The Prichard Committee releases analysis of ‘school choice’ Amendment 2

July 30, 2024

‍FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa McKinney
lisa@prichardcommittee.org
(cell) 859-475-7202

Kentucky schools find innovative ways to prepare students for evolving economy  

LEXINGTON, Ky --The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence today released a series of stories spotlighting schools across Kentucky using innovative strategies to teach durable skills—such as communication, teamwork and collaboration—in their classrooms. These stories highlight a larger effort in the commonwealth to ensure that schools are preparing students to succeed in the workforce and meet the evolving needs of employers.  

“It is important to elevate the work Kentucky educators are doing to make sure students are gaining the skills they need to pursue their dreams and live a big, bold life,” said Prichard Committee President/CEO Brigitte Blom. “We must make certain that high school diplomas are meaningful and relevant to the world we live in. I hope these stories serve as an example of what can be achieved when educators, the business community and families come together to design programs and curricula that set students up for success.” 

The stories highlight seven counties: Allen, Boone, Carter, Floyd, Rowan, Shelby and Warren. 

Among the examples of students across Kentucky working toward more meaningful diplomas are the fourth graders of McBrayer Elementary in Rowan County. These students are making their mark on the rich tradition of storytelling in Appalachia, while developing both durable and technical skills, by sharing what it is like to be a kid in Eastern Kentucky today through their Adventures of Fourth Grade podcast. The students take turns writing, producing and presenting the monthly podcast, with a little help from the districts’ digital learning coach. Through the process, the students are learning research skills, collaboration, media literacy, technology and storytelling—all while sending a finished project out into the world.  

Project-based learning, which teaches real-world skills by doing, is being integrated into more and more Kentucky schools alongside traditional classroom instruction. This approach is part of a larger effort to make students’ experiences in school more relevant to the life and work skills they will need upon graduation. ‍ 

Project-based learning has also provided an opportunity for community members to become more engaged in the schools by providing projects, guidance and feedback.   

“I think a benefit of having community involvement is that the community is becoming aware of the deeper learning kinds of experiences that we are working on to give our students,” said Prichard Committee Member Edna Schack, who acts as a community liaison for Rowan County Schools. “It's not the school that I went to, and it's not the school that my kids went to 15, 20 years ago. It's important that the community see that students are learning, not just from paper and pencil, not just at the computer screen, but they're learning from their experiences and some of those experiences are happening in the community.”  

The spotlight stories and accompanying videos are available on the Prichard Committee website.  

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Increasing the reach of advanced coursework work will help close achievement gaps

LEXINGTON, Ky -- Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence President & CEO Brigitte Blom, AdvanceKentucky Executive Director Anthony Mires, and Executive Director of the Western Kentucky University Center for Gifted Studies Dr. Julia Roberts testified to the Interim Joint Committee on Education today about increasing access to advanced coursework for Kentucky students.  

Their testimony included proposing automatic enrollment into Advanced Placement, or AP, and advanced courses for students who meet eligibility requirements based on measurable state standards and other factors. Currently, students must opt in to take these classes; under an automatic enrollment system, they would have to opt out. Automatic enrollment helps expand the reach of advanced coursework classes and grow the number of traditionally underrepresented students taking advanced coursework.

“Participating in advanced coursework has been shown to increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates,” said Blom. “Automatic enrollment and incentives for advanced students and teachers will put more Kentucky students on the path to a successful life post-graduation.”

Students who do not qualify for automatic enrollment can still enroll in advanced coursework if they choose to do so.  

Between 2018 and 2022, the number of Kentucky students enrolled in AP courses declined across all student groups.  

“Often, parents and students don’t understand the value proposition these courses offer,” said Mires. “We have to take a more active approach to go out and find these students, especially when we look at this broad middle group of students who could be participating in these classes but are not.”

Disparities persist in which students participate in both AP and Dual Credit programs. In the 2021-22 school year, districts with high percentages - 75% or more - of students from low-income backgrounds had only 5% of students enrolled in AP courses. Districts with less than 50% of students from low-income backgrounds experienced a significantly smaller decline in AP enrollment.

“Kentucky has many students ready to learn at advanced levels,” said Roberts. “Many of them have few, if any, opportunities in their schools to learn at advanced levels. All students are not ready to learn on the same level. Some need advanced coursework to stay motivated and reach their potential.”

Other solutions presented to expand access to advanced coursework courses included:

• Online and reciprocal agreements: The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) would offer AP courses online or through agreements between school districts to ensure access for all students.

• Communicating the importance of advanced coursework: Schools would inform parents about the benefits of AP and advance coursework for eligible students.

• Implementing and incentive program for students and teachers: Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, Advanced Kentucky with support from KDE, would expand a program with monetary incentives for AP students and teachers based on increased AP exam passage rates.

• Annual reporting: KDE would report progress and outcomes to the Interim Joint Education Committee annually.

For more information on advanced coursework, visit https://www.prichardcommittee.org/toolkits.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Greater Owensboro was selected as the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence’s inaugural Groundswell Community Action awardee. The award recognizes Kentucky communities that have designed innovative solutions for improving schools, early care centers, and education outcomes at the local level through community engagement.

“Owensboro exemplifies what can happen when community members join together to use local assets to meet local needs, without waiting on state or federal intervention,” said Prichard Committee President Brigitte Blom. “This award recognizes the power of building a groundswell of community support for enacting meaningful change in our own backyards.”

Greater Owensboro received this honor with more than 350 education stakeholders from across Kentucky gathered at the Owensboro Convention Center June 10-12 for the Prichard Committee’s Groundswell Summit and Annual Meeting. Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson and President and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Candance Castlen Brake welcomed conference attendees.

“Owensboro has a long history of community collaboration aimed at finding solutions to the problems that face our residents,” said Prichard Committee Member Clay Ford, an Owensboro native. “You can see that in the way we’ve come together to build infrastructure, develop our riverfront, care for our community’s children, beautify the city and more.”

The Summit featured a panel highlighting Owensboro’s local work entitled Owensboro's Can-Do Spirit: A Committed Local Coalition's Efforts to Elevate Early Care and Education. The panelists were part of the Greater Owensboro Partnership for Early Development (GOPED), a coalition of local citizens who mobilized the community to increase access to and quality of early care and education in the city.

The Prichard Committee received a multi-year grant from the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro, which provided resources to help develop a plan for a high-quality early childhood ecosystem in Greater Owensboro. Using this partnership, GOPED has worked to harness the evidence-based power of high-quality early care and education to bolster kindergarten readiness and improve third grade reading proficiency.

“The Groundswell Summit is an opportunity for education champions from all corners of Kentucky to come together to share what they are doing in their own communities to enhance education outcomes,” said Blom. “Owensboro was the ideal setting to find inspiration.”

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