Kentucky releases school accountability results

Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 7:08 AM

By Kentucky Department of Education release

Carroll, Trimble and Gallatin County information

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released 2017-2018 student assessment results, and also identified the state’s lowest performing schools as well as those struggling to meet the needs of specific groups of students.

In all, KDE identified 51 schools for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), meaning they are in the bottom 5 percent of schools at their level (elementary, middle or high) in the state or had a graduation rate below 80 percent.

“CSI schools are, by definition, the lowest performing schools in the state,” said Interim Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis. “Being on this list means that a significant shift must be undertaken to better address student learning. This is not about shaming schools, leaders, or teachers, but these schools can neither continue doing what they have always done, nor make only minor adjustments.”

CSI schools will receive state support in the current school year to help them improve.

Another 418 schools were identified for Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) as a result of having at least one student group performing as poorly as schools in the bottom 5 percent. Schools not identified as CSI or TSI are identified as “Other” this year.

Lewis said being identified as TSI allows schools to focus on raising achievement for groups of students who have been underserved, and may have previously been hidden by overall school achievement data.

“It is an imperative that we ensure every group of students is performing at high levels. We can’t leave groups of students behind,” he said. “This is a moral issue. Our expectation must be that all of our students can learn at high levels, regardless of income, gender, race/ethnicity, or disability status. It is schools’ responsibility to identify approaches, curricula, and strategies for meeting students’ needs. Our students and their families depend on it, and our Commonwealth depends on it.”

Lewis said while KDE will provide resources for TSI-designated schools to improve, ultimately it is the responsibility of schools and districts to use the accountability results to chart a course that continuously improves achievement for all their students.