I was on hand at the Prichard Committee annual meeting last fall when the Division of Family Resource and Youth Services Center (DFRYSC) was recognized with an Award of Excellence. Brigitte Blom, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee stated that FRYSCs were the true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. And I completely agree.

FRYSCs were established as a component of the historic Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990. The mission of these school-based Centers is to help academically at-risk students succeed in school by helping to minimize or eliminate non-cognitive barriers to learning. Today in KY, there are 888 FRYSCs in over 1,200 schools.

FRYSCs coordinated over 49,000 home visits during the school closure (March-June 2020). The majority of these were likely to deliver food, household supplies and NTI packets. For comparison, during the same period in the previous year, FRYSCs coordinated 8,000 home visits.

The work of the center coordinators and administrative division is a team effort, and this recognition means so much to our team. My participation in early focus groups as a business leader, being in the legislative chambers the day the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) was passed, and then implementing the first FRYSCs in Rowan County led to a very unexpected 31-year career with FRYSC. Bringing schools, communities, business, industry and faith-based partners together collaboratively was brilliant for both the Prichard Committee and the founding principles of DFRYSC. And it continues to be nationally recognized as the model for implementation.

Less than two months after DFRYSC and its staff were honored, the Prichard Committee in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education and DFRYSC received a 5-year grant from the US Department of Education to establish effective and evidenced-based “community schools” in collaboration with identified local schools and communities.

Under Melissa Goin’s leadership and the entire FRYSC staff, coordinators and partners DFRYSC has broadened with vitality and strength to sustain the original vision as the national standard for excellence in providing school-based student and family services. I’m excited about the opportunities that this grant provides for our Commonwealth to meet the whole needs of Kentucky students and families.

Press Release link.

This year marks a significant milestone for the Prichard Committee, as we gear up to utilize a $47 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. We will channel $30 million of this grant directly into the Kentucky education system through the implementation of full-service community schools, known as the Kentucky Community School Initiative, across 20 school districts.

This initiative will be driven by deep community engagement and comprehensive planning that aims to better coordinate existing community resources and develop new ones that have been proven to support student success. We are actively seeking 16 additional school districts to join us in this transformative mission for Kentucky education.

If you believe your school district would be a great fit for this initiative, we encourage you to continue reading this blog, check out the resources linked below, and fill out the interest survey to receive future information.

The initiative is built on an evidence-based model that has been shown to significantly improve educational outcomes. The research demonstrates that effectively implemented community schools result in improved student achievement, reduced dropout rates, higher college enrollment, and better overall health and well-being for students and families—especially in high-poverty schools.

The model is structured around four foundational pillars for student success and includes:

• Active family and community engagement
• Expanded and enriched learning times
• Integrated Supports
• Collaborative leadership and practices to support high-quality teaching

These pillars will be supported with an array of pipeline services shown to enhance student success, like early childhood programs and support for postsecondary and workforce readiness. For a more detailed understanding of the approach, we recommend reading the Prichard Committee KCSI brief.

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The development of full-service community schools in 20 districts across Kentucky will be supported by a state steering committee and the University of Kentucky College of Education Center for Evaluation. Through this collaborative effort, we aim to contribute to the research literature on effective community-school models and scale promising approaches statewide. We believe that this initiative has the potential to be truly transformational, removing non-academic barriers to student success and ensuring improved outcomes for Kentucky’s young people.

We are grateful for the support of our partners, the Kentucky Department of Education, the Family Resource Youth Service Centers, and the UK Center for Evaluation. We encourage interested school districts to indicate their interest and follow the link to the interest form.

The first meeting of the Kentucky Community Schools Initiative Steering Committee will be held at the Groundswell Summit in Floyd County on June 14 and 15. The Summit will showcase the Great Schools Showcase, a platform for passionate educators and community members to share their innovative ideas for enhancing school performance. Additionally, we are honored to host distinguished speakers, including Vito J. Borrello, the first Executive Director for NAFSCE; Anne Henderson, Vice Chair of NAFSCE’s Board of Directors; and Dr. Donnie Ray Hale, Jr. Ed.D., Regional Deputy Director, Southern Regional TAC.

For more information, please reach out to Brooke Gill, Vice President & Director of the Collaborative for Families and Schools, at brooke.gill@prichardcommittee.org or Travis M. Marcum, Director of Kentucky Community Schools, at travis@prichardcommittee.org.

April 25, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Prichard Committee President Brigitte Blom Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from UK’s Martin School of Public Policy

‍Blom is a 20-year Education Leader in Kentucky

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Lexington, KY – Prichard Committee President Brigitte Blom, a 2007 Martin School graduate with a master’s degree in public policy, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes Martin School alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen career path within public service.

Blom has been a leader in the education field for over 20 years, serving as director of public policy for United Way of Greater Cincinnati before being named to lead the Prichard Committee in 2015. She also spent a decade as an elected member of the Board of Education in Pendleton County and is the former vice chair of the Kentucky State Board of Education.

“Graduates from the University of Kentucky Martin School leave prepared to take on the challenges facing Kentucky and the nation. Attending the Martin School was a formative experience for me, both in my career and in my commitment to the power of public service to ensure positive change in our communities,” said Blom. “Attending the Martin School was instrumental in my lifelong dedication to bringing together coalitions to improve education and the economic well-being of Kentuckians.”

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The Martin School Board of Visitors selected Blom as the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. The award is presented each year at the Alumni and Friends event to Martin School alumni who have excelled in their leadership roles across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

“Brigitte is widely respected for her efforts in both the public and private sector to affect policy decisions that result in an improved quality of life,” Zimmer said.  “Over the course of her career, she has worked on a variety of important public policy issues ranging from early childhood education and poverty to state taxes and budgets. We are very proud to claim her as a graduate of the Martin School.”

Blom was recognized at the 2023 Alumni and Friends event on April 14, 2023. She was awarded alongside late Gov. Edward T. (Ned) Breathitt Jr. and State Sen. Gerald Neal as the newest members of the Kentucky Public Service Hall of Fame.

For more information about the Prichard Committee, visit www.prichardcommittee.org.

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Contact:
Courtney Daniel, Director of Communications and External Affairs
courtney@prichardcommittee.org

It is a pleasure for me to share how much we have learned together with parents and teachers in our Hispanic community.

My name is Ana Reid, of Honduran origin, married, I am also the mother of 3 girls and 1 boy.

I participated in many programs in my children’s schools to work together with the teachers. I understood the importance of teamwork. It should be noted that I am also the mother of a son with autism, which at the time was hard to accept. But I thank God and the system that through these programs they help us fight for the best for our children. I committed myself more and more and took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. Although sometimes with fears, but I remained firm and focused on helping my family and serving my community.

Here the opportunities for me to be a facilitator of the Family Service-Learning program are born, and I said let’s do it!

We started with 12 families, we brainstormed ideas to carry out a project in our Spanish-speaking community, and that is where the idea of ​​a day of Camp was born, which we named “CAMP CELEBRATING HISPANIC FAMILIES” 2022.

Why was this project an important opportunity for our Hispanic community?

The idea of ​​all these programs has a single purpose. Seek the best so that all families and children have the best performance possible. Starting from this!

The normal thing in American culture is that parents know about summer camps because summer means the end of the school year and the beginning of two months ahead, where leisure and free time are the protagonists for the little ones in the house. Faced with so many hours to have fun and without obligations, many parents choose to enroll their children in a school or summer camp, due to the multiple benefits that this brings to the child, both physically and emotionally.
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The Hispanic culture was formally unaware of the experience of what a summer camp means and its benefits. And they took options like:

• many families send their children to visit their uncles, grandparents, and cousins ​​in their countries of origin.
• If there is no budget for this trip, they spend hours day and night in front of a video game
• I must also admit that Hispanic parents are very jealous and distrustful, for this reason they are afraid of sending their children with strangers.
• For the majority of families that emigrate to the United States, it is to work and take the best things home and help those who remain in their country. For this reason, there are very few families that have a budget to go on vacation even if it is once a year. So, this is no longer an option to get your children out of the routine.

Based on this brief explanation. We thought of having a parent-child camp day so that they could experience and trust where to take their children and that the children also create high expectations of how much fun this could be with other children of the same age. And that they can prepare with enough time to be able to cover these camp costs in a more organized way.

Our goal was for them to know the alternatives, so that later it would depend solely on them to help their children. Because we learned that when you want to do somethingwe search with passion. And we find!

One big problem was all these camps were too expensive to provide this one-day experience for parents and children to do the same thing. And we did not have the means to create it ourselves, nor the facilities. I remember they knocked on the doors of YMCA CAMP EARNST and they said yes to our project the first time and when they talked about costs it was wonderful because it was symbolic $1 per person. And there began the second part of the adventure. We needed food and a church donated it. Then the YMCA called us and said that that dollar that they were going to charge per person would also be donated to our project, which we used to buy some things that we would need that day. Then we thought that we should get the families together to go on a bus and live the experience from beginning to end. Just like the kids arriving at a camp. The R.A. Jones school helped us with several buses. That was a great achievement for all these parents organizing such an event. They discovered capabilities they didn’t know they had and felt the pride of being part of this project. When we checked the registrations, we had 150 people for our day of camp. It was amazing.

I remember that the excitement increased, and they prepared catwalks with typical costumes from their countries, days before the camp they made piñatas that they enjoyed breaking that day.

We made bow and arrows, took horse and pony rides, went on walks, made crafts, had outdoor games and sports, and went on canoe rides. We had the most beautiful experiences with our children, seeing those smiles on their faces and knowing that these were quality moments for our families to open their eyes and make provision to continue giving their children the best on an emotional and physical level. In those vacation times helping them channel their little lives in a better way. To create men and women who contribute to their environment with every skill they possess.

One day was very short, but we planted that seed that is sustained by knowing how they can help their children from now on and spread the word about this beautiful experience. Thanks to all those people who contributed to our great Hispanic family.

THE SEED IS PLANTED! WE WILL SEE THEIR FRUITS SOON.

Ana Reid

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Es un placer para mi compartir lo mucho que hemos aprendido junto a padres y maestros en nuestra comunidad Hispana.

Mi nombre es Ana Reid, de origen hondureño, casada, también soy mama de 3 niñas y 1 niño

Participe de muchos programas en las escuelas de mis hijos. Comprendí la importancia de trabajar en equipo. Cabe resaltar que también soy madre de un hijo con autismo. lo que en su momento fue duro para aceptarlo. Pero agradezco a Dios y al sistema que atreves de estos programas nos ayudan a luchar en pro de lo mejor para nuestros niños.  me comprometí cada vez más y aproveché cada oportunidad que llegaba a mí. aunque a veces con temores, pero seguí firme y enfocada en ayudar a mi familia y servir a mi comunidad.

Aquí ¡Nacen las oportunidades para mí de ser un facilitador del programa Family Service Learning, y dije hagámoslo!

comenzamos con 12 familias, tomamos una lluvia de ideas para realizar un proyecto en nuestra comunidad de habla hispana, y ahí es donde nace la idea de un día de Campamento al que nombramos “CAMPAMENTO CELEBRANDO FAMILIAS HISPANAS” 2022.

¿Por qué este proyecto era una oportunidad importante para nuestra comunidad hispana?

La idea de todos estos programas tiene un solo fin. Buscar lo mejor para que todas las familias y niños tengan el mejor desempeño posible. ¡Partiendo de esto!

Lo normal en la cultura americana es que los padres conocen sobre los campamentos de verano por que verano significa el fin del curso escolar y el inicio de dos meses por delante, donde el ocio y el tiempo libre son los protagonistas para los pequeños de la casa. Ante tantas horas para pasarlo bien y sin obligaciones, muchos padres optan por apuntar a sus hijos a una escuela o campamento de verano, por los múltiples beneficios que ello aporta al niño tanto a nivel físico como emocional.
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La cultura hispana desconocía formalmente la experiencia de lo que significa un campamento de verano y sus beneficios. Y tomaban opciones como:

• muchas familias envíen a sus hijos para que visiten a sus tíos, abuelos y primos en los países de origen.
• si no hay presupuesto para este viaje, pasan horas día y noche frente a un video juego.
• También debo reconocer que los padres hispanos son muy celosos y desconfiados por esta razón les asusta enviar a sus hijos con desconocidos.
• Para la mayoría de las familias que emigran a Estados Unidos es para trabajar y llevar lo mejor a casa y ayudar a los quedaron en su país. Por esta razón son muy contadas las familias que disponen de un presupuesto para ir de vacaciones aun que sea 1 vez al año. Entonces esta deja de ser una opción para sacar a sus hijos de la Rutina.

Basándonos en esta breve explicación. Pensamos en tener un día de campamento padres e hijos para que pudieran experimentar y confiar a donde llevar a sus hijos y que también los niños crearan altas expectativas lo divertido que esto podía ser con otros chicos de sus mismas edades. Y que puedan prepararse con tiempo suficiente para poder cubrir de una manera más organizada estos costos del campamento.

Nuestra meta era que conocieran las alternativas para que luego dependiera únicamente de ellos ayudar a sus hijos. ¡Por que aprendimos que cuando se quiere hacer algo! Buscamos con Pasión. ¡Y encontramos!

Un gran problema fue todos estos campamentos eran muy caros para brindar esta experiencia de un día a padres e hijos. Y nosotros no teníamos los medios para crearlo nosotros mismo, ni las instalaciones. recuerdo que se tocaron las puertas de YMCA CAMP EARNST y nos dijo a la primera que si a nuestro proyecto y cuando se hablaron de costos era una maravilla porque era simbólico 1$ por persona s.  Y ahí comenzó la segunda parte de la aventura. Necesitábamos comida y una iglesia la dono. Luego YMCA nos llamó y dijo que ese dólar que iba a cobrar por persona también lo donaría a nuestro proyecto lo que aprovechamos para comprar algunas cosas que necesitaríamos ese día. Luego pensamos que debíamos juntar las familias para ir en un bus y vivir la experiencia de principio a fin. Tal y como llegan los chicos a un campamento. la escuela R.A. Jones nos colaboró con varios buses. Eran grandes logros por todos estos padres organizando tal evento. Ellos descubrieron capacidades que no sabían que tenían y sintieron ese orgullo de ser parte de este proyecto. Cuando revisamos las inscripciones teníamos 150 personas para nuestro día de campamento. Era increíble.

Recuerdo que la emoción aumento y prepararon pasarelas con trajes típicos de sus países, días previos al campamento elaboraron piñatas de las que disfrutaron romper ese día Hicimos arco y flecha, paseos en poni y ccaballo, caminatas, manualidades, juegos al aire libre y deportes, paseamos e canoas y deslizamos entre túneles.Tuvimos las más hermosas experiencias al lado de nuestros hijos, ver esas sonrisas en sus rostros y saber que eran momentos de calidad a nuestras familias para abrir sus ojos y hacer provisión de seguir dándoles lo mejor a sus hijos a nivel emocional y físico. En esos tiempos de vacaciones ayudándolos a canalizar de una mejor manera sus pequeñas vidas. Para crear hombres y mujeres que aporten a su entorno con cada habilidad que posean.

Un día fue muy corto, pero les sembramos esa semilla que se sostiene en el saber de cómo pueden ayudar a sus hijos de aquí en adelante y pasar la voz de esa hermosa experiencia. Gracias a todas esas personas que colaboraron a nuestra gran familia hispana.

¡LA SEMILLA ESTA PLANTADA!  VEREMOS SUS FRUTOS PRONTO.

Ana Reid

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Question: Have Kentucky public schools seen an enrollment decline based on parents choosing private or home school options after the pandemic disruption?

‍Short Answer: If that change is happening, it isn’t very big. I don’t think it can involve more than 2% of public elementary school enrollment. The elementary enrollment decline is only 4% from 2019 to 2022, and part of that has to be from lower birth rates.

Long Answer: Here’s why it can’t be very big.Let me start with a caveat. A few years back, Kentucky changed the kindergarten entry age from being five by October 1 to being five by August 1. That gave us a lean year and a fat year for kindergarten enrollment. First, the kids who turned 5 in August and September 2016 weren’t part of the 2016-2017 class unless they got a waiver to attend. Then, those kids joined the 2017-18 class—along with kids a full year younger. That complicates any quick comparisons to years before the 2019 school year. In the charts that follow, I’m showing the 2017 and 2018 school years, but when I calculate percent change, I’ll base those changes on comparing 2019 and 2022. Now, the data.From the 2019 academic year to the 2022 academic year, Kentucky’s K-12 public enrollment declined 2%, from 668,505 to 656,157.
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Looking at grade levels, Kentucky public schools had 2019 to 2022 changes of:

• 4.1% decline for elementary grades
• 1.7% decline for middle grades
• 1.4% growth for high schools (including grade 14 students with IEPs where grade level isn’t counted)

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Here’s an important added fact: much off that decline in numbers has to come from declining births. Comparing 2008 births to 2016, Kentucky saw a 6% drop off, a trend that flows through into reduction in who became eligible to start school from fall 2013 to fall 2021.
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Accordingly, some moving away from public education after pandemic disruption may be happening, but it can’t be huge. As a sandlot maximum, it might be 2% of elementary kids—half the decline from 2019 to 2022, with the other half coming from lower numbers of births.Implication: The change-to-other-schools trend can’t be very large. For policy analysis, it’s probably more important to think about how each level of education will need to adjust as they have fewer students in the coming years.

LOCAL MOMENTUM BUILDS TO DELIVER UPDATED SKILLS, RELEVANT LEARNING

Schools across Kentucky are in the midst of a pivotal overhaul: moving beyond the outdated world of worksheets, multiple-choice tests, and sit-still-for-a-long-lecture learning. Groups of teachers, entire schools and some districts are opting for a fast-forward to meet a pair of fundamental needs:

>   Employers report that new workers are seriously ill-prepared for modern productivity. Collaborative and flexible workplaces need nimble employees who can analyze situations and information, work together to solve problems, and be ready to make changes or customize products. Those skills have taken hold in higher education, civic enterprises, and social interaction. However, schools working in a subject-by-subject, passive mode where facts are disconnected from current conditions, controversies or curiosities are out of sync with the world of work.

>   Today’s generation of students are known as tech-savvy natural networkers. They find information in new ways from unexpected sources and binge on interests at all hours. Yet, schools working in a subject-by-subject, passive mode where facts are disconnected from current conditions, controversies or curiosities are out of sync with the students they serve.

Realizing that schools are out of tune — and that testing and accountability plus state laws and regulations reinforce traditional approaches — many educators are opting for updates that redefine expectations and engage students. Their goals are better preparation, stronger achievement, and schooling that draws students and teachers into explorations rooted in community and current issues.

The Prichard Committee is focused on state and local movement toward a more meaningful diploma. It is vital to update the system to better serve all students and deliver the fundamentals — and provide advantages — for adult success.

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SPECIAL REPORTING SERIES AVAILABLE NOW

Starting last fall, we visited innovative classrooms across the state. Interviews with dozens of teachers, students, administrators, employers and more are captured in a series of four stories offering an up-close view of new approaches. Go inside classrooms bringing learning to life while practicing modern fundamentals of productivity. The series showcases emerging issues, new techniques and challenges involved in making durable skills and deeper learning available to all students.

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The stories cover key topics:

RETHINKING NECESSARY SKILLS AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES to better prepare students for challenges to learn, work and thrive beyond high school. Visits to schools in Rowan and Jefferson counties offer glimpses of active, relevant learning experiences and how educators are equipping students as communicators, collaborators, problem solvers and more.

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UPDATING OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS with local “graduate profiles,” greater student voice, and new connections to employers and communities. The Shelby County district is working with even its youngest students to reset expectations and classroom experiences. Over the past decade, the growing move toward deeper learning and durable skills has grown from grassroots conversations about local needs and how schools can better serve students and communities.

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RENEWING PROFESSIONAL POSSIBILITIES as educators explore creative options for learning experiences and personalized connections that will spark student interest. The experiences of teachers in Marshall and Fayette counties show how creating deeper learning for students also boosts engagement and relevance for educators.

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MAKING STRONGER PERFORMANCE MAINSTREAM by expanding engaging and effective learning environments to replace outdated approaches and preparation. Bringing learning to life and delivering durable skills is now a priority in the state education department’s strategic plan. Regional education cooperatives are playing a key role with school-level coaching and support. A visit to Allen County shows 11-year-olds using local economic development issues as a focal point for social studies concepts. Leaders in the move toward transforming schools share challenges to making promising approaches a fixture of teaching and learning.

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The Prichard Committee emphasizes excellence in education and the path to a larger life. The Meaningful Diploma series informs an important conversation with up-close examples and explanations of key issues. It’s a topic gaining steam and overdue in Kentucky’s drive to make sure students and communities prosper.

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The General Assembly passed HB 9, setting charter school funding and deadlines for pilot charters in Jefferson County and northern Kentucky. In August, our blog series summarized those rules and identified a few puzzles.

There have been some new developments, so here's a quick briefing on updated regulations, Northern Kentucky University’s board decision not to take on a charter role, the lack of Jefferson County applications, new charter litigation, and the arrival of a Madison County charter school application.

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What's in the new regulations?

In October, the Kentucky Board of Education amended state charter school regulations. Although KBE regulations can change operating rules for state initiatives, these amendments simply added what House Bill 9 required and deletes some terms that HB 9 removed from state law.

Emergency versions of the amended regulations are in effect now. KBE adopted the emergency versions to provide clarity for charter applications to be filed early in 2023. Permanent versions will move more slowly through a legislative review process.

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How will Northern Kentucky authorize a charter school?

The Northern Kentucky University board will not become a charter school authorizer. HB 9 gave them 1/2/2023 deadline to opt into that role, but the board’s December 2022 meeting, no director made a motion to take it up.

Concerns listed in an NKU press release included “lack of start-up funding available to the authorizer,” the approval timeline, legal costs and “the financial viability of a small-scale charter schools”operation.

Since NKU bowed out, a charter must be authorized in Kenton or Campbell County by 7/1/2024, approved by a collective of 22 school board members: two each from Bellevue, Campbell, Covington, Dayton, Erlanger-Elsmere, Fort Thomas, Kenton, Ludlow, Newport, and Southgate.

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When will Jefferson County authorize a charter?

In January, no one applied to form a Jefferson County charter school. 1/23/23 was the JCPS board’s deadline to apply for a 2024-25 opening date. House Bill 9 calls for that board to approve a charter by 7/1/23, but approval seems impossible without any applications.

Earlier, Dr. Veda Pendleton had filed a notice of intent for a “LYCEE of Louisville” charter, listing its mission, governing board, and enrollment plan, but she did not file a full application by 1/23/23:
www.jefferson.kyschools.us/schools/charter-schools/charter-school-archives

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How will litigation affect authorization?

In December, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that “education opportunity accounts” violated state constitutional rules. Though not about charter schools, the ruling may set precedent for K-12 funding cases.

In January, the Council for Better Education, joined by Jefferson and Dayton school boards, filed suit saying that charter funding violates Kentucky's constitution.

Litigation like the new charter case will take months for initial motions, followed by hearings, briefings, a ruling, and appeals. The case may or may not be resolved in time for charter schools to open with clear financial resources in the summer/fall of 2024.

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Will Madison County be the first Kentucky authorizer?

In January, Madison County did receive a charter application. Gus LaFontaine, co-founder of LaFontaine Preparatory School and LaFontaine Early Learning Center, said his planned school will lower class sizes and raise teacher pay.

Madison County has more than 7,500 students, so the board cannot block the application by refusing a memorandum of agreement. Instead, the board must act on the application within 60 days. If the board finds deficiencies, the applicant can ask for another 60 days to fix those problems.

Taking all these developments together, Kentucky may open one charter school in 2024 in Madison County. That said a second charter is now looking unlikely until at least 2025.

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‍For our fuller analysis, download  "Charter Schools: Some Kentucky Questions and Answers." We've compiled our May 2022 series and this February 2023 update to get the basics of Kentucky rules all in one document.To put the whole series in context, here's a central point from Brigitte Blom's post starting of this coverage:

"The Prichard Committee does not support or oppose charter schools for themselves. Our goal is excellence with equity in public education. In our 2014 report, we highlighted evidence that some charter schools have successfully contributed to moving forward on that agenda, as well as noting evidence that many charter schools do not help much and some moved students in the wrong direction. As Kentucky is positioned to open some charter schools in the near future, our focus remains the same: we want excellence and equity for all Kentucky students, and we’ll press for charter schools to be part of achieving that goal. We plan to be serious about quality and serious about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging –for Kentucky public charter schools along with all the other public schools that serve our students and build our shared future."

February 8, 2023
‍FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‍For More Information Contact:
Suzetta Creech, Chief of Staff
screech@prichardcommittee.org

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The Steele-Reese Foundation provides Prichard Committee grant to Survey Teachers in Appalachia Kentucky

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LEXINGTON, KY –The Steele-Reese Foundation has committed multi-year support to the Prichard Committee to develop a study of post-COVID recovery strategies for and by teachers in Appalachia Kentucky.

Since its inception, the Steele-Reese Foundation has maintained a focus on the unique challenges of rural living and on helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities. Eleanor Steele Reese, daughter of Charles Steele – a banker, lawyer, and business associate of J.P. Morgan – created The Steele-Reese Foundation in 1955. The Foundation’s name honors Eleanor’s family as well as the family of her husband, Emmet Reese, who grew up in the Appalachian foothill’s community of East Bernstadt, KY.

The grant to the Prichard Committee will assist in establishing a team of teachers that will design and distribute a survey to teachers in Appalachia Kentucky. Along with quantitative collection of data, stories of resilience, challenges, and bright spots will be captured and published in a report. The Appalachia Educator Alliance, led by Allison Slone from Rowan County includes Dr. Emmanuel Anama-Green, Carly Baldwin, Brison Harvey, Kera Howard, and Tiffany Perkins.

“Steele-Reese’s support will help build a new foundation for education. It allows us to ask those closest to the process what resources and supports they need to meet students and families where they are and to ensure student learning catches up and persists in the months and years ahead,” said Brigitte Blom, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee. “We honor Steele-Reese’s commitment to supporting teachers who are dedicated to improving educational attainment in Kentucky’s Appalachian communities.”

“Our board does not see this grant as a “gift” to the Prichard Committee but rather as an investment,” said Judy Owens, Appalachian Director for the Steele-Reese Foundation. “Steele-Reese hopes to place tools in the hands of pragmatic problem solvers as they build a community that loves and cares for children.”

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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.

January 19, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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‍For more information, contact:
Brigitte Blom, President & CEO
brigitte@PrichardCommittee.org

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Prichard Committee receives $47 million grant from U.S. Department of Education for Full-Service Community Schools

$30 Million invested directly in School-Community Partnerships Over 5-Years

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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence has been awarded a 5-year grant from the United States Department of Education (USDOE) in the amount of $47,254,772. The grant will support collaboration between the Prichard Committee and local school-communities to establish effective and evidenced-based “community schools” for students and families most in need of removing barriers to learning.

Over the course of the grant, the Prichard Committee will work with up to 40 school-community partnerships statewide. The first cohort of 8 includes 2 schools each in Jefferson County, Owensboro Independent, Daviess County, and Rowan County. $30 million of the total grant award will go directly to communities and schools following community conversations about need and greater alignment and coordination of existing community services – with the goal of improved education outcomes while in school and after high school graduation.

“To realize sustained improvement in academic outcomes, and to break cycles of generational poverty, communities need to be at the table, with schools, to ensure all assets available are utilized to support student success and to protect time for teachers to do what they do best—teach,” said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee. “We are excited by the opportunity this grant presents for deepened school-community partnerships and are grateful for the first cohort of school districts who said yes to this opportunity.”

The statewide effort will provide proof points for scaling of promising approaches to implementing the four pillars of community schools: 1) integrated student supports that address out-of-school barriers to learning through partnerships with social and health service agencies and providers; 2) expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; 3) active family and community engagement; and 4) collaborative leadership and practices (including high-quality teaching).

The Prichard Committee will work with the College of Education, Evaluation Center, at the University of Kentucky to evaluate the impact of the work and to contribute to the growing body of research on effective community schools.

Community schools provide a range of services to meet the unique needs of students, families, and the broader communities they serve. Studies have found that well-implemented community schools can lead to improved student and school outcomes, particularly for students in high-poverty schools.

“We are pleased that a number of other school districts in the state received local or regional grants from the USDOE and that Partners for Rural Impact (PRI), located in Berea Kentucky, also received a scaling grant for concentrated work in Appalachia,” said Blom. “We are especially excited to be doing this work alongside Dreama Gentry and her team at PRI.”

• USDOE Press Release:  https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-63-million-expand-community-schools-and-increase-social-emotional-mental-health-and-academic-support-students-educators-and-families
• Awards Page with Proposal Abstracts: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/full-service-community-schools-program-fscs/awards/

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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.

By Brooke Gill, Senior Director of Family Engagement Practice and Policy

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Dr. Sonja Yow, Professor in the College of Education and Applied Human Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University, asked this of her preservice teachers last semester: “As you approach your final semester of school, what is the number one area you still feel least prepared and presents the biggest challenge for you?” Some might expect answers like individualizing learning, student mental health, writing lesson plans, or navigating in-school environments. However, the overwhelming response… (drum roll)… “Working with families.”

“Research points to family and community engagement as one of the most important predictors of student and life success. Yet, research consistently shows that educators have limited opportunities to learn and practice family and community engagement during their preparation and throughout their careers.” –National Association for Families Schools and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) 2022

In the fall of 2022, the KY Collaborative for Families Schools issued a survey to all Kentucky educator preparation programs and found that 74% of preservice programs would improve family engagement components if they were given the tools and resources. However, only 22% of respondents offer a standalone course in family and community partnership best practices. The 2022 Survey Findings Report also revealed the number one challenge is too many other required courses and standards to meet.

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With funding from NAFSCE, we can respond to these national and state survey findings by developing innovative approaches to stronger family partnership coursework and field experiences for preservice teachers.

This project runs now through June 2023 and will be co-led by Dr. Edna Schack, Prichard Committee Member and Professor Emeritus at Morehead State University. Families will serve as advisors in the development of a series of seminars and field experiences for Kentucky preservice teachers and faculty in partnership with Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) and Madison County Schools, and Morehead State University (MSU) and Rowan County Schools. Corbin Independent and Menifee County Schools will also serve as field sites for prospective teachers. The conclusion and call to action for all Kentucky educator preparation programs will take place in June at the Kentucky Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (KACTE) annual conference. Kentucky will also join a national community of practice with grantees from the other seven states and NAFSCE researchers.

As result of this work, we hope more Kentucky preservice programs have tools and resources for equipping our rising educators with intentional, high-impact family partnership strategies. Teachers must enter the classroom with a desire to partner with families and the confidence to make the first move in developing those strong and authentic relationships.

We would love support and feedback on our approach to this new and innovative work. Please reach out to learn more!

• Read 2022 Family Engagement in KY Educator Preparation Programs survey findings here
• Email brooke.gill@prichardcommittee.org for more information or to get involved

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DURABLE SKILLS REPORT 2022

FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, the primary purpose of our schools has been to maximize academic achievement. However, over that time, the world has greatly changed. We believe the purpose of schools today is to ensure students can think critically and creatively, collaborate effectively with others, apply skills and knowledge to solving real problems, and find meaningful, fulfilling ways to contribute to the world and their community.

In an era when technical skills are evolving at an unprecedented pace, there is an important set of durable ‘soft skills’ that last throughout an entire career—how we use what we know (critical thinking, communication, etc.) and our character skills. America Succeeds’ Durable Skills initiative seeks to ensure every individual is prepared with the soft skills necessary for success in the workforce regardless of educational attainment, career path, or industry sector.

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Defining Durable Skills

Our hypothesis is that every job in every sector requires Durable Skills. Based on Lightcast’s database of tens of millions of employer job postings from the past two years, we started by categorizing 100 of the most in-demand Durable Skills into 10 major themes or competencies.

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COMPETENCY DESCRIPTIONS

• Leadership: Directing efforts and delivering results
• Character: personal and professional conduct
• Collaboration: teamwork and connection
• Communication: Information exchange and management
• Creativity: New ideas and novel solutions
• Critical Thinking: Informed ideas and effective solutions
• Metacognition: Self understanding and personal management
• Mindfulness: Interpersonal and self awareness
• Growth Mindset: Improvement and aspiration
• Fortitude: Constitution and inspiration

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View the full report here.