KENTUCKY'S LEGISLATORS HEAR FROM TOP EDUCATION OFFICIALS REGARDING STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 15, 2024) — Legislators on the Interim Joint Committee on Education heard from Kentucky’s top education officials Tuesday about some of the latest numbers on student performance in Kentucky schools. 

Three officials from the state Department of Education, including Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, testified on the 2024 assessment and accountability data.

Among the many numbers presented Tuesday, the percentage of students performing at the proficient or distinguished levels in reading remained steady in elementary and middle schools, but ticked up one point in high school to 45%.

In math, student performance remained level in elementary school. But the percentage of students performing at the proficient or distinguished levels increased from 37% to 39% in middle school and from 33% to 35% in high school. 

Kentucky experienced declines in science, however. The percentage of proficient or distinguished students fell from 35% to 34% in elementary school, from 23% to 22% in middle school and from 10% to 6% in high school, according to the presentation. 

In social studies, the numbers dropped from 42% to 39% in elementary school but rose one point to 35% in middle school and remained steady in high school. The percentages for writing on-demand were level in elementary, jumped from 44% to 49% in middle and rose from 40% to 42% in high school. 

Committee Co-chair Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, said there’s much data to absorb.

“It’s important for us to know the data, but I think it’s even more important for us to be able to analyze the data and make decisions about how we can move forward,” he said. 

Tipton said he visited an elementary school in Anderson County yesterday, and the students in a third-grade reading class were reading about vertebrates and invertebrates.

He said imbedding varying content into literacy when students are very young can benefit them. 

Rep. Timmy Truett, R-McKee, is principal at McKee Elementary School in Jackson County. He said the power of positive relationships can’t be underestimated to boost student success.

“The most important thing, like you mentioned, is those relationships, especially for those kids who struggle at home, who are low socioeconomic status, who are high poverty. You got to love those kiddos. They’ll run through a wall for you if you give them a hug,” he said. 

Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville, agrees with Truett that good relationships between educators and students are important.

“They’re going to be more successful, and we see that in data over and over again. And I wondered if KDE looks at all at the overlay between school climate and culture and the success of schools on these performance tests,” she said. 

Fletcher said much assessment and accountability information was released in the fall to the public, but some of it was released earlier to officials at school districts so decisions can be made as soon as possible. 

“There are two major components overall. One is status, and one is change. With status, you have to have two years of data before you can really incorporate change. So, the accountability for 2024 is comparable to 2023, then 2023, we use that data for change compared to 2022,” he said.

Rep. Kevin Jackson, R-Bowling Green, thanked the KDE officials for their accessibility and expressed concerns about the data. 

“I guess as a career educator, I’m concerned about why we use change versus growth. Change, am I seeing this right, change is what this year’s fourth grade class does compared to last year’s fourth grade class? To me, that’s comparing apples to oranges,” he said. 

Fletcher said he agrees with Jackson. 

“One of the strongest pieces of data is, we need to look at student growth. And to me, a successful school is this: Where did you get the student and where did you take them?” Fletcher said. 

Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, asked how the growth metric can be put in place and emphasize communication with parents and others who raise children that students should not be truant.

“We expect the parents to show up, because this truancy is killing many students in my area’s future earnings potential. We’re struggling. We have some really tough, tough numbers, and these growth numbers aren’t there. So, what can we do to help you?”

Fletcher said the officials will hopefully come back to legislators in the spring to look at the next accountability model that will most likely emphasize growth. He also said professional development training investments are making a positive difference and he’d like to see them continue.