Kentucky sees improvements in graduation rates and college readiness 

Nov. 19, 2025
Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee
(cell) 859-475-7202
lisa@prichardcommittee.org

Mixed results in reading, math and kindergarten readiness show need to recommit to early literacy and education efforts  

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky School Report Card released this morning offers important bright spots and clear reminders of the deeper, stronger action needed to move Kentucky learners forward.

High school outcomes continue to gain ground. The four-year graduation rate rose to 93.5%, up from 92.3% last year. In addition, 83% of Kentucky’s seniors demonstrated postsecondary readiness through academic or career measures, an increase from 81% a year ago. These improvements reflect meaningful progress toward preparing students for their next steps.

Other results from the Kentucky Summative Assessment are more mixed. Eighth-grade proficiency increased to 40% in math (up from 37% last year) and 42% in reading (up from 41%). However, fourth-grade proficiency remains unchanged, with just 47% of students proficient in both reading and math. These stagnant early-grade results reinforce the need for sustained focus on foundational literacy and numeracy.

Kindergarten readiness continues to be an area of concern. Just 46% of incoming kindergarteners met readiness benchmarks in the fall of 2024—down from 48% in 2023. This decline warrants careful analysis to determine whether the change reflects shifts in early learning, assessment practices, or other emerging trends. Understanding the cause will be essential for reversing the trajectory.

This year’s data also reveal persistent disparities. English learners, students with disabilities, African American students, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds often score 20 points lower than their peers. Eliminating these gaps must remain at the center of Kentucky’s education agenda.

Even with mixed early-grade results, Kentucky’s new literacy and numeracy initiatives remain essential, and early evidence shows they are beginning to work. Third-party evaluators have reported promising results from the Kentucky Reading Academies. According to an independent analysis, grade 5 students taught by LETRS-trained teachers over consecutive years scored significantly higher in reading, with similar gains for special education students in grades 4 and 5. The Prichard Committee urges continued investment and expanded educator participation to accelerate this progress statewide.

Meanwhile, the encouraging gains in graduation and postsecondary readiness must be matched by deeper work to ensure Kentucky diplomas hold real value. The Prichard Committee’s new report, Kentucky’s Edge: A Diploma That Means More, outlines strategies to ensure every graduate emerges prepared for the future, including:

• Mastery of core academics
• Durable skills like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving
• Real-world learning that connects classrooms to careers
• Strong navigation skills for postsecondary and workforce pathways

Building Kentucky’s Big Bold Future will require both a groundswell of community engagement and steady state investment in learning as the gateway to opportunity. When partnership becomes infrastructure, students thrive. With our history of high poverty and low educational attainment, Kentucky must strengthen each and every learner. Kentucky students, and our state, deserve nothing less.

The Prichard Committee believes 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, non-partisan, 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.