Prichard Committee Launches Free Tools to Empower Kentucky Communities to Improve Education Outcomes   

Aug. 6, 2026
Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee
(cell) 859-475-7202
lisa@prichardcommittee.org

New and Updated Resources Give Parents, Educators, Business Leaders and Nonprofits Actionable Data and Strategies for Local Impact 

LEXINGTON, Ky–The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence today announced a powerful suite of free tools designed to help community members, businesses, families and nonprofits understand and strengthen education outcomes in their own communities. The resources, including two newly launched tools, equip every Kentuckian with the data, strategies and connections needed to make a meaningful difference in their local schools and communities.

“Kentucky’s communities are the engine of progress in education, and now they have the tools to better understand their local needs and resources and take action,” said Brigitte Blom, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee. “Whether you’re a parent wanting to improve kindergarten readiness or early literacy, a business leader who wants to help improve the success of high school graduates or a nonprofit working on the front lines, these tools were built for you. We believe that when communities have the right data, the right strategies and the right connections, there is no challenge too big for the Commonwealth to tackle.”

NEW: Groundswell Initiative Map for Advancing Partnerships Connects People, Programs and Partnerships 

The Groundswell Initiative Map is a first-of-its-kind interactive tool that brings together the people, programs and partnerships working to help Kentucky children and families thrive. By connecting local data, community assets and ideas for action, the map creates a shared starting point for collaboration.

The Groundswell Initiative Map enables users to:

• Discover programs, services and supports that help learners and families thrive

• Find partners and align efforts across organizations for greater community impact

• Follow guided tools that turn local insight into concrete collaboration and action

The map is designed for anyone committed to educational progress in Kentucky, including parents, community members, educators, policymakers, nonprofit staff, business leaders and local champions working on their own or as part of a team. The Groundswell Initiative Map is available here.

Groundswell Community Profiles: A Window Into Local Education 

The Groundswell Community Profiles offer an in-depth look at the state of education in each of Kentucky’s 171 school districts. Updated and published annually by the Prichard Committee, these profiles provide key indicators of learning progress spanning early childhood through postsecondary education—giving communities the local data they need to understand where their district stands and where improvement is most urgently needed.

Communities can use the profiles to compare local school district performance against state averages on critical education measures, sparking informed conversations and driving targeted action. The profiles are available free of charge at the Prichard Committee website.

NEW: Education Toolkits Address Kentucky’s Most Critical Challenges 

The Prichard Committee’s collection of Education Toolkits is designed to empower parents, educators, community leaders, business partners and nonprofit organizations with practical, research-backed strategies for tackling Kentucky’s most pressing education challenges. Each toolkit provides a comprehensive, step-by-step framework for building a plan tailored to a community’s unique needs.

Each toolkit includes:

• An overview of the challenge and its context in Kentucky
• Early signals and long-term outcomes to watch for
• Proven strategies and actionable insights
• Relevant programs, policies and practices
• Additional resources for deeper exploration

Four toolkits are available at launch, covering four of Kentucky’s most urgent education priorities: Kindergarten Readiness, Meaningful Diploma, Advanced Coursework and Chronic Absenteeism. Users who are unsure where to begin can pair any toolkit with their county’s Groundswell Community Profile to identify local priorities. The toolkits are available here.

About the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence 

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.