Great Schools & Communities Innovate Together: Jennifer Fraley, Carter County

There is a movement going on in Carter County schools. A multi-faceted movement to establish and cultivate authentic and meaningful community partnerships. These community-based partnerships aim to create a more equitable future for every student in Carter County through an inclusive co-design process.

Stakeholders engaged in all aspects of this innovative work include current and former students, families, teachers, local business and community members, elected officials, and others who are interested in co-creating a positive, bright future for all Carter County kids. The co-creation is intentional, with a clear focus on students and outcomes that are mutually beneficial to the entire community and developed through a strengths-based approach.

A driving element of the work is Carter County’s Local Laboratory of Learning (L3). The L3 launched by inviting and enlisting individuals (school, families, community and beyond) to be part of our guiding coalition. The group conducted 296 empathy interviews to understand family and community priorities and opportunities. The L3 guiding coalition adopted America Succeeds’ Durable Skills Framework as foundational skills and competencies that all Carter County Students need. The coalition has supported the development of a mentoring program for students to match them with educators and staff they share interests with. The students are working toward the development and completion of a Personal Skills Profile (PSP) that drives a very personalized approach to education. Students and staff will be able to demonstrate their skills aligned to the Durable Skills Framework through district-created “badges” or “micro-credentials” that give students flexibility in how they demonstrate their competencies.

As a result of the foundational L3 work and direction, Carter County applied for and received a Kentucky Community Schools Initiative (KCSI) grant from the Prichard Committee to not only develop two Community Schools in their largest elementary schools, Olive Hill and Prichard Elementary, but to expand that model to their other nine schools.