The Biden Administration has given the green light to state testing this year, meaning students across Kentucky will be expected to complete KPREP in the spring. The announcement came after months of speculation on whether or not the Biden Administration would extend waivers for state testing like last year because of the pandemic. Doing so would have marked two consecutive…
Category: Accountability
Thinking critically about Kentucky’s next Commissioner of Education
The search is on. In late March, the Kentucky Department of Education finalized a contract with the Greenwood/Asher search firm to help lock in a new education commissioner. Kentucky’s previous education chief, Wayne Lewis, was ousted in December by Gov. Beshear’s new-look Kentucky Board of Education. Interim Commissioner Kevin Brown has overseen the Kentucky Department of Education in the meantime.…
States are right to cancel testing amid COVID-19, but we can’t make accountability an enemy
Accountability isn’t the most fun discussion topic in education, but it’s a crucial driving force for our schools. As students complete their state assessments each spring, the data that school districts receive back in the fall provides them with valuable information about how effectively they’re reaching their most vulnerable students, closing achievement gaps, and creating learning opportunities for students. Having…
Should teacher evaluations be tied to student growth data?
Teacher quality is widely acknowledged as the most crucial school-wide factor impacting student learning. There’s nothing that benefits students more than having an effective teacher in the classroom. Naturally, when the recent “State of the States” report from the National Council on Teacher Quality revealed that several states like Kentucky have backed away from research-supported teacher evaluation practices, it’s no…
Kentucky’s accountability system looks set to change again
Trying to keep up with all of the changes to a state’s accountability system is a little like drinking from a waterfall. Thanks to this new bombshell from the Courier-Journal, it appears that Kentucky’s accountability system is looking more and more like Niagara Falls every day. The debacle du jour deals with Kentucky’s identifying labels for schools. If you aren’t…
It’s time for a renewed focus on student outcomes in Kentucky
The accountability drum is typically a lonely one to beat, but thanks to a new study by the good folks over at the Prichard Committee, I’ve got a little extra rhythm in my step today. According to their latest poll, 84% of Kentucky voters said that they were more likely to support a gubernatorial candidate with a plan to strengthen…
Holding Teachers Accountable Without Adequate Teacher Prep Programs Is a Set-Up
One of my resolutions for this new year is to think outside of silos and to start connecting the dots between the wide, disparate, and interwoven factors within education, among them teacher accountability, teacher preparation and teacher support. Even after 10 years in the classroom, I’m frequently accused of being anti-teacher. I’m not surprised, though. When you write about the need…
Want To ‘Fix America?’ Public Education Is Where We Begin.
I’m back from a two-week hiatus. Much to my wife’s chagrin (she tells me I’m on my phone too much), I had ample time from all of the flight delays and such to keep up with the latest controversies in education reporting. Let me tell you, this op-ed from The Atlantic entitled “Better Public Schools Won’t Fix America” takes the…
Kentucky Is Replacing Common Core With… Common Core
When Kentucky became the first state in the nation to adopt the Common Core standards in 2009, America suddenly developed curriculum fever. Viral “Common Core math problems” baffled parents. Questions of local vs. centralized control lingered in statehouses around the nation. Shortly after forty-one states and the District of Columbia had adopted the Common Core standards, public resistance had reached…
I’m Not Down With Adversity Scores Because All Kids Can Excel
Many moons ago, the late rap genius Tupac spoke about “the rose that grew from concrete.” It’s a metaphor of course, and as a teacher, I’ve seen lots of roses (students) that must blossom in spite of harsh environments. Difficult family and home situations make it tough for kids to persevere, and in some areas, incessant crime and drug abuse…
There’s An Obvious Way To Improve Teaching Quality, But Getting There Won’t Be Easy
As conversations on school quality rage on, the authors of a new study from Education Next tackle a question that seems so obvious, you would never think to ask: “Do smarter teachers make smarter students?” Based on research in math and reading performance across 31 different countries, it appears that they do, and the relationship is much stronger than some…
Students Need Deep Exposure To Content Knowledge. This New Project Can Help.
Some of the best teaching advice I ever received came from an undergrad professor I really admired. “Don’t try to teach the standards,” she instructed me. “Teach to the standards.” Hidden within that pearl of advice was an important caveat. State standards only tell us what students should know and be able to do at each grade level, but they…
Kentucky Third-Graders Would Have Been Held Back Under This Proposal. Here’s What Changed.
Last week, Kentucky found itself playing a high-stakes game of “Would You Rather?” But this time, it affected a much different demographic than we’re used to: third-graders. Following the lead of states like Ohio, Indiana, and Florida, Kentucky considered adopting a real catch-22 of a policy that would require struggling third-graders to be held back for failing an end-of-the-year reading…
No Matter Where They Live, Kentuckians Want Better Schools
Lately, there has been much ado about the “war on public education” in Kentucky. I have my own thoughts on that, but if there really is a battle worth fighting for, I say it’s improving our state’s public schools. I’m not alone on that. According to a study that was just released by the good folks over at the Prichard…
Kentucky Upgraded Its Ancient School Report Card Site. You’re Going To Love It.
Of all the soundbites we’ve heard about Kentucky schools over the past few years, this one from the Cincinnati Enquirer still resonates with me: “If you’re a Kentucky mom or dad hoping to crack open this year’s report card to see how your school stacks up, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s not that your school is doing poorly –…
Kentucky’s Proposed Graduation Requirements Strike The Right Balance
If you’ve ever wondered why conversations about improving schools often resort to people talking past each other, there’s a reason: Public K-12 education means different things to different people. On one end, there’s the “college-for-all” mentality, the philosophy of those who argue that the aim of public K-12 education should be to prepare all students for success at a college…
What Parents Should Know About Kentucky’s New School Ratings
If there’s one thing Kentucky teachers and administrators have had on their mind this past week, it’s our new school rating system. We just got our first look at last year’s state test scores and our new accountability system, per the Kentucky Department of Education. Teachers and administrators are already in the know about Kentucky’s school ratings, but with all…
Wayne Lewis: “Daunting Moment of Truth” For Kentucky Schools
K-PREP scores were released to the public today, and teachers, administrators, and parents across the state are combing through the data to see how their local schools and districts performed. One thing we’ve learned so far is that achievement gaps are still persistent and that overall scores are still flat. So how well is Kentucky taking that? So far, reactions have been…
Kentucky Proves Big Spending Isn’t Always Needed to Help Students Succeed
Lane Wright is the Director of Policy Analysis for Education Post, former press secretary to Governor Rick Scott of Florida, and a father of three living in Tallahassee. An earlier version of this piece appeared in The Courier-Journal. The other day, I imagined myself rich enough to be looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of a plush mansion on the…
Personalized Diplomas Would Keep Education From Becoming An Effort Grade
In light of graduation scandals and state policy changes happening across the country, there’s a burning question right now among education circles: What does a high school diploma even mean anymore? Ideally, a high school diploma should suggest to universities, technical and community colleges, or employers that the graduate has been successfully prepared to transition to the next stage of…
Kentucky Drops Master’s Degree Requirement
Earlier today, a waiver that removes Master’s degree requirements from Kentucky teachers was approved by the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB). This is the first major action of the newly-consolidated EPSB, which was formerly an independent board. Per Interim Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis’ recommendation earlier this month, the EPSB was placed under the oversight of the Kentucky Department of…
If You Want Great Schools, Build Great School Climates
Seeds don’t grow in bad soil. It doesn’t matter how much water or sunlight you give them or how much you drown them in Miracle-Gro. If you plant a seed in rocky soil, don’t expect much to happen. School climate — characterized by high expectations, positive relationships, student engagement, and more — is the soil that can make or break student performance.…
Kentucky’s ESSA Plan Was Just Approved. Here’s What That Means.
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,…
This Is Why State Testing Matters
We’ve arrived at that point at the end of the school year where everyone and everything is moving at a frenetic pace, and if you didn’t know any better, you might think there was some sort of natural disaster about to nail your local public school. That’s right, it’s testing time. Thousands of Kentucky students are gearing up to take…
Nation’s Report Card: Gap Between Kentucky’s Highest and Lowest-Performing Students Continues to Grow
The first time I had the opportunity to travel to London, I was taken aback by the speed and efficiency of the London Underground. Affectionately called the “Tube” by locals, London’s network of underground railways is actually the world’s oldest metro system. It may not be the cleanest form of transportation in the world, but it’s remarkably fast, punctual, and…
Should Kentucky Teachers Get A Bonus For Working In Struggling Schools?
Discussion sparked last week as an op-ed surfaced in The Courier-Journal, pulling no punches: “We’ve set up a system throughout Kentucky, and particularly in JCPS, that fails our most vulnerable students and hamstrings our lowest-performing schools, known as priority schools.” There’s a reason behind why some schools are stagnant, author Kent Oyler posits, though that reason has been buried beneath…
What Is Good Teaching, Anyway?
Earlier this year my principal informed me that our state’s Commissioner of Education, Dr. Stephen Pruitt, would be making a visit to my school as part of our district’s showcase. The kicker? Since Dr. Pruitt had a pretty big role in crafting the newest science standards, he was coming to my science classroom to watch me teach. I was honored,…
Kentucky Has A Slew of National Board Certified Teachers, And That’s Great For Students
I tend to find that a lot of conversations around education reform focus on the work we have left to do instead of celebrating the progress we’ve already made. But a couple weeks ago in Frankfort, there were a lot of reasons to celebrate. 3,601 reasons, as a matter of fact. That’s how many National Board Certified Teachers are currently…
Kentucky Dropping Its Master’s Degree Requirement: A Win For School Quality?
Kentucky is a hectic place to be right now. Teachers and other state employees across the Commonwealth are fighting for their pensions, which are subject to massive changes at the behest of Senate Bill 1. Major reforms are being made to our accountability system, so there’s a steep learning curve ahead. We’ve just witnessed forty public school teachers announce their…
We’re Kidding Ourselves If We Think 90 Percent of Teachers Are Effective
This post originally appeared with Education Post. Photo by US Dept. of Education, CC-Licensed. A while back I sat through a professional learning community (PLC) meeting where the other science teachers and I listened to a YouTube lecturer discussing strategies of “highly-effective teachers.” I was struck by that phrase, “highly effective.” What makes these teachers so effective? What does learning look like…
Trying to Talk About the Achievement Gap? Try This.
Politics and education are two of my favorite subjects. It’s neat when I have an opportunity to combine them. I recently listened to a speech by Gloria Ladson-Billings that did just that. I recommend you read or listen to it to catch all the specifics, but the premise is that, in many ways, our national debt and our national deficit can be…
That ‘Homework Gap’ Study Never Happened, And I’m Calling the IES Out On It
We’re living in the digital age, a time where the Internet world seems intertwined with our daily lives. Or at least, that’s the way it seems to many of us. It’s not always like that out here in the country. I teach in rural Kentucky, and I have to think long and hard before I give assignments that require an…
The US Is Falling Way Behind in STEM But Kentucky’s Powering the Comeback
Maybe you’re already aware, but the United States isn’t exactly globally competitive in science education. As of 2015, we ranked 24th out of 71 countries included in a major international study. If you’re only concerned with beating out countries like Kazakhstan and Albania, then I’ve got great news. If you want the U.S. to lead the world in science, a lot…
Teachers Are More Supportive of Education Reform Than You Think
I’m a science teacher, so it’s in my nature to be curious about how and why things work the way they do. Since I’ve been on an education reform kick lately, I decided to do a little experiment. I asked public school teachers from different organizations across the state to play a little word association game with me, giving me a short,…
Education Is a Civil Rights Issue. Sorry, Not Sorry.
I’m just going to go ahead and say it. Education is a civil rights issue, and it’s one that we can’t be moderate about. Sorry, not sorry. I’m referring here to a group of people that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. liked to talk about: the “moderates.” This isn’t the “I Have a Dream” Dr. King that we hear every…
We Can’t Keep Doing The Same Thing In Schools And Expect Better Results
“School reform” is such a misunderstood concept in the education world. That misunderstanding, of course, leads many people to dismiss useful improvements. But we need those changes, and quick, because nothing can so profoundly impact our children’s lives as much as receiving a good education. Any parent could agree with that. Sometimes, though, I worry that our attempts to make…
Achievement Gaps Are Just the Symptom. Opportunity Gaps Are the Real Problem.
We hear a lot of talk about achievement gaps these days, and rightfully so. America has only grown more diverse, but the gaps have barely closed at all. When we discuss achievement gaps, we need to understand that they’re more than just percentages on a screen. The gaps we see in achievement for different groups of students are just symptoms…
Want to Close Achievement Gaps? Know Why They Exist in the First Place
There’s a sad reality in our education system today: Some students just don’t do as well as others. I realize I’m not breaking news here, but the fact that there’s such a disparity between students from poor families and communities and students from solid middle-class families is bad for everyone. The fact that minority students historically fall far behind their…
Kentucky’s Changing How Schools Are Judged and Here’s Why You Should Care
With the adoption of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the marquee educational law that Congress passed in 2015, Kentucky stands ready to dramatically shift its approach to accountability. Designed to replace the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ESSA gives states more freedom to set goals for their students’ achievement. Kentucky opened the floodgates for that earlier this…