Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has just approved Kentucky’s new education plan under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). For Kentucky schools, that means new changes in accountability, school ratings, and student success are coming.
Kentucky’s Interim Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis was optimistic about what the new plan means for Kentucky students. In a statement released May 7, Lewis said, “I am most excited that the plan includes an unprecedented focus on closing Kentucky’s achievement gaps, emphasis on students’ readiness for success in careers and postsecondary education, and a much more transparent and easy to understand rating system for schools.”
The new plan places major focuses on student proficiency, growth, graduation rates, transition readiness, achievement gap closure, and access to rigorous, enriching curriculum.
The new system of accountability stands ready to be implemented by the 2018-19 school year, and has some lofty goals for student achievement. You can read more about it here, in this great explainer by Kentucky Teacher.