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We don't get to meet the teachers who keep snacks in their desks so students don't go hungry, who buy winter coats, hats and mittens for children who come to school cold, or who purchase new shoes for those who can't afford them. Then there are the teachers who often work summers to raise money to help send students on field trips and to sporting events — experiences these students wouldn't otherwise have, if not for the teacher's selfless acts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We seldom hear about teachers who help students afford the medications they need or who, often anonymously, pay to have heat, electricity or water turned back on for struggling families so their students will have the basics at home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We miss out on learning about the teacher who regularly helps students' families read their mail because they cannot read well enough to understand it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or the teacher who logs 50 hours in one nine-week period volunteering time after school so that students can have the experience of being part of a drama production.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet, all of these teachers are real — dedicated, compassionate professionals who want the best for their students.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Few, however, take the time to learn what teachers really do and what is happening in their classrooms. Teachers ignite the spark of learning in children. They inspire, encourage and support our children. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Great teachers don’t see students for what they can’t do, but help them discover what they can do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If all the current critics of public education spent just one day with a teacher in a classroom, they would learn the truth about our public education system, the progress our students are making and the dedication and professionalism of our teachers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Too often we think we know what teachers do and what they need to do better. But we don't really know unless we listen to those who know — those who teach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Teachers educate our children, but they also have much to teach all of us about what is happening in our schools. Let's take the time to not only thank them, but also talk with them and to listen to what they have to say.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-40019579741364324942015-05-01T08:30:00.000-04:002015-05-01T08:30:02.688-04:00A 4-year degree isn’t the only path to success<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">I ran across an interesting </span><a href="http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Education-Pays-in-Colorado-Schneider-April-2015.pdf" style="text-indent: 0in;">report</a><span style="text-indent: 0in;">
this week with evidence that associate degrees and certificates can be a viable
path to the middle-class. The report has significant implications for Kentucky
as we begin to reform our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. We
anticipate significant recommendations and budget requests focused on CTE
reforms during the 2016 session of the General Assembly. The Colorado report
could provide a goal and key measures for this legislation – an increase in
associate degrees and certificates that are linked to key industry sectors in
Kentucky and provide the opportunity to earn a living wage.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are a couple of the findings:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • While Colorado, like Kentucky, offers many
pathways for postsecondary degrees, the fastest growing sector is the associate
degree.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Short-term certificates that take less than
one year to complete and have a significant payoff within 5-10 years after
earning the certificate. With certain certificates, average earnings exceed
$50,000 compared with bachelor’s degree earnings of $55,000.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • An associate degree in applied science has
far more value than an associate degree in art or science. An associate degree
in applied science has essentially the same average earnings after 5-10 years
as a bachelor’s degree. The most popular applied science areas and those
identified as being in industry sectors that have significant job openings are
registered nursing, allied health diagnostics and fire protection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Possible next steps for Kentucky that should be integrated into
legislation include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Identify industry sectors that have
significant numbers of job openings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Within these industry sectors identify
certificates and associate degrees that enable students to compete for
available jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • All certificate and associate programs should
utilize business and industry to regularly identify and refresh the skills and
competencies needed in available jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • High schools and community colleges should
work closely to align career pathways to ensure students have a seamless
experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Every career pathway should lead to an
industry-recognized certificate and/or appropriate associate degree. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Heavy emphasis should be placed on dual
credit opportunities to reduce the cost of postsecondary education as a student
works toward an industry certification and/or associate degree.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0in;">Reforming career and technical education in Kentucky should not be based
on anecdotal information. We must move forward based on hard data from industry
and economic development. Preparing a workforce for the future will be
the best economic development tool for Kentucky as we recruit business and
industry to our state and local communities.</span></div>
Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-48139549331882336882015-04-24T11:34:00.000-04:002015-04-24T11:34:57.611-04:00How Kentucky is creating responsive 21st-century schools<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the past few weeks, I have been writing about the International Summit on the Teaching Profession that I attended recently. In last week’s <a href="http://kyedcommissioner.blogspot.com/2015/04/creating-responsive-21st-century-school.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, I highlighted the key ingredients for a responsive 21st-century school. I want to revisit those this week and briefly mention what is happening in Kentucky to address some of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Promoting effective school leadership</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Empower teachers to play a role in decision making at the <br /> school level – Kentucky has long been a leader in this regard. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Kentucky teachers are heavily involved in what happens in a </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> school through the school-based decision making councils </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and through professional learning communities. In addition, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> every two years, we ask teachers to let us know how they are </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> involved in decision making at the school. The teacher survey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> results can be found at <a href="http://www.tellkentucky.org/">www.tellkentucky.org</a>. 2015 results will be </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> public in June.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Provide opportunities for, and remove barriers to, continuing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> professional development for principals – Kentucky has strong </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> principal development programs in our universities. Also, the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has worked with communities </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> across Kentucky to provide innovative and creative leadership </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> training to more than 100 principals the last few years. Kentucky </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> also</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is providing training to principals who are looking for ways to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> improve student achievement in their schools. Through a partnership </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> with the National Institute for School Leadership, we are training </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> more than 100 principals a year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Strengthening teachers’ confidence in their own abilities</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Build teachers’ capacity to provide instruction to all types of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> learners – The Kentucky Department of Education has offered </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> an online resource for a number of years where teachers can </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> access differentiated professional development aligned with the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> special needs of students in their classrooms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Support the development of interpersonal relationships/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> collaboration within the school – Many schools are providing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> common planning time for teams of teachers to collaborate </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and review student learning expectations, current student </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> performance and identify instructional techniques that help </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> improve student performance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Innovating to create 21st-century learning environments</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Create conditions conducive to innovation – Legislation </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> has enabled the state to create districts of innovation and <br /> for the Kentucky Board of Education to grant exemptions from </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> certain administrative regulations and statutory provisions </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> in an effort to improve student learning. As a result, Kentucky’s </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> districts of innovation are spawning new approaches to teaching </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and learning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While there is much work to do in Kentucky, there is much we have accomplished. It is extremely important that we continue to look for ways to improve public perception of the value of the teaching profession. Our very future depends on our ability to recruit, support, and retain great teachers.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-85407326642329197052015-04-17T08:30:00.000-04:002015-04-17T08:30:00.263-04:00Creating a responsive 21st-century school<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I mentioned in last week’s <a href="http://kyedcommissioner.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-arent-teachers-valued-more.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, I recently attended the International Summit on the Teaching Profession. Part of the pre-reading for the conference was a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This <a href="http://www.oecd.org/publications/schools-for-21st-century-learners-9789264231191-en.htm" target="_blank">report</a> provides an excellent executive summary of recommendations for countries and states to implement in order to create a responsive 21st-century school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The three ingredients to create responsive schools are promoting effective teacher leadership, strengthening teachers’ confidence in their own abilities, and innovating to create 21st-century learning environments. Kentucky is hard at work on all three components. Here are some of the specific recommendations from the report. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Promoting effective school leadership</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>empower teachers to play a role in decision making at the school level</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>provide opportunities for, and remove barriers to, continuing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> professional development for principals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ensure that principals receive training in, and have opportunities to <br /> assume, instructional leadership</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Strengthening teachers’ confidence in their own abilities</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>build teachers’ capacity to provide instruction to all types of learners</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>support the development of interpersonal relationships within the <br /> school</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>encourage collaboration among teachers</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Innovating to create 21st-century learning environments</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>collaborate and communicate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>create conditions conducive to innovation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ensure coherence</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next week, I will provide brief summaries of how Kentucky is working on each of the recommendations. It is inspiring to know that many of the top performing countries in the world are working on these same issues along with Kentucky. </span><br />
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<br />Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-39372218676474451362015-04-10T02:23:00.002-04:002015-04-10T02:23:28.057-04:00Why aren’t teachers valued more?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently, I had the privilege to attend the 5th annual International Summit on the Teaching Profession in Banff, Canada. I was part of a U.S. delegation comprised of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, teacher union representatives, classroom teachers (including a teacher from Spencer County, Ky.), chief state school officers from North Carolina and Nebraska and support staff from U.S. Department of Education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The international summits began in New York City and have expanded each year as their location has moved around the world. The primary focus has been to bring countries together to highlight key issues to enhance the teaching profession and take actions to address issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year, one of the many interesting presentations came from Andreas Schleicher, who works at the Organization for Economic Collaboration and Development (OECD). Andreas is one of the world’s leading experts on education issues and he always has excellent presentations that are loaded with great information and policy recommendations. His presentation was based on a recent report from OECD titled <a href="http://istp2015.org/Documents/ISTP2015_OECD-background-report.pdf" target="_blank">Schools for 21st Century Learners: Strong Leaders, Confident Teachers, and Innovative Approaches.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One chart showed teacher perceptions of the value their society places on the teaching profession. It was no surprise to see that many Asian countries, Finland and several other European countries had the highest percentage of teachers saying that their society valued the teaching profession. One of the lowest countries in the survey was the United States. Why do U.S. teachers believe that our society does not value the teaching profession?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently, I spoke to the annual Kentucky Education Association Delegate Assembly and I offered a couple of reasons as to why teachers in this country do not think that the U.S. society values the teaching profession.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> 1. Over emphasis on testing –</b> the U.S is the only country in the world that seems totally fixated on annual testing. The U.S is fixated on using student test scores to evaluate teachers. The media reports are constantly focused on the singular issue of rankings on test scores and too many of our policy leaders “blame” teachers for poor academic performance of students in poverty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> 2. Lack of teacher voice and leadership – </b>throughout the recent international summit, a key theme emerged: that we must engage teachers in decision making and provide opportunities for teacher leadership in our schools without teachers having to completely give up teaching. Most of our international competitors have been working on career pathways for a number of years. In the U.S., we have always focused on years of experience and postgraduate degrees for teacher pay increases rather than focus on teacher performance and leadership roles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> 3. Working conditions –</b> it comes as no surprise that teachers do not believe society values the teaching profession given working conditions survey results in areas like school leadership, professional development, time, resources, community support and facilities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <b>4. Teacher pay – </b>in many countries starting teacher pay is similar to what comparable professions pay. In the US, starting teacher pay is well below what a starting engineer would receive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <b> 5. Selectivity of teacher candidates – </b>for years, the public has been bombarded with the concept that our teacher training programs are not recruiting from the best and brightest high school graduates. Countries like Singapore, Finland and South Korea are pointed to as examples of teacher training programs that recruit from the top 10 percent of high school graduates. An interesting slide in the presentation showed that this is not necessarily the case. This is an area that will need more research.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I look forward to my retirement after 43 years in education, I am very concerned about the public’s perception of public schools and even more concerned that teachers in the U.S. do not feel that the public values the teaching profession. If policy leaders at the local, state and national level do not address teacher perceptions in this area, we will have extreme difficulty in the future recruiting and retaining highly effective teachers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the coming months, Kentucky will receive the 2015 results from the TELL Kentucky working conditions survey. Kentucky has the highest percentage of teacher respondents of any state in the nation. Using the results from this survey to address key policy issues during the 2016 session of the General Assembly could go a long way in addressing teacher concerns about the value the public puts on the teaching profession.</span><br />
<br />Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-48785079857635453242015-04-03T09:48:00.000-04:002015-04-03T09:48:03.175-04:00What does the ESEA waiver extension mean for us?<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My blog this week is written by Kentucky Department of Education Chief of Staff Tommy Floyd and Executive Director of the Kentucky Board of Education, Mary Ann Miller. Though it was a team effort, Mary Ann was primarily responsible for our waiver application. They share what the waiver means for Kentucky.</span></i><br />
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<i>Terry Holliday, Ph.D.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Education Commissioner</span></i><br />
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This week, we received some good news – the United States Department of Education (USED) approved Kentucky’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver extension request. The waiver, which was to expire at the end of the current school year, now will run through the end of the 2018-19 school year. Kentucky was one of only a handful of states allowed to apply for a four-year waiver extension because of our demonstrated successes.</span><br />
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Seemingly countless hours were spent preparing the nearly 200 page request and in communication with USED staff on the fine points and clarifications needed in order to receive approval – all with good reason. We didn’t want schools and districts to have to take a step back to the prescriptive nature of federal accountability.</span><br />
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In 2001, Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The measure took effect on January 8, 2002 and has been the law of the land ever since, even as the time for congressional reauthorization in 2007 passed. In <a href="http://kyedcommissioner.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-changing-odds-on-esea.html?m=1" target="_blank">last week’s blog,</a> Commissioner Terry Holliday explained the need for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.</span><br />
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Until reauthorization occurs, however, the waiver is essential to prevent school districts from facing negative consequences under NCLB.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Annual performance determinations, known as Adequate Yearly <br /> Progress (AYP), would use only proficiency as the indicator.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • All students would have to demonstrate proficiency in reading/<br /> language </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">arts and mathematics (a laudable, but unrealistic goal).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • A school would be identified as failing if it missed AYP for even one </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> student group. Schools that are identified as failing would be required to</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /> implement a series of interventions that increase in severity over several </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> years, with no differentiation between the lowest performing schools <br /> and</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> those needing help in only a few areas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Districts would have to reserve up to 30 percent of their Title I, Part A </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> allocation to provide mandatory professional development, <br /> supplemental </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">educational services (SES), and public school choice; <br /> districts also would </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">face funding limits and mandated SES.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • The hiring of paraprofessionals with Title I, Part A funds would be </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> restricted for LEAs that miss AYP and fail to make progress toward </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> reaching annual objectives for highly-qualified teachers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • For districts in improvement, the percentage of Title II, Part A funds </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> available to be transferred into Title I, Part A would be restricted to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> no more than 50 percent; also districts would have to notify the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> state 30 days prior to making a transfer of funds to a different category <br /> of need.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Spending requirements for Rural and Low-Income School funding <br /> would </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">be tied to accountability.</span><br />
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Moreover, Kentucky would have to operate under a dual system of accountability, responding to federal AYP requirements while also moving forward with Kentucky’s Unbridled Learning system based on the Kentucky General Assembly’s Senate Bill 1 (2009). This would cause undue confusion for parents, students and educators. For example, schools could be labeled as failing under federal benchmarks, but successful under state benchmarks.</span><br />
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Because of the waiver, districts have been freed from these requirements, allowing them to serve more schools with better quality academic services in order to meet the needs of students. The state has implemented regulations and statutes that have allowed us to build a single, aligned system of accountability, using multiple measures and focused on college- and career-readiness for all students. Additionally, all Priority and Focus schools and districts have an improvement plan aligned with Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) strategic goals.</span><br />
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The waiver provides the opportunity to:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • implement the latest revisions to the accountability system approved by </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> the Kentucky Board of Education that aim to make the system more fair, <br /> valid and reliable</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • use one accountability system (Unbridled Learning), focused on </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> continuous improvement, for state and federal purposes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • implement a new statewide plan that will close achievement gaps by </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> providing additional supports to schools and districts, and reducing the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> number of students scoring Novice on the state tests</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • continue our focus on increasing the college- and career-readiness </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> rate and the graduation rate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • move forward with the aligned, statewide evaluation system for <br /> teachers,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> principals and superintendents that stresses professional <br /> growth,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> effectiveness and continuous improvement</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • strengthens the supports for Priority Schools that do not exit this </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> status in three years</span><br />
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Kentucky is currently seen as a national leader in educational improvement. This great work across our Commonwealth is taking place thanks to daily leadership in buildings and districts adhering to a demanding system that is achieving results for students. We know that students, teachers, principals, superintendents, support staff and local board members will benefit from the continuance and enhancement of our current Kentucky Unbridled Learning for ALL accountability model that is provided by our waiver extension.</span><br />
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Until ESEA is reauthorized, the four-year waiver is our “best bet” to continue the progress made in Kentucky districts for the benefit of students.</span><br />
<br />Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-19544148497892344952015-03-27T12:50:00.001-04:002015-03-27T14:49:14.592-04:00The changing odds on ESEA reauthorization<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the past few months, I have written numerous blogs about the need for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This past week, I joined 48 other state chiefs and deputies in Washington, D.C. to continue to push for reauthorization. We were honored to meet with President Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. John Kline (R-MN) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA). Sen. Alexander is chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee; Sen. Murray is the ranking member. Rep. Kline is chair of the House Workforce and Education committee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ESEA reauthorization is critical. Let me offer a couple of reasons why. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• No Child Left Behind (2001) is broken and is no longer a valid method of accountability for our nation’s public schools. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• While waivers granted by the United States Department of Education have served as a stop-gap fix, the nation’s schools deserve stability and long term direction from Congress. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• The waiver process has led to the possibility of federal intrusion in states. For example, the original No Child Left Behind did not require states to address teacher evaluation; however, the waiver process has made that a requirement of states. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• While the Obama administration has been fairly flexible in the implementation of waivers, it is possible that the next administration could eliminate waivers or put more conditions into the waiver process that many states would not be able to implement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps the key reason for reauthorization is the need for changes to the law of the land. If Kentucky were not able to get a waiver to NCLB, our school districts would have to notify parents that every school in their district was a low performing school (defined as not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB). Losing a waiver and having to go back to NCLB requirements would mean that Kentucky school districts would lose flexibility on how they use more than $58 million in Title I monies and on other NCLB programs. In addition, school districts would be required to return to set asides for transportation, supplemental education services, school choice and professional development.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My take from the last week is that Sen. Alexander and Sen. Murray are working hard to find a way to get bipartisan support. Rep Kline is having difficulty getting enough Republican votes to pass a bill. The way the process should work is that House passes a bill, the Senate passes a bill, and then a conference committee is formed to work out the differences. Usually, the President and Sec. Duncan would be involved in working with the conference committee to get a bill that the President could sign.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I told an audience this week that in Kentucky we know a lot about basketball, bourbon and betting on horses. If I were to handicap the chances of ESEA reauthorization, it is probably an 80:1 shot that it will be reauthorized. I would encourage readers to let members of the <a href="http://kentucky%20delegation/" target="_blank">Kentucky delegation</a> (especially House members) know how important it is for Congress to reauthorize the nation's main law governing education. </span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-8004787593739765012015-03-20T11:15:00.001-04:002015-03-20T11:15:44.109-04:00Teachers’ voices make a difference<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A guiding principle for our work in Kentucky is that we do the hard work of reform WITH teachers and not TO teachers. What does this principle look like in practice?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2011, Kentucky implemented the <a href="http://www.tellkentucky.org/" target="_blank">TELL Kentucky Survey</a> to allow teacher voice on key working conditions such as facilities, resources, leadership, professional development, time, etc. In 2011, more than 80 percent of teachers in Kentucky responded to the survey and in 2013 administration, more than 86 percent of teachers responded. The <a href="http://www.tellkentucky.org/survey/index" target="_blank">2015 survey</a> is currently open for teacher response and within the first three weeks, more than 60 percent of teachers and other school-base personnel have responded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Kentucky adopted the Common Core State Standards for English/language arts and mathematics, teachers were heavily involved in the process. After adoption, teachers led the way through regional networks to unpack the standards and translate the standards <br />into teacher-, parent- and student-friendly language. When we began to prepare assessments based on the standards, teachers were heavily involved in the development of assessment items. Teachers have continued to be involved in sharing lesson plans, formative assessment items, and professional development resources through our statewide online instructional system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have utilized a similar process of teacher involvement in the development and implementation of science and social standards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Teacher voice in the revision process for standards also is very important. In August, 2014, we launched the <a href="http://kentucky.statestandards.org/" target="_blank">Kentucky Core Academic Standards Challenge</a>. This online tool is a way for teachers, parents and all Kentucky residents to provide feedback on how to improve the English/language arts and mathematics standards. We have had more than 3,000 thoughtful responses to date and more than 80 percent of the responses have come from teachers. The survey remains open through the end of April.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Teachers also provided leadership in the development of the <a href="http://education.ky.gov/teachers/PGES/Pages/PGES.aspx" target="_blank">Professional Growth and Effectiveness System</a>. A teacher-led committee developed the components of the model and continues to monitor the implementation and results from the model. Future changes to the model will be driven by the results and teacher voice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are many other examples of teacher voice in Kentucky.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • The <a href="http://hopestreetgroup.org/impact/education/teacher-fellowships/kentucky-2014/" target="_blank">Hope Street Group</a> utilizes teacher leaders to communicate directly </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> with teachers and encourage teachers to voice their opinions <br /> concerning current education issues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • There is significant collaboration among education groups to support <br /> <a href="http://www.boardcertifiedteachers.org/?gclid=CjwKEAjwiq-oBRC9gvHCsvDdn2cSJACV3DFRBJXyG2EZzP8GFR0f22C_kdZc8pmA-Rn1-vJX-jdDgBoCDOLw_wcB" target="_blank">National Board Certified Teacher</a> (NBCT) applicants and utilize <br /> current NBCTs as leaders and coaches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Kentucky is working to develop career pathways for teachers to provide <br /> leadership opportunities that do not require a teacher to completely <br /> leave the classroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> • Teachers serve on numerous statewide advisory committees and <br /> provide voice for the profession when policy makers are considering <br /> changes that would impact classrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kentucky teachers are among the most professional and most dedicated educators I have worked with in my career and I look forward to seeing the results from the 2015 TELL Kentucky Survey. There will be reasons to celebrate, yet no doubt there will be areas that need to be addressed in order to improve the working conditions of our teachers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks in advance to all of our teachers for taking time to complete the survey and for being leaders in Kentucky public education. Your voice is very important!</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-10703199525507656382015-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-27T08:48:32.056-05:00Four big myths about top-performing school systems<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I came across an interesting article recently on results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The PISA evaluates education systems worldwide by testing 15-year-olds in key subjects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The man in charge of the PISA tests, Andreas Schleicher, the Director of education and skills with the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), says the evidence from around the world reveals some big myths about what makes for a successful education system. Due to space, I have provided only four of the seven myths.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While you may or may not agree with the author’s interpretation of the results, the findings should certainly encourage additional discussion regarding the U.S. education system.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Disadvantaged pupils are doomed to do badly in school</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Teachers all around the world struggle with how to make up for social disadvantage in their classrooms. Some believe that deprivation is destiny. And yet, results from PISA tests show that the 10 percent most disadvantaged 15-year-olds in Shanghai have better math skills than the 10 percent most privileged students in the United States and several European countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/48165173.pdf" target="_blank">Children from similar social backgrounds can show very different performance levels</a>, depending on the school they go to or the country they live in. Education systems where disadvantaged students succeed are able to moderate social inequalities. They tend to attract the most talented teachers to the most challenging classrooms and the most capable school leaders to the most disadvantaged schools, thus challenging all students with high standards and excellent teaching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some American critics of international educational comparisons argue that the value of these comparisons is limited because the United States has some unique socio-economic divisions. But the United States is wealthier than most countries and spends more money on education than most of them; its parents have a higher level of education than in most countries; and the share of socio-economically disadvantaged students is just around the OECD average. What the comparisons do show is that socio-economic disadvantage has a particularly strong impact on student performance in the United States. In other words, in the United States two students from different socio-economic backgrounds vary much more in their learning outcomes than is typically the case in OECD countries.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Immigrants lower results</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Integrating students with an immigrant background can be challenging. And yet, results from PISA tests show <a href="http://no%20relationship%20between%20the%20share%20of%20students%20with%20an%20immigrant%20background%20in%20a%20country%20and%20the%20overall%20performance%20of%20students%20in%20that%20country/" target="_blank">no relationship between the share of students with an immigrant background in a country and the overall performance of students in that country</a>. Even students with the same migration history and background show very different performance levels across countries, suggesting that where students go to schools makes much more of a difference than where they come from.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. It's all about money</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">South Korea, the highest-performing OECD country in mathematics, spends well below the average per student. The world is no longer divided between rich and well-educated countries and poor and badly-educated ones. Success in education systems is <a href="http://no%20longer%20about%20how%20much%20money%20is%20spent%2C%20but%20about%20how%20money%20is%20spent./" target="_blank">no longer about how much money is spent, but about how money is spent.</a> Countries need to invest in improving education and skills if they are going to compete in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy. And yet, educational expenditure per student explains less than 20 percent of the variation in student performance across OECD countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For example, students in the Slovak Republic, which spends around $53,000 (£35,000) per student between the age of 6 and 15, perform on average at the same level at age 15 as the United States which spends over $115,000 (£76,000) per student.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Smaller class sizes raise standards</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Everywhere, teachers, parents and policy-makers favor small classes as the key to better and more personalized education. Reductions in class size have also been the main reason behind the significant increases in expenditure per student in most countries over the last decade. And yet, PISA results show <a href="http://no%20relationship%20between%20class%20size%20and%20learning%20outcomes/" target="_blank">no relationship between class size and learning outcomes</a>, neither within nor across countries. More interestingly, the highest performing education systems in PISA tend to systematically prioritize the quality of teachers over the size of classes. Wherever they have to make a choice between a smaller class and a better teacher, they go for the latter. Rather than putting money into small classes, they invest in competitive teacher salaries, ongoing professional development and a balance in working time.</span>Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-44319063297736227422015-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-20T08:00:05.568-05:00Solving an education conundrum<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently, I attended a meeting at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to discuss a strategic plan for the Chamber and Kentucky. Kentucky Chamber CEO Dave Adkisson invited a group of “thought leaders” to hear a presentation from Ted Abernathy, who works with a number of local, state and national organizations to develop vision statements and strategic plans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During his presentation, Abernathy discussed a number of trends that will impact Kentucky and the nation. One trend caught my attention due to the tremendous impact it is having on education in Kentucky. The trend is urbanization. Urbanization is basically the movement of individuals from rural and small city settings to midsize and large city settings. The key reason for urbanization appears to be the availability of jobs in urban settings and lack of jobs in rural settings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nationwide, the urbanization of America is evident. In 1950, more than 70 percent of the population lived in rural or small city settings. In 2010, that number dropped to 48 percent and the number is expected to drop to 40 percent by 2030. In 1950, 7 percent of the population lived in medium to large cities. In 2010, the number had grown to 20 percent and by 2030, at least 27 percent of our population is expected to live in medium to large cities. In a map that Mr. Abernathy shared, it was clear that the migration from rural to urban areas is happening all across Kentucky and the nation. It was interesting to discover that more than half of the U.S. population lives in just 146 counties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are the implications of urbanization for education in Kentucky? The obvious implication is that students are moving from rural settings to urban settings. Certainly, if we compare the 1950 census to the 2010 census we see evidence of this migration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Students are moving because of job loss in rural settings. This is very evident in rural Eastern Kentucky communities. Many small communities that once relied heavily on the coal industry or agriculture for jobs have seen those jobs eliminated. The loss of jobs means the loss of tax revenue due to businesses being closed. When there are no jobs, people take their families to locations where there are jobs and in most cases, the jobs are located in or near urban settings. As families move away, the number of students attending schools shrinks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The loss of student population means the loss of federal, state and local revenue for our schools. The loss of revenue means fewer teachers and fewer course offerings for students. The loss of revenue means less funding for teacher pay increases which means the gap between teacher availability in rural settings and urban settings will grow. This is especially evident when rural settings try to hire math, science, and special education teachers. The loss of revenue means less funding to build and maintain school facilities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The loss of student population in our counties and small independent districts located in rural settings is well documented. When a local community has a small independent and a county system and both systems are losing students, then the communities begin to battle over student assignment agreements. When county and independent systems cannot come to agreement on student assignment agreements, then the commissioner and eventually the Kentucky Board of Education get involved. It is always best when local communities resolve these issues prior to state involvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are the possible solutions? Our normal solution in the past has been to push for more education. However, this creates a conundrum. If we educate more students to higher levels, then those with more education will seek better paying jobs and when no jobs are available, the talent will leave for areas that have jobs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A possible solution is beginning to emerge with the Saving Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative that Governor Beshear and Rep. Hal Rogers have sponsored along with other state officials. The key question is how do we build the infrastructure in Kentucky to recruit business and industry to locate in rural areas so that talented and educated individuals can remain in their rural communities and build the future? Hopefully, SOAR will be successful so our local schools and districts can be successful. The alternatives are not very desirable for those communities.</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202687599504806318.post-77828656213648928762015-02-13T12:44:00.001-05:002015-02-13T12:47:56.488-05:00SB 97 implementation: one educator’s thoughts<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky Department of Education Chief of Staff Tommy Floyd is my guest blogger this week. He shares some of his experiences and thoughts on the implementation of the higher compulsory school attendance age and how it is really focused on helping each and every child in Kentucky become successful.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I vividly remember the first high school dropout I encountered. He and I started kindergarten together. One day during our sophomore year, he told me that he was on his way to the office to meet his mom to sign out of school, not just for the day, but for good. As he walked out of the classroom, he almost seemed to apologize. I remember the profound impact this had on me. Not going to school was a foreign concept. My parents had always promoted the importance of an education. How could anyone even consider dropping out of school? Why did this boy’s parents allow this? At age 16 and without a high school diploma, what would he do for the rest of his life? Looking back, this was one of those early life events that started me down the path to become an educator and dedicate my life to the students of Kentucky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next memorable dropout I encountered was as a high school principal. Mary was a sophomore and a straight A student. I was filled with angst when her mother told me that she needed Mary at home to help with their large family, and that Mary had spent “enough” time in school. No shortage of begging and pleading on my part seemed to make a difference. Papers were signed and Mary and I parted ways – both of us in tears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years, the subject of dropouts has been a sensitive one for me – it was when I was a principal, it was when I was a superintendent, and it continues to be today in my role as Chief of Staff at the Kentucky Department of Education. Whenever I hear about a student dropping out, I feel a sense of loss and sadness. I think about what the future could have been for the student if he or she had stayed in school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I talk with former students who dropped out, I often hear remorse and regret and some common reasons that led to their decision. I hear that a life event got in their way. They felt school was boring or seemed disconnected from what they wanted in a career. They were frustrated with an obvious lack of academic success that seemed to get worse with time. They felt that no one at school really cared about them. They often said that they didn’t give up on themselves; they simply gave up on the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Senate Bill 97 raises the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18 in Kentucky. Its pending implementation has prompted some to focus on the expense and challenges that lie ahead for districts to keep Kentucky students in school another two years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I offer a different perspective. I feel the law will be a success due to the people working in Kentucky schools and districts. There is a strong belief among today’s Kentucky education leaders in doing whatever it takes for a student to be successful. This is evidenced by our recent increase in both the graduation rate and the college- and career-readiness rate. Clearly, Kentucky has become a national leader when it comes to meeting individual student needs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kentucky schools and districts are changing the way they offer education. They are asking tough questions about potential at-risk students much earlier. Flexible scheduling to accommodate family needs, strong mentoring support, after hours tutoring, home visitation programs, student advocates, teen parenting classes, Saturday sessions, apprenticeships, career cluster opportunities are but a few of the ways Kentucky schools and districts are intervening earlier to prevent students from falling behind and eventually dropping out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the most exciting aspects of the work ahead is being promoted from within our schools and districts – the belief that our work is moving away from being about numbers to being about the success of individual kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the <i>9 Building Blocks for a World-Class State Education System</i>, the National Center on Education and the Economy lays out multiple components that world leaders include in the development of their educational systems. Countries that lead the rankings in educational excellence provide more resources for at-risk students than for others and create clear gateways for students through a system based on global standards, with no dead ends. From what I see, the idea of no dead ends is already embraced in the majority of our schools and districts across the Commonwealth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I hear stories of a student dropping back into education, they have often done so because a team of public school educators have surrounded them with support and helped them realize the importance of education to the next life step in life – no excuses, no blame; just a commitment to find a way to make each student successful. As we move forward with the implementation of SB 97, I feel confident that superintendents, principals and staff will continue to develop new strategies to address the needs of every student and that educators will share those strategies with each other. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While some may choose to focus on the challenges and expenses ahead with the higher dropout age, I am betting on the people inside Kentucky schools and districts who will continue to ensure our work is never about numbers, but instead is about the success of each individual student in Kentucky. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any takers?</span><br />
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Dr. Stephen L. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16880287602750084367noreply@blogger.com2