6/11/2010 11:29:58 AM

Demonstrating a higher-level math lesson to the audience at the Prichard Committee spring meeting here, Shannon said that, too often, math teachers operate like a GPS navigation system, prompting students from one step to the next, eventually leading to the destination or answer. Instead, she said, students need problems and guidance that help them see how to map out solutions on their own. (Read More)

8/27/2010 2:13:58 PM

It is with great sadness that the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence announces the passing of its executive director, Dr. Robert F. Sexton of Lexington. Read the Committee's statement here.

6/10/2010 1:41:18 PM

The challenge facing American schools “is greater than we’ve been led to believe,” according to Gene Wilhoit, the former Kentucky education commissioner who now leads the Council of Chief State School Officers — an organization of state education department leaders from across the country. (Read more)
 

5/26/2010 11:54:17 AM

The academic performance of Kentucky students has improved the state's national education ranking, reflecting the strong returns the state receives from its investments in education, according to two recent reports from the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. Read more.

5/13/2010 1:51:58 PM

Addressing Prichard Committee members in Louisville, executive director of the national Council of Chief State School Officers, Gene Wilhoit, urged Kentucky to put a premium on new academic standards and high-quality teaching to compete with other nations.  Click here for more.

5/7/2010 10:05:53 AM

For the fourth year, the Prichard Committee has earned the support of the Pew Center on the States to expand access to quality preschool for more Kentucky Children.  Click here to learn more about the $200,000 grant.

5/6/2010 11:53:40 AM

Executive Director, Bob Sexton, (pictured here with moderator Judith Rizzo of the James B. Hunt Institute), was featured in a Gates Foundation meeting in Baltimore.  Sexton highlighted how the Prichard Committee's Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership helps parents become education advocates. Read more.

3/24/2010 1:35:16 PM

 The Senate-passed Budget will hurt Kentucky's education programs for our youngest students by cutting funding for preschool, allowing school districts to hire preschool teachers who DO NOT meet current certification requirements and allowing school districts to do away with aides for kindergarten classes all in the name of saving money.   

3/15/2010 10:30:39 AM

The Prichard Committee's Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL) is listed as one of 12 examples of leading innovations in the family involvement field to enhance student achievement in a new report from the National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group. Read the press release here.

2/25/2010 6:41:22 PM

2/18/2010 2:22:22 PM

Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help fund work. Read the press release

2/11/2010 3:27:21 PM

Kentucky yesterday became the first state to adopt common academic standards that were drafted as part of a nationwide initiative to establish a widely shared and ambitious vision of student learning, says Education Week.

2/11/2010 3:15:07 PM

Kentucky became the first state in the nation to formally adopt new "common core content standards" for math and English language arts in grades K-12 on Wednesday evening, an initiative that will guide public education in the state for years to come, says the Lexington Herald-Leader.

2/11/2010 3:05:43 PM

Kentucky schoolchildren in grades K-12 will see new standards for math and English next year, as part of a collaborative effort among 48 states to more clearly specify what knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and in the workforce, states the Louisville Courier-Journal.

2/11/2010 2:54:50 PM

Kentucky's adoption of new academic standards is an exciting development that could signal the beginning of unprecedented progress for the state's schools, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence said Thursday.

2/9/2010 4:34:37 PM

Reporter Art Jester gives an excellent account of Kentucky's initiative in developing new standards for the state: "Officials of three state educational agencies will sign a document committing Kentucky to becoming the first state in the nation to implement the Common Core State Standards Initiative, developed not as a response to any federal mandate, but as a cooperative effort among states." Click for the whole article.

2/1/2010 12:32:22 PM

Kentucky continues to rank in the bottom ten among states for child well-being. Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol began in 2004 as an effort to unite advocates from across the state to raise their voices on behalf of children’s safety, health, education and economic well-being...

1/19/2010 11:08:35 AM

The Campaign for Educational Equity released the second report in its Education, Equity, and the Law series, " Substantial and Yet Not Sufficient: Kentucky's Effort to Build Proficiency for Each and Every Child" written by Susan Perkins Weston, independent consultant working on Kentucky education issues, and Robert F. Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee.

1/19/2010 10:55:51 AM

Posted on Sun, Jan. 17, 2010, Lexington Herald-Leader
By Robert F. Sexton

Without question, Kentucky's legislators face a tremendous challenge in producing a balanced budget for the next two years in the face of revenue shortfalls and a continuing economic crisis.

12/4/2009 1:24:39 AM

Investing $1 to make quality preschool available to more Kentucky children would result in benefits of more than $5 for the state, according to a new report by the University of Kentucky Center for Business and Economic Research. Read the full report and press release. See also this article from Friday's Lexington Herald-Leader.

11/9/2009 10:28:07 AM

An in-depth look at what Kentucky's new education commissioner has called "a tidal wave of reform" was the focus of the recent fall meeting of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Please see this page for presentations, press releases and photos from the event.

10/19/2009 8:45:08 PM

Kentucky School Updates: A Parent/Citizen Guide, is a publication of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. It is intended to help parents and citizens stay up-to-date on education issues. Visit the data and resources page to explore the October 2009 updates for individual chapters. Please note: the assessment chapter and single document format will be available soon.

10/19/2009 3:01:21 PM

As part of his "Transforming Education in Kentucky" initiative, Governor Beshear is facilitating a series of public town halls and press conferences across the Commonwealth.  The goal is to discuss ways to prepare students and schools for the next twenty years.  See the press release.

10/8/2009 11:05:10 PM

Recommendations for Involving Families and Community in Improving Student Achievement - Final Report by Kentucky's Commissioner's Parents Advisory Council (CPAC). (free download)

10/1/2009 12:23:24 PM

KASC, the Council for Better Education, and the Prichard Committee collaborate to provide overall school results--the transition index--during the Senate Bill 1 transition. Read about results statewide and the analysis of those results here.