Nov. 20, 2024

Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee

(cell) 859-475-7202

lisa@prichardcommittee.org

New Report Shows Impact of Family Engagement in Kentucky Schools  

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LEXINGTON, Ky -- When schools implement intentional strategies to create a culture of family engagement, families’ knowledge of the education system improves and teachers’ job satisfaction improves. Further, with support and encouragement, families feel prepared to partner with schools and help them develop authentic family engagement activities. These are among the key findings in a recent report released by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and conducted by the Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation at the NYU Metro Center.

“These initial findings validate the strength of the family engagement work happening in schools across Kentucky,” said Brigitte Blom, President & CEO of the Prichard Committee. “When schools and families partner, student outcomes improve; it’s that simple. We’re excited by the research findings that show small, intentional steps to engage families can have big, positive impacts.”

The Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools Research and Evaluation Findings 2020-2023 provides an overview of findings from the 5-year startup of the Prichard Committee’s Collaborative for Families and Schools, which benefitted from funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers through a US Department of Education grant. The work resulted in the development of the Family Friendly Schools Certification process and built upon the proven 26-year legacy of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. In addition, the Prichard Committee worked deeply with four regional partners: Learning Grove, Partners for Rural Impact, The National Center for Families Learning, and Daviess County Public Schools. The work is anchored in the Dual Capacity-Building Framework, which is the widely accepted research-based framework for building effective partnerships.

"Rather than focusing on scaling up a specific family engagement program, the Kentucky Collaborative supported schools and communities statewide to combine evidence-based practices with local wisdom, leadership, and relationships. This approach was not only more effective, but also more sustainable," said Dr. Joanna Geller, NYU’s director of policy, research, and evaluation and the study’s principal investigator.

Findings include:

For teachers, the most improved family engagement actions included:  

• Increase in school outreach to families

• Teachers sending communications about what children learn in class  

• Schools encouraging parents to reach out to other parents

• Staff applying knowledge of parents’ various cultural backgrounds when collaborating with them

• Schools becoming more linguistically responsive  

Families reported an increase in the following actions:

• Ever attending family events (+25%) and volunteering (+22%)  

• Believing teachers regularly communicate about how to help their children learn and encourage parent feedback (each +12% change in strongly agreeing)

• Perceiving stronger climate for family leadership in all areas (+10-11% change in strongly agreeing)

• Knowing special programs available at the school to help their child (+10% change in strongly agreeing)

In addition, educators who participated in training were almost twice as likely to report a great deal of confidence with family engagement, and participating in training appears to have increased their satisfaction with their job.

“When districts prioritize family partnerships and schools create authentic spaces for connection, the ripple effect is powerful,” said Brooke Gill, vice president and director of the Prichard Committee’s Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools. “These findings should be used across the state to encourage more schools to create time and space for families and educators to build authentic connections.”  

The report also found some important differences in how families are supported broadly. Namely, families of color and with less affluence reported less outreach to them by schools and a less welcoming environment for families. As Kentucky schools continue to support effective family engagement, reflecting on and implementing strategies that engage all families through a strengths-based lens will be important.  

“While this initial report shows important leading indicators that family engagement efforts have a positive effect, in the years ahead, we are eager to show the direct impact effective family engagement can have on outcomes for all students as we work to expand Family Friendly Schools Certification and Fellows of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership,” said Blom.

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Nov. 19, 2024

Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee

(cell) 859-475-7202

lisa@prichardcommittee.org

New Survey Reveals Kentucky Families’ Perceptions of Education Opportunities

Parents report strong satisfaction with mental health services while identifying need for expanded learning opportunities and deeper family engagement

LEXINGTON, Ky -- The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence released findings from a new study examining how Kentucky parents view educational opportunities in their communities. "The State of Educational Opportunity in Kentucky" captures the experiences of more than 400 parents and guardians of school-aged children in the commonwealth, providing valuable insights into how families identify both the strengths of our public education system, as well as areas for improvement.

"The overwhelming show of support for public education at the ballot box with the recent defeat of Amendment II presents a critical opportunity for Kentuckians to engage deeply in a conversation about ways to continue to improve our state's education outcomes," said Brigitte Blom, president & CEO of the Prichard Committee. "This survey is an important first step toward identifying what we are doing well and finding solutions for areas that need improvement."

Parents report higher satisfaction than most states in two key areas:

• Parents give Kentucky schools high marks for mental health support. Kentucky has the highest percentage of families in the nation who are very satisfied with how their school supports their child's mental health needs at 45%, compared to the national average of 37%.

• Kentucky families express strong confidence in college and career preparation, with parents across all income brackets reporting higher confidence in workforce preparedness than the national average. However, there is an 11- to 13-percentage point difference between families with low- and mid-high-incomes, suggesting lower-income families feel less confident about their child's preparation for success.

Parents report several areas where they face challenges accessing educational opportunities:

• Families report limited access to summer learning programs. Only 31% of Kentucky parents surveyed say their children participate in these programs, compared to the national average of 41%. More concerning, parents' responses reveal a 14-point gap between income groups: while 38% of students from mid-high-income families participate in summer programs, only 24% of students who come from low-income families do.

• Few parents report their children receive tutoring services. Only 14% of parents say their children receive tutoring, below the national average of 19%. Again, we see a significant income-based disparity in reported access, with a 12-point gap between students who come from low-income and mid-high-income families.

• Parents describe low levels of engagement with their schools. While parents report being aware of their school's academic performance, they indicate much less familiarity with school operations and governance. Only 20% of respondents say they have attended meetings held by parent organizations at their schools, 5 percentage points below the national average. Only 16% of parents say they are familiar with how school budget decisions are made, placing Kentucky near the bottom quarter of states nationally on these measures.

"Research consistently shows that extended learning opportunities, such as tutoring and summer programs, and strong family engagement are two critical components for student success," said Todd Baldwin, vice president and director of the Center for Best Practice and Innovation at the Prichard Committee. "Over the coming year, we'll be working to identify and elevate promising practices from Kentucky communities that are finding innovative ways to expand learning opportunities and strengthen family partnerships. We know these solutions exist in our communities - our goal is to help share these examples so other school-communities can learn from and build upon their success."

The Kentucky survey was part of "The State of Educational Opportunity in America: A survey of 20,000 Parents," produced by 50CAN and Edge Research, one of the largest studies of parent perceptions of education in the United States in the past decade. The Kentucky sample of 404 parents and guardians represents diverse backgrounds across geographic regions, income levels, and school types.

"A great school is one that sits at the center of an engaged and supportive community," said Blom. "When the school and community collaborate to leverage assets in support of expanded educational opportunity, students benefit, families express increased satisfaction, and educators can focus on high-quality instruction."

For more information about the survey or access to the full Kentucky report, visit the Prichard Committee website. For more information about the national survey, and to access the full data set, visit 50can.org.

About the Prichard Committee

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

About 50CAN

50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now is a locally led, nationally supported nonprofit education advocacy organization committed to a high-quality education for all kids, regardless of their address.

About Edge Research

A woman-owned marketing research company and trusted partner, Edge Research tells data-driven stories that make our clients’ programs, products, and brands successful, because we believe in conducting purposeful and impactful work. Our goal is to blend wisdom, experience, creativity, and innovation to drive change. One of Edge’s key verticals is education, which ranges from early childhood development to K-12 and postsecondary education, to lifelong learning.

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Nov. 18, 2024

Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee

(cell) 859-475-7202

lisa@prichardcommittee.org

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More than 50 Kentucky Schools Certified as 'Family Friendly'

The Prichard Committee Honored Family Friendly Schools and Early Care Centers during Family Engagement in Education Week

LEXINGTON, Ky -- The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence kicked off Family Engagement in Education Week at the State Capitol on Monday by honoring the 54 Kentucky schools and early care centers that earned Family Friendly Schools Certification in 2024.  

"Schools receiving this certification have shown a strong commitment to actively involving families in education," said Brigitte Blom, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee. "These schools have taken creative steps to make families essential partners in the educational experience. These relationships have long-term benefits for families, students, educators, and the community more broadly. We’re gratified these schools have pursued this certification as a reflection of their dedication to students and the whole community."

Gov. Andy Beshear signed a proclamation at the event declaring Nov. 18-22 Family Engagement in Education Week in the commonwealth. The Prichard Committee will be holding educational events all week to help families, community members and schools learn how to build meaningful partnerships.  

The Family Friendly Certification process involves a multidisciplinary team of families, teachers and administrators using a self-assessment tool to evaluate the school's efforts toward increasing family engagement. This team evaluates the school's practices, identifies key areas for improvement, and integrates new practices designed to elevate its family-friendly rating.  

The certification is awarded by the Prichard Committee after applications are reviewed and scored by a working group of families, educators and community organizations. The group is focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system.  

The Kentucky Department of Education includes the Family Friendly Schools Certification in its school report card as evidence of effective family engagement.  

“The Family Friendly Schools Certification demonstrates how schools across the commonwealth are going above and beyond to ensure families are a welcome and active part of the school community,” said Dr. Felicia Cumings Smith, Prichard Committee Board Chair. “Giving families the opportunity to partner with educators to have a voice in their child’s education and lend their support where needed, will make learning experiences more meaningful and attainable.”

For more details on the Family Friendly Schools Certification, visit prichardcommittee.org/familyengagement.  

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2024 Family Friendly Schools Certification Awardees  

• Campbell Ridge Elementary School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Crossroads Elementary School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• John W. Reiley Elementary School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Campbell County High School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Campbell County Middle School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Donald E. Cline Elementary School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Grant's Lick Elementary School, Campbell County Public Schools  

• Tygart Creek Elementary School, Carter County Public Schools  

• Baker Intermediate School, Clark County Public Schools  

• Burns Elementary School, Daviess County Public Schools  

• Heritage Park High School, Daviess County Public Schools  

• Lincoln Elementary School, Dayton Independent Public Schools  

• East Bernstadt Independent School, East Bernstadt Independent Public Schools  

• Lansdowne Elementary School, Fayette County Public Schools  

• Picadome Elementary School, Fayette County Public Schools  

• Yates Elementary School, Fayette County Public Schools  

• Brenda Cowan Elementary School, Fayette County Public Schools  

• Breckinridge Elementary School, Fayette County Public Schools  

• School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Fayette County Public Schools  

• Growing Together Preschool, Inc., Fayette County  

• Floyd County Early Childhood, Floyd County Public Schools  

• May Valley Elementary School, Floyd County Public Schools  

• Second Street School, Frankfort Independent Public Schools  

• Frankfort High School, Frankfort Independent Public Schools  

• Greysbranch Elementary School, Greenup County Public Schools  

• Wurtland Middle School, Greenup County Public Schools  

• McKell Middle School, Greenup County Public Schools  

• Harlan Elementary School, Harlan Independent Public Schools  

• Niagara Elementary School, Henderson County Public Schools  

• Jackson Independent School, Jackson Independent Public Schools  

• Grace James Academy of Excellence, Jefferson County Public Schools  

• Jenkins Independent School, Jenkins Independent Public Schools  

• Eastside Child Development Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission

• NKCAC Head Start- Elsmere Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission  

• NKCAC Head Start- Boone County Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission

• NKCAC Head Start -Alexandria Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission

• NKCAC Head Start- Newport Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission  

• NKCAC Head Start- Falmouth Center, Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission

• Calvert City Elementary School, Marshall County Public Schools  

• Reidland Elementary School, McCracken County Public Schools  

• Menifee Central School, Menifee County Public Schools

• Murray Elementary School, Murray Independent Public Schools  

• Rowan County Preschool Center, Rowan County Public Schools  

• Clearfield Elementary School, Rowan County Public Schools  

• Rowan County Senior High School, Rowan County Public Schools  

• Rodburn Elementary School, Rowan County Public Schools  

• Northside Early Childhood Center, Shelby County Public Schools  

• Shelby East Middle School, Shelby County Public Schools  

• Washington Co Elem Early Childhood, Washington County Public Schools  

• North Washington Elem Early Childhood, Washington County Public Schools  

• Washington County Elementary School, Washington County Public Schools

• North Washington Elementary and Middle School, Washington County Public Schools

• Washington County Middle School, Washington County Public Schools  

• Washington County High School, Washington County Public Schools

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November 5, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lisa McKinney

‍lisa@prichardcommittee.org

(cell) 859-475-7202

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A Statement from Brigitte Blom on Amendment 2

Kentuckian Louis Brandeis famously reminded citizens that the most important political office is that of the voter. Today, Kentucky citizens decided the fate of Kentucky’s system of education. Passionate citizens on both sides of this issue made their case, and voters had the final say.  

The failure of Amendment 2 at the polls is an expression of Kentuckians' commitment to the promise of public education as the great equalizer and a public good—one every Kentucky child should have access to and benefit from.  

Kentucky legislators rightly took this issue, which has significant future implications for the commonwealth, directly to the voters. Now that the citizens have spoken, it is the responsibility of state and community leaders to ensure the direction forward is one that supports our common goal to continuously improve outcomes in education and quality of life that rival any state in our nation. The Prichard Committee remains committed to supporting them in achieving that shared goal.

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Brigitte Blom

President/CEO

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

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On Election Day, Kentucky voters will be asked if they approve amendments to the commonwealth’s Constitution in no less than seven areas. If voters approve Amendment 2, which would allow public tax dollars to be directed to private and parochial schools, the Constitution would no longer provide protections for the separation of church and state, would no longer provide protections for tax payer dollars to be used only for public purposes, and would remove the protection that the General Assembly be prohibited from targeting specific areas of the state with legislation.  Passing Amendment 2 will result in significant changes to Kentucky’s long-standing, foundational documents, and have far-reaching, likely negative, implications.  

Regarding education specifically, voucher programs, which could be funded under Amendment 2 and are referred to nationally as “school choice,” have consistently failed to demonstrate significant improvements in student test scores. Worse, as states have moved from targeted “school choice” programs to more universal state approaches, outcomes for students have declined. Kentucky cannot afford investment strategies that show not only no positive return – but, in fact, show a negative return.  

Further, Kentucky’s public schools operate under uniform accountability standards, ensuring that all students receive measurable, data-backed educational improvements. While public education has a way to go to ensure strong outcomes for all students, private schools offer no accountability for the public dollar – leaving taxpayers in the dark about educational quality and outcomes – and the return for our shared investment.  

Should Amendment 2 pass, it poses a significant financial threat to the state and to public education. As seen in other states like Arizona and Florida, voucher programs lead to ballooning state costs and divert crucial funds away from public schools. In Arizona, voucher spending soared by 270% over 11 years, resulting in cuts to critical public services such as water infrastructure and community colleges. It’s important to also note that the overwhelming majority of vouchers – 65-90% – go to families currently sending their children to a private school or planning to do so. What this suggests is that “school choice” is little more than a transfer payment – out of the General Fund - to the wealthiest in our state.

With the current landscape of private schools, Amendment 2 threatens to deepen the rural-urban divide. Over half of the state’s private schools are concentrated in just three counties—Jefferson, Fayette, and Kenton—while many rural areas have no private school options at all. As a result, legislation passed, following a constitutional amendment, could create an unregulated market for privatized education, with little more than a profit motive.  Research shows that such schools heavily market to families and then 25% close within five years, with a full 50% closing within 15 years. And since most voucher programs are set up to only cover a portion of tuition, families struggle to pay the balance out-of-pocket and are often left returning to their public school. Again, vouchers often act more like a wealth transfer to high-income families than a way to give more families more choices.

To illustrate the point above, I offer a quick back of the envelope calculation: There are 604,000 Kentucky students in public K-12 and 76,000 in private K-12. The total state spending per pupil for public education is roughly $6,000 a year. If families of 50,000 current private school students (two-thirds) access a voucher in the amount of $6,000, that’s $300 million dollars out of the General Fund - with no change in the delivery of education, no expected improved outcomes as a state, and increased spending by the state that has to come from somewhere – likely a combination of decreased funding for public education and increased taxes down the road.  

Amendment 2 presents a false promise of improved education outcomes and instead would prove to erode Kentucky’s commitment to education as a public good – instead, converting education to a private good with winners and losers. Instead of improving outcomes for all students, it risks destabilizing the state’s progress in education, deepening the divide between “haves and have nots”, and placing an unsustainable financial burden on taxpayers.  

Amendment 2 is a race to the bottom, brokered by national interests and not the interests of Kentuckians. It’s a race Kentucky should refuse to submit to.  

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Brigitte Blom

President & CEO

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

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Oct. 3, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lisa McKinney

‍lisa@prichardcommittee.org

(cell) 859-475-7202

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‍Kentucky Test Scores Show Slight Improvement

Community Accountability Necessary to Quicken the Pace

A statement from Brigitte Blom, President and CEO

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LEXINGTON, Ky -- In the new public school learning results data released today by the Kentucky Department of Education, Kentucky has seen improvement in four of the measures that the Prichard Committee most closely tracks. Compared to 2023, the new data release shows:

• A 2% increase in the kindergarten readiness of students entering school last fall
• A 1% increase in grade 3 students scoring proficient or above in reading
• A 1% increase in grade 8 mathematics proficiency
• A 1% increase in the four-year high school graduation rate

There was no progress on two other priority measures:

• No increase in grade 3 mathematics proficiency
• A 3% decline in grade 8 reading proficiency

Even the measures that have improved remain far from Kentucky’s long-term goals. For example, only 47% of 2024 third-grade students were proficient or above in reading. If we continue improving at a pace of 1% each year, it could take 53 years to get all Kentucky students to the proficient level in that foundational subject.The results released today also confirm the urgency of Kentucky’s work to ensure that students of all backgrounds thrive in our schools:

• Even as grade 3 reading proficiency rose overall, it declined for English learners and for students with disabilities and showed no improvement for economically disadvantaged students and Hispanic or Latino students.  
• Grade 8 math results also rose overall, but showed no improvement for African American, Hispanic or Latino students and English learners. In slightly better news, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities did see grade 8 mathematics improvement that was a bit stronger than that of their classmates.
• The other indicators provide similar evidence that we have not yet moved beyond our historic failures in closing achievement gaps.

The Prichard Committee will be doing further analysis on postsecondary readiness. It is difficult to compare this year’s 81% readiness rate directly to last year’s 79% rate, because this is the first year that readiness includes students who have been successful in work-based learning. While including that data going forward is beneficial, our analysis will need to consider how it affects year-to-year comparisons. We are also concerned to see that the percent of students reaching ACT benchmarks has declined and look forward to studying those patterns in more depth. If graduation rates remain steady or increase while postsecondary readiness measures decrease, that raises questions about how meaningful Kentucky’s high school diplomas are for preparing students for post-graduation life.

In response to today’s new data, the Prichard Committee urges Kentuckians in every community to review the results and develop new local efforts to ensure that our public schools offer all learners the full opportunities and supports they need to flourish. As a starting point, communities can work together on active family and community engagement, expanded and enriched learning times, integrated supports, and collaborative leadership and practices to support high-quality teaching.

The Prichard Committee also urges stronger state-level policy efforts and financial investments in our public schools. The new LETRS (Read to Succeed) program is off to a promising start, and added funding for kindergarten and school transportation are important starting points, but we need to do more as a commonwealth. Kentucky must deepen our efforts on teaching quality, working conditions, and shortages, and we must strengthen state SEEK funding, including meeting full transportation costs. Now is the time to invest appropriately in public education and ensure public dollars are not being diverted from the public schools that educate the vast majority of Kentucky students.

Overall, Kentucky’s future demands renewed and strengthened commitment to public schools that can equip each and every graduate has the durable skills and the depth of knowledge to succeed as adult learners, as workforce participants, and as contributors to our communities. It is every community members’ responsibility to help build a Big, Bold Future for the commonwealth with education at its core. Let’s get to work.

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