Logan County PD program does double duty

New teachers in Logan County are the vanguard in the school system's efforts to close the equity gap in student learning.

The district's Professional Growth Academy links teacher induction to training in equity issues, a move school leaders hope will "trickle down to our classrooms to the students," said Ann French, program supervisor. The academy also includes training for principals focused on instructional leadership.

The combination of training activities has earned Logan County Schools the latest PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award from the Kentucky School Boards Association.

PEAK judge Tony Davis, a Taylor County school board member, called it "a team effort by the Logan County school system" that will benefit all students.

"Student achievement will only improve if we strive to improve the quality of instruction," school board Chairman William Hall said.

The district decided to focus on teachers after analyzing its state assessment score data and other test results, French said.

"The reason it's tied so closely to equity is when we were developing the comprehensive plan, we looked at data and some of the inequities that showed through were astounding - gender, race - there was just a large gap there," French said.

Among the findings on CATS tests were:

• 30 percent more females than males scored proficient and distinguished in reading.

• 20 percent more male students than female students scored proficient in science.

• Almost four times more Caucasians scored proficient and distinguished in science than did African Americans, which make up 3-4 percent of the district's enrollment.

• In social studies, three times more African-American students scored novice than did Caucasian students.

Inequities also were found in CTBS results. In addition, students receiving free or reduced lunch were outscored by non-eligible students in every content area of that test.

The district responded by coming up with a plan to address the equity issues, one part of which was the Professional Growth Academy. Funding for the program comes from the school board, from a state Equitable Schools grant, Title I and professional development money.

"It extends our professional development to those who need more of it," Superintendent Marshall Kemp said.

Now in its fourth year, the academy is a two-year program for teachers who are new to the district, though some veteran teachers are so intrigued with the training that they are taking part voluntarily. French said participants are expected to take the information they learn and share it with other teachers at their schools, so the lessons extend beyond new staff.

Debbie Schauberger, a primary teacher at Adairville School, said achievement and self-esteem rose in her students after she attended the academy.

"Prior to becoming involved in the Professional Growth Academy, I was unaware of how much influence my actions had on my students," she said. "My students are the same. I am the one who changed."

The undergirding of the academy training is Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement, a year-long research-based program aimed at getting results at the classroom level.

"TESA is what drives the academy," French said. "They learn that what they expect out of students is what they're going to get. It shows teachers how to develop a community in their classroom where all students are learners and all students feel important."

TESA also calls for participating teachers to observe each other and spot patterns, such as calling on boys more frequently than girls, or ignoring the quiet child in the back of the classroom.

"That's where the teachers get the biggest 'Ah-hah' from," French said.

Fred Carter, vice president of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators and one of the PEAK judges, observed, "The TESA training requirement is a big step even if nothing else was implemented."

Students also have noticed a difference. "I feel that I have directly benefited from the Professional Growth Academy by being guided and instructed by teachers who know how to work with all students," said former Logan County High School student Rebecca McCammon, now attending Eastern Kentucky University.

Teachers in the academy meet once a month for training. The Logan County school board has allocated up to seven additional professional development days for the academy, and this year has begun paying both the new teachers and experienced teachers for attending.

The school board itself also has an open invitation to participate, Hall said. "Whenever possible, board members become learners hand-in-hand with teachers and principals," he said.

After the first year, the new teachers continue with the induction program, meeting with mentors, sharing with other new teachers and becoming mentors themselves to the new first-year crop of teachers, French said.

"They know we are available as a team on the district level," she added. The induction program addresses the district's goal of retaining teachers and the academy itself "provides an incentive to attract new staff to this district," Hall said.

Principals also have their own component in the academy. Among other activities, they visit their schools as a group and do "walkthroughs," later discussing their findings and observations. "By training principals to be instructional leaders in their buildings, we believe that teachers, students, parents and the community benefit," Hall said.

District administrators who have been trained in TESA and through the Kentucky Leadership Academy conduct the academy training. Kemp, the superintendent, leads one of two groups of new teachers in the academy.

All schools are surveyed each fall and testing data is analyzed to identify emerging patterns that need to be addressed in the academy and the district's overall plan.

"We've seen progress made in our gaps," French said. "Our gaps are closing - they're not closing as fast as we'd like them to."

The deadline for the next round of PEAK nominations is September 27.

###

KIDS COUNT at Union County elementary school

• Discipline referrals to the school office down by 75 percent

• One suspension during a school year compared to 24.

• Average after-school detention down to six students from 20.

These are some of the results achieved by Kids Count, a comprehensive student assistance program at Morganfield Elementary School in Union County. The eye-popping changes earned the project KSBA' s PEAK Award.

"This proposal is unique in that it creatively addresses the problems of discipline facing our schools," said one of the PEAK judges, Adam Edelen of Associated Industries of Kentucky. "Such sensitivity to the socioeconomic conditions that often result in school disturbances and violence is refreshing -- a model program for other schools."

Kids Count came about after the Union County school board was presented with some disturbing figures in 1997 showing that many of the discipline problems at the system's middle school were originating with former Morganfield Elementary students. About half the students in the elementary school live in areas where drug use, crime and gang activity are high.

"We also came to realize that when a kid makes some bad decisions, a lot of times those decisions are started by the fifth grade. When we looked at that date, we started looking for something to turn that around," Superintendent David Holland explained.

The school board responded by pursuing and obtaining a Safe and Drug Free Schools grant, said board chairman Tommy Long. The $20,000 grant was used to fund the initial phase of a plan adopted by Morganfield's school-based decision making council to enhance and broaden the district's Student Assistance Program on an elementary level.

The school had a discipline code in effect since 1993, but it wasn't working well. "It wasn't that we didn't have a discipline policy -- it was that everyone was using it incorrectly," said Principal Betty Fox. The grant provided professional development for teachers and staff, with a program that addressed positive and consistent ways for teachers and staff to intervene when talking to students.

The consistency problem also was addressed when the council revamped the dysfunctional discipline policy. The school's code centers around a hole-punch system, allowing each student five hole-punches for infractions during a 9-week grading period.

After five punches, the student begins to receive after-school detention. Students with no hole-punches during the period are rewarded with extra activities and are eligible to win a bicycle in a drawing.

The hole-punch concept further enables teachers to quickly spot growing problems that can be referred to school counselors and monitored.

Kids County attacks discipline problems on several other fronts:

• An extra counselor provides weekly classroom instruction in violence prevention, conflict resolution and social skills. The counselor also holds various group and individual sessions.

• A before-school program, in addition to after-school programs, includes character education , drug education, practical living skills and presentations from community resource people.

• Addition of an emotional behavioral classroom for the school, approved by the school board, which has enabled some students to return successfully to the regular classroom.

Parents have responded positively to the changes, based on the results of the school's Effective Schools Survey. And school leaders are looking for a record number of volunteer hours to be put in this year.

"As a board member, I can measure a school's success through the number of negative phone calls received and of the positive comments made in the community," Long said. "Being a school board member, I can truly say that calls concerning problems at Morganfield Elementary are at an all-time low."

Leah Raney, a Morganfield parent, said parents are made to feel welcome and student morale is now at an all-time high. "The kids seem to enjoy school, and fighting seems to be a thing of the past, because the children do not seem afraid."

Superintendent Holland said the results have been so good that the district will probably apply for a grant to begin a similar effort at another elementary school.

# # #

Bowling Green's Excellence Through Diversity effort honored

Bosnia native Damir Arnaut is happy that he learned to communicate and make friends in Bowling Green Independent school district's program for students who speak English as a second language.

Excellence Through Diversity helped him make good grades in content classes, allowed him to participate in classroom discussions and will make it possible for him to someday fulfill his dreams of being a translator or businessman.

Damir, a fifth-grader, has only one complaint: "I wish that I could stay longer, but my English improved so much that I tested out of the program."

His progress is just a year-and-a-half is indicative of what school district officials call the "swift and innovative response" they took four years ago because of the influx of students who speak English as a second language.

That response has garnered the district the latest PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award.

"This is a program worthy of emulation for other school districts in other areas of diversity," said one of the PEAK judges, Jefferson County school board member Ann Elmore.

The system currently serves over 400 English as a Second Language (ESL) students ­- about 13 percent of its enrollment - who speak 20 different languages, said school board chairwoman Deborah H. Williams. The figures make it the most diverse district in the state. Besides English, the most frequently spoken languages are Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Vietnamese and Laotian.

When the demographics shifted in the ­late 1990s, the board and the staff "met the challenge proactively," Williams said. Local funds were committed for the necessary special services and federal and state grants also were secured.

The program's main objectives are:

r To increase family involvement and provide parent education opportunities.

r To provide professional development on multilingual education to teachers and administrators.

r To increase ESL staffing and resources to help ESL students meet or exceed state and local standards in core academic subjects.

r To provide support services for ESL students and their families to ease their transition to the U.S.

For parents, the program provides adult ESL classes: home visits by parent educators and bilingual aides; and monthly parent meetings with food, childcare and transportation provided. Their children benefit from after-school tutoring, enrichment classes and music lessons through the district's community learning centers, located in two elementary schools. The needs of ESL preschool children also are met at the crucial age when they are learning to speak.

The district also partners with Warren County Adult Education , the local housing authority and Head Start to provide services with the families need.

Elmore, the PEAK judge, was impressed with the multi-pronged approach in linking the children and their families to other groups to meet their adjustment needs, and in giving teachers the chance to increase their skills and understanding of students for whom English is a second language.

ESL teacher Sonia A. James said students in the program first begin by focusing on oral communication skills, then move to reading and writing. Pull-out and collaboration services are used. "The main goal of the ESL program is to help students learn to communicate, achieve and progress in his/her academic career so that language is not a barrier to them," James said. "Our students are meeting this goal. Many of our students have won awards both artistically and academically. Their test scores show that they are making gains in their academic achievement."

School leaders are currently developing an ESL curriculum for regular teachers and working with Western Kentucky University to get grant money for training teachers and teacher education students in instructing a diverse immigrant population.

Beyond funding, the program's success also can be attributed to its "can-do attitude and nurturing atmosphere," Williams, the school board chairwoman, said.

Bowling Green Superintendent Dr. John Settle said the board's stability, tolerance and understanding of societal issues have been important. He also cited the willing teaching and administrative staff and the district's past experience in dealing with international and minority students.

The community itself is known for its welcoming and cosmopolitan nature, Settle added. He said, "There is not a sense of closeness that would prevent the acceptance of someone who's different."

# # #

Boone County J.U.M.P. project eases tensions, boosts learning

The hero at Collins Elementary School in Boone County does not demonstrate his physical strength or show off his intelligence.

Instead, it is his emotional prowess that students admire.

The mascot's name is EMO, and he is the logo for a unique character education program designed by Collins' teachers to boost emotional intelligence.

The project, called J.U.M.P. - for Join Us in Making Peace - is based on research that suggests children are more likely to behave well when they feel good about themselves, express and regulate their emotions, empathize with others and have good social skills. That behavior in turn promotes better learning and a safe school environment.

"It helps me do my school work because I don't stress out or worry about a bad grade," fourth-grader Alex Bernardo said. It also teaches the students "not to hit others when they get mad," he added.

The Boone County program, created on a shoestring by school guidance counselor Denise Munson and Collins teachers, is the most recent innovation in public education to be honored with a PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award. The award, now in its second year, was founded by KSBA to focus attention on public school initiatives that enhance student learning and to promote public education in Kentucky.

"The J.U.M.P. project addresses a major barrier to learning, inappropriate self-management," said Elizabethtown school board member Joe Brothers, one of the PEAK judging panel members.

The program emphasizes a character skill each month, illustrated by large posters placed in classrooms and hallways, and even outside the school, in local businesses. Last years' skills were: responsibility, citizenship, sharing, caring, fairness, honesty, respect and trustworthiness. This year, the 572 children in grades K-5 are tackling peacefulness, consideration, thankfulness, compassion, self-discipline, forgiveness, positive attitude and altruism.

Students get written information defining each word and relating it to real-life events. Teachers get their own packets each month that give them ideas on incorporating the new character skills into their lessons and activities.

The program will continue with the same 16 attributes, but will be recycled, not repeated. As students progress into higher grades, the activities and information for each quality will become more advanced, Munson explained.

Other facets of the program include:

• Awards - students are singled out monthly and rewarded for how well they demonstrate the month's character trait in their daily lives, and for improving their goals in attitude, behavior or academics. Children also can be recognized at any time by teachers or classified staff for displaying any of the character skills.
• Peace Kits - the kits consist of visual aides and other items designed to help students resolve conflicts peacefully. Each classroom has a kit, and an EMO doll.
• J.U.M.P. rallies - assemblies are held monthly to recognize the award winners, who "jump" their way to success with pogo sticks, bouncing balls and jump ropes. The principal joins in to fulfill a monthly challenge. The honorees also are regularly recognized at PTA meetings.

J.U.M.P. was created locally when budgeting constraints kept the district from being able to fund a behavioral management technician position at Collins. The program meets the same goals as the school board had in mind with that position, noted chairwoman Carrie Dickmann, whose two children were in the program.

"On the school board, that's one of the hardest things for me - good ideas come up and we don't have funding for them," Dickmann said. "This was a school picking it up on themselves and saying, 'You guys may not have the money for it, but we have the need.'"

Anita Bernardo, Alex's mother, praised the effects of the program on her high-spirited boy. "He has learned how to channel his emotions to enhance the learning process. He has likewise learned why other students act in certain ways. He has become more patient and tolerant," she said.

In a survey by the school psychologist after the program's implementation, students indicated feeling less social stress and more self-reliance, self esteem, dependability and decisiveness. When a college student surveyed a lower primary classroom last year, 75 percent of the students named EMO when asked to identify a hero. Teachers also reported that overall, children showed more skills associated with working together to accomplish goals.

Munson said there have been fewer office referrals for disciplinary problems since the program began. Perhaps the icing on the cake came late last year when KIRIS scores showed that Collins students exceeded their improvement goal.

"Not only test scores improved, but the possibility of brighter futures for everyone involved," pointed out Veralynn Eyermann, a Kentucky PTA vice president and one of the judges.

# # #

Scholastic improvements taking place at Russell County High

Roger Cook says when he came to Russell County High School as principal in 1996, "We had one foot in the grave and one foot on foot on the banana peel." The latest state accountability test results had put the school in the decline category, morale was at an all-time low and the former principal had resigned. Terms like "sanctions" and "decline" echoed down the hallways.

But in just four years, Russell County High's accountability index rose from 40.6 to 65.1, with writing scores alone quadrupling. "We're real proud of our scores," said Cook, who regularly fields calls from other school districts that would like to replicate the school's success.

Russell County High School's remarkable turnaround has netted the southcentral Kentucky school system the KSBA PEAK Award.

One judged called the Russell County program "the most focused on academic achievement" in this round of PEAK Award nominations. Another judge predicted the "outstanding results will have long-term positive effects on the entire community."

While the results can be easily measured in Russell County High's state test scores, the impact also has been felt at the individual level. Janet Clark, mother of an incoming freshman at the time the program started, said her daughter was motivated to do her best because it became important to her.

"Because of the assessment improvement classes, my child became confident in her writing ability and realized that she had capabilities that she was unaware of...she was challenged to really apply herself," Clark said.

Clark also said the school's staff was happier and more productive, an attitude that caught on with students and parents alike. "The students realized that the educators really did care and would go that extra mile with them. The students responded to the incentive programs and there was a new appreciation for our educators from the majority of the student body," she said. "The excitement carried over into the PTO and our parents volunteered at the encouragement of administration to become involved on school committees and as volunteers in our school system for various projects."

According to Russell County administrators, the key to the program is holding students accountable for their test scores -- with educators, parents and the community watching. The Assessment Improvement Program was launched in the 1996-97 school year. The objective was to raise test scores through a combination of intensive teaching strategies, strict portfolio requirements, incorporation of core content, student incentives and parent-community involvement.

In Assessment Improvement classes, teachers with a good understanding of core content and open response skills are freed from a class period to conduct 30-40 minute crash courses in how to formulate answers to open-response questions. The courses are intensive, with only two to three students taught at a time. Each student during the course of a semester has three such sessions.

A portfolio policy created by the school's faculty and adopted school board puts responsibility squarely on students. To graduate from high school, each senior must complete a writing portfolio at the minimum level of apprentice, with few exceptions. School officials say the policy has brought writing scores up from 17.68 to 64 in three years.

As an incentive for students to do well, parent volunteers serve free breakfast during state test week to all students who are testing. Students who aren't testing visit workplaces in a job-shadowing project. Parents also are consulted about ways to encourage their children and are invited to school to observe the testing process.

Cards are issued to students with a B or better average and/or perfect attendance each grading period. The cards enable students to get in free at athletic events and net them discounts at local businesses. An attendance party, with free pizza and donated prizes, is held for those with perfect attendance.

To help support the program, the Russell County school board adopted policies on attendance, teacher evaluation and portfolio writing, said chairman Arles Hale. The board allotted money to school councils for testing incentives and assessment tutoring. Board members also followed through individually, said English teacher Ervin Mason. "They have shown additional support by attending and participating in our student incentives to reward good attendance, good faith effort and participation in assessment," he said.

At first, Principal Cook said, the students responded to the program for fear of negative consequences, but that has changed. "They now appreciate going to a school with high test scores. I think the biggest percentage of the students have a lot of pride in it," he said.

Mason believe students see the program and incentives "as a way to strengthen their own resolve to achieve at a higher level." The Assessment Improvement Program began with juniors and seniors, but now includes all students grades 10 - 12.

# # #

Lincoln EARLY CHILDHOOD/ADULT LITERACY PUSH

A seamless program that weaves together all facets of early childhood development and family literacy has won the first PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award from the Kentucky School Boards Association.

The Lincoln County school district's program blends Head Start, preschool and adult literacy. The unique initiative includes retrofitted school buses that serve as mobile classrooms, bringing preschool and adult education to families.

"This is precisely the type of program we sought to draw attention to with the creation of the PEAK Award," said KSBA President John Smith of the Henry County Board of Education. "Lincoln County's schools deserve to be recognized beyond the county lines for this innovative effort to boost student achievement." The PEAK Award was established by the KSBA Board of Directors this year as a way to draw attention to specific public-school efforts that enhance student learning skills and to promote the positive impact of public education in Kentucky. The award will be presented quarterly.

The Lincoln County program uses multiple funding sources to link under one umbrella the areas of early childhood education, family literacy, health and nutrition, disabilities, social services and parent involvement. The school board's support moves beyond lip service, with a commitment to fund full-day preschool and kindergarten and to provide money for classrooms, supplies and materials. Board members also serve on the program's advisory committees.

"Combining federal programs with state programs and local school board support has allowed us to reach all qualifying students," Lincoln County school board vice chair Karon Click wrote in her endorsement letter. Those sentiments were echoed by Superintendent Danny Godbey in nominating the comprehensive initiative for the PEAK Award. "This program exemplifies what can happen when multiple funding sources are utilized; collaboration with other school programs and agencies is promoted; and the local Board of Education is committed to and supports its efforts," he wrote.

The program serves 325 three- and four-year olds and their families, and 30 Even Start families. Even Start is a family literacy program that works to improve literacy, parenting and life skills of adults, while working with their children.

Besides four-day-per-week classroom instruction for the preschoolers, four refurbished school buses make home visits to youngsters once a week, with two other buses set aside for Even Start visits. The buses for children are classrooms on wheels, complete with multiple colorful learning centers and a parent corner.

The Lincoln County nomination also stood out for documentation of the program's positive results. Among the achievements in 1996-97:

• · More than 300 children received dental and physical exams, completed their immunizations and received vision and hearing screenings.
• · 95 percent of preschool students were regular attendees.
• · 631 home visits were made, with 1,287 family contacts.
• · Parent volunteers contributed 9,600 hours to the program.
• · 6 adults received their GEDs and 30 families participated in literacy classes.

The statistics also show Lincoln County preschool students make two months' developmental gain for each month in the program, compared to one month statewide. Click noted that "students are performing at average or above in academic and personal-social areas."

In their letter of support, the 19-member preschool teaching team wrote, "While many of our students enter the program with developmental delays, significant gains are made with only a small percentage of them needing special education services after they leave preschool."

Lincoln County Judge-Executive James R. Reed said he feels participation in the program produces far-reaching results. "I honestly feel that being enrolled in the preschool program has had a positive effect on reducing teen pregnancy and the high school dropout rate," he wrote in a letter of support for the nomination. He also noted that many of the school system's instructional assistants, PTA members and parent volunteers got their start while their children were enrolled in preschool.

# # #

Kamuf also pointed to other positive aspects of the breaks: they give high school seniors more time in the fall to visit college campuses and they give teachers a chance to attend workshops, seminars and training sessions, as well as the time to visit schools in other districts.

Simpson County's alternative schedule takes a break after nine weeks of instruction. At the end of each nine week period, students and teachers look at strengths and weaknesses in the pupils' academic program, allowing teachers to target specific needs for each student before the next nine-week stretch.

The plus is that students get help at critical times of instruction, rather than waiting until the end of the school year, said Jana Hammock, the district's Extended School Services (ESS) director. One week of the breaks is set aside for students to take advantage of optional enrichment and accelerated, or catch-up classes. That week is called the Academy, to convey its importance for student progress.

One out of three students in the 2,860-pupil district now attends the Academy, and the district's goal is to further increase that number until all students who need services are attending the Academy sessions. Proving the popularity of the intersessions, younger children and parents in the community have also participated in some of those activities, Hammock said.

Franklin-Simpson High School junior Alex Burrell said her first reaction to the new schedule was, "No way!" That changed to "excellent idea" after a full year of the alternative calendar. Alex used her winter intersession to take an SAT/ACT enrichment class. She also praised the extra intersession help "that can really make a difference to a student who is confused or totally lost in any subject."

Though relatively new, Simpson County's alternative calendar has already demonstrated results. In a survey completed this school year, 56 percent of the certified staff agreed or strongly agreed that they had seen a positive impact on students' achievement or grades because of the alternative calendar; and 70 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they had seen a positive impact on students' attitudes toward school. A student survey turned up similar results.

Funding for the intersession offerings comes primarily from ESS funds, for which most of the district's students are eligible. The alternative calendar has allowed the district to serve three times as many students with ESS money.

# # #

"Miniature City" wins PEAK Award for Johnsontown Road Elementary

Students at Johnsontown Road Elementary School in Jefferson County don't need a reality check. They get one every day at their school, where they study and work at a post office, a publishing company, a television station and a mall. The school even has its own currency, taxation, and judicial system.

The school-to-career program, called Micro-Society, allows all 400 of Johnsontown's students to apply academic skills while learning about career options and the real world. It's the first Micro-Society school in Kentucky. And it has been singled out to receive the latest PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award from the Kentucky School Boards Association.

"This is an exciting program that graphically shows children a glimpse of the 'real world,'" said one of the judges, Steve Bullard of Associated Industries of Kentucky. "From a business standpoint, it's wonderful. Knowing what school is actually preparing them for, is critical to develop skills necessary to succeed."

Another judge, Jayna Oakley, representing the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, said, "It doesn't miss anyone - from students, parents and businesses, its focus on providing career studies is a wonderful approach for everyone involved."

Fifth-grade teacher Jenny Wrightington [Phone (502) 485-8278], who has coordinated Micro-Society for the past two years, said she has been able "to witness and reap the rewards of students who don't always shine in the classroom, shine in their jobs.

"A major focus of our program is to afford children the chance to become successful, useful and proud citizens of their environment, while increasing their self-esteem," she said.

The project was launched in 1994, when the Jefferson County Board of Education won a two-year, $300,000 federal grant. Since then, the program has been funded by the school with help from a variety of community partners.

In the Johnsontown Elementary Micro-Society, students use high-technology equipment to run a publishing company and television station. Students gather the information and do the research to produce the items that they then publish in the newspaper, and also market their own stationery and note cards in the school's Micro-Mall.

A news team produces and broadcasts information on the television station, which broadcasts daily from the school's video center. Students also operate an internal post office, sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, complete with letter carriers, mailboxes at every address, a postmaster and street signs.

With the help of Micro-Society teachers, the students have moved beyond traditional student government to set up their own executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Simulated or mock trials are held for violations within the Micro-Society, with students trying and deciding the cases.

The Micro-Society citizens also earn "money"- J-bucks are issued for attendance, completion of class work and homework, good behavior and salary at their places of employment. They must pay taxes on their earnings, as well as rent on their desks and any fines they may incur. The pupils learn how to handle money through the student-operated bank, in partnership with the Bank of Louisville.

The operation also features a Micro-Mall marketplace run by student employees, with the help of donations and community businesses. This gives them the chance to put math principles and applications into action, learning pricing, inventory, sales, work ethics, profits, advertising and consumerism.

The miniature city activities all take place daily from 2-3 p.m. Intermediate students apply for and are hired for their jobs, while primary students act as consumers until the third grade, when they begin shadowing their elders.

# # #

Daviess County Schools' "brain child" earns Kentucky's PEAK Award

"Enero, Febrero, Marzo, Abril...." That refrain was a familiar sound at the Cripps home in Daviess County this past school year, as kindergartner Edie Cripps sang the months of the year in Spanish. "That's just a big hit in our household," said her mother, Gina Cripps.

Edie is a member of the first class that will benefit fully from Graduation 2010, Daviess County's far-reaching program that incorporates into the elementary curriculum the latest scientific research on brain development in children. The cutting-edge project is the latest to be honored with the PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award from the Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA).

Graduation 2010 grew out of a series of recommendations last year by a school/ community steering committee. The panel studied research about how music, art, foreign language study and other activities help stimulate a child's brain development and thinking skills. Their recommendations resulted this year in Spanish and French lessons for kindergartners, piano keyboard labs in all elementary schools, a reading coaches program and greater emphasis on visual and performing arts. Graduation 2010 also encompasses increased parent involvement and health programs.

"This utilization of recent clinical data coupled with a broad based community partnership offers an exciting opportunity for the young people in Daviess County to develop skills at an early age, which will carry over into all facets of their development and their adult lives," said JoEllen Seay, a former teacher who was one of the PEAK judges.

Parent Scott Kramer, whose first-grade son, Joey, has been learning piano and Spanish, had a more visceral reaction: "It just blows me away, to tell you the truth, for someone that young to gain that much knowledge," said Kramer.

Daviess County Supt. Stuart Silberman said, "The whole project has been an outstanding team effort." He cited the school board's support and forward-thinking attitude, the buy-in by the community and the willingness of all the district's 12 elementary schools to sign on. Graduation 2010 was not mandated and schools did not have to participate. "We are blessed with a supportive community here and that just carries over into everything," he added.

That fact was not lost on the judges. "This is a genuine community-involved program that should see positive results for many years to come," said Kay Anne Wilborn, a Department of Education staffer.

Besides community members serving on the Graduation 2010 steering committee, four local businesses have "adopted" a graduating class, starting with the class of 2010. "The Graduation 2010 project offers much to the children of Daviess County now, and the program's vision will positively impact our community's future," said Greg Carlson, president and chief operating officer of Owensboro Mercy Health System, in his letter of recommendation for the PEAK Award.

Owensboro Mercy Health System, the community's largest employer, "adopted" the class of 2010 and has been active in developing the health/emotional part of the program. "I guess the collaborative aspect has impressed me most," Cripps said. "What stuck out in my mind most is how the community, like Mercy Health System, took an involvement in our children and in their education."

The Daviess County Board of Education supported Silberman's proposal for Graduation 2010 from the beginning "110 percent in every possible way," chair Mary Tim Griffin said. "The board believes that Graduation 2010 is preparing our students for higher levels of achievement, and that makes the future brighter for the children in the Daviess County Public Schools."

From a music teacher's standpoint, the project has been much more than children getting hands-on experience at a keyboard. "With all the studies showing how the brain is stimulated with musical activities, I feel as a music educator that we are fortunate to have these materials to use with our students. But more importantly, the skills that are being developed through the music program are ones that will enhance learning in all areas," teacher Pam Wooldridge said. Orff instruments and tone chimes also were purchased and are being used to reinforce concepts learned on the keyboards, she added.

Graduation 2010 has been the recipient of some grant and foundation money. The district has not incurred any "extraordinary costs" in its implementation, said Dr. Pat Ashley, chair of the project's steering committee and principal of Deer Park Elementary School. It also does not take away from other programs. "We didn't delete anything -- we enriched it," Ashley said.

"The overall project is geared toward a long range and a slow brain development process," Silberman said. "It doesn't happen overnight." The district is gearing up at the middle school level to make adjustments to the incoming crop of sixth graders this year and in future years, because those students will have more advanced knowledge of music and foreign languages.

Several other school districts have visited Daviess County schools, to watch various facets of the program in action and to learn more about it. At least one of those districts is expected to begin implementing similar measures this upcoming school year. "I think this is very, very easy to replicate," Silberman said.

# # #

Unlike ROTC, the Junior Guard relies on contacts and activities that take place outside the school day, and participants don't receive any class credit. But the lessons learned from the local National Guard members have been as meaningful as any taught in the classroom, school officials said.

"Kids sometimes go to counselors or talk to us, but what we found is these guys at the armory become their mentors," Poynter said. "It just gives the school another resource."

Both bonding and accountability come with the one-on-one mentoring. The Army National Guard unit members are involved in monitoring student grades, attendance and behavior reports on a weekly basis, allowing them and the Youth Services Center staff to head off potential problems.

Poynter said there also is mentoring within the group of students. The program initially encompassed only at-risk pupils, but later expanded to include others who expressed an interest in joining.

"They kind of mentor the students who are at-risk," Poynter said. "It just kind of came out and blossomed -- I don't have any trouble filling my slots."

In the classroom, teachers have reported an improvement in behavior and also in the grades of the Junior Guard students. Poynter said parents have remarked on increased maturity and leadership.

The benefits have been two-way. The program became a springboard for the Kentucky Army National Guard's adopt-a-school program. And it serves as a recruiting tool for the guard. John Turner, the 17-year-old commanding officer for the Junior Guard, said he won't have to "start at ground zero" when he embarks on his Army National Guard career after graduation.

"When Junior Guard members graduate from the program, we want them to be respectful, responsible, team oriented and civic-minded adults. Wherever they go in life, I feel their communities will benefit greatly from our collective efforts to help our youth to become leaders of tomorrow," said 1st Lt. Jeffrey S. Hughes of the Kentucky Army National Guard unit headquartered in Glasgow (1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery MLRS).

Since its inception for eighth graders, the Junior Guard has expanded to include ninth and tenth graders. This year, seventh and eleventh graders came on board. The coordination has not been a problem, since the Youth Services Center serves middle and high schools. Poynter said the younger students have some activities separate from the older members, but some activities are combined.

About 50 students, mostly middle school males, currently participate in the Junior Guard. Poynter said few high school students are involved due to conflicts with sports or other clubs at that level.

# # #

Grant County Schools' arts program benefits schools & community

Some elementary students in Grant County Schools are getting pretty good at stringing people along.

With the violin, viola, cello and bass, that is. They're playing in the strings program, part of an arts education initiative that might also see pupils plie-ing in ballet, watching professionals perform or visiting an art museum.

The district two years ago replaced its hodgepodge of elementary school arts events and field trips with a specific plan, schedule and budget for arts and humanities activities at each grade level. The effort, which also ignited renewed community interest in the arts, has won the district the latest PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award from the Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA).

"Educators must make arts and humanities part of the learning environment with creating and performing," Grant County fourth-grade teacher Candace Simpkins said. "It is important for students to use their eyes, ears, minds and feelings for learning."

Besides raising elementary students' arts and humanities achievement, the program helps students:

• · Appreciate their own and other cultures.
• · Enjoy music, visual arts, drama and dance.
• · Develop their creative and performing skills and talents.
• · And improve their abilities in other areas, like reading and math.

"I think it is wonderful that young minds are exposed to everything possible to help them develop not only academically but also culturally," said Tena L. Webster, parent and member of the school-based decision making council at Dry Ridge Elementary. All three of the district's elementary schools -- with a total of 2,040 students -- are part of the arts and humanities initiative.

The elements include a strings program for fourth through sixth grades, ballet instruction through the Gifted and Talented Program, more in-school performances by visiting groups and a greater variety of primary-grade field trips to arts and humanities events.

The program has helped meet the educational needs of Grant County's rapidly growing and demographically changing community, school board member Billie C. Cahill said. Many newcomers were accustomed to different art forms, while the district also has a large percentage of disadvantaged students, she noted.

"As part of the program, we needed to develop an appreciation and respect for local art forms already in our community as well as to open minds to other art forms," Cahill explained.

To do this, the board provided some regular federal money to the three elementary school councils to support the program, and approved funding to hire a strings/orchestra teacher, an art teacher and a part-time ballet teacher for the elementary schools. The school board also approved the program of study for visual and performing arts, which includes the strings program and ballet, and the incorporation of various types of art forms and music into classroom work, assemblies, field trips and special concerts.

Since the program was implemented, the district has seen increased arts and humanities scores on state tests. In one school, those scores more than doubled after just one year. The average arts and humanities scores in Grant County elementary schools is 25.68, compared to the state average of 15.7.

It has done more than improve test scores, Simpkins, the teacher, noted. For example, she said, when students hear spiritual songs in music, they understand the pain many blacks were experiencing during that time. "Field trips to plays erupt into discussions about plot, characterization, props, lighting and production techniques," Simpkins added.

The project was the impetus for revitalizing the defunct Grant County Arts Federation, which subsequently won grants to bring cultural programs to the community. The Grant County Schools' strings/orchestra teacher and a group of her students also conducted a workshop where students from other districts learned about different instruments and the various aspects of an orchestra.

The initiative prompted the school board to include a 400-seat auditorium in plans for its new high school, which opened in January. The only other venue in Grant County for concert and theater performances had been the gymnasium. Cahill said her 5-year-old son was "mesmerized" by the first event held there, a performance by the Northern Kentucky University Touring Theatre and Dance Troupe.

"Attending such an event in our hometown would have never even been imagined five years ago," she said.

The melding of school and community interests prompted PEAK judge Sandy Norden to remark, "This program is very impressive in its use of available community resources to enhance students' appreciation of the arts." Norden is a member of the Rowan County Board of Education and the KSBA Board of Directors.

Simpkins, the teacher, doesn't envision an end to this program. She advocates starting visual arts at an earlier level, longer instructional times and specialty classrooms.

"The arts and humanities learning bar was raised with Grant County Schools, and we cleared it, but if we want to continue to improve and set higher goals, we must continue these programs and expand the learning," she said.

# # #

Boyd County High AVID program breaks law of averages

The term "average Joe," conjures up a picture of an unremarkable person, easily overlooked and just as easily forgotten.

But the opposite has been happening at Boyd County High School, where the average Joes and Jills are sought out and given lots of attention. The result? "I pay attention and understand more in all my classes. I've improved my grades. More importantly, AVID has helped me achieve my goals and create higher ones for myself," said senior Brittany Davis.

Boyd County High School's AVID - Advancement Via Individual Determination - program serves students "in the middle," who are often underachieving. The students have the potential to succeed in high school and college, and the program gives them the extra encouragement and academic assistance they need.

Its track record has made it the latest PEAK Award (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) recipient.

"The present educational system has a special program for gifted students and for students in need of remedial help, but special attention has not been paid to the students who make up the largest sector of school population - students of average ability," explained Boyd County High School's AVID coordinator, Sheila Duncan.

PEAKjudges noted that fact in the assessments. KSBA board member Dr. George Griffith called it a "great concept" that is aimed at "a group of students that does not fall into a group of extremes."

"It is apparent the AVID program has provided a valuable ID tool to target the 'middle child,'" said another judge, KSBA staff member Judy Long. "It is a program that could enhance all schools in Kentucky."

The program is centered on an elective class taught by the AVID coordinator and staffed with tutors. Students are accepted into the program by referral, application and interview. They must have a grade point average of 2.0-3.0, a strong desire to attend college, and good attendance and citizenship. Once enrolled, students and parents must sign learning contracts.

The group, which this year numbers 67 in grades 9-12, gets lessons in note taking, textbook reading, study skills, test taking and library research. AVID also stresses organizational and time management skills and parent involvement. Students get help preparing for the SAT/ACT, and filling out college applications and financial aid forms. The group gets the benefit of guest speakers from the education and business communities, and field trips to college campuses, museums, theaters and other cultural sites.

Boyd County's AVID program uses tutors from area colleges and universities, and retired teachers. The tutoring is given in both individual and group settings, and is more intensive than standard assistance. Students learn a note-taking system that later becomes the focus of the tutorial study group sessions. Tutors don't give students the answers; instead, they help students learn through inquiry. Using this method, AVID participants learn to find and use help, which Duncan said is a skill that is often underdeveloped in the students the program targets.

"Not only did my grades improve, but my confidence did as well," said senior Starla Crum, another AVID student. "Two years ago I would sit back and not ask questions, getting farther behind because I was afraid of asking a ridiculous question. Now I realize that the only ridiculous question is the unasked question, and this is the most important lesson AVID has taught me."

There also are more subtle benefits, Duncan noted. The AVID students become part of a new peer group that gives them positive support as they work toward success. "We aid each other in any way we can, and support each other in and outside of the classroom. We are much more than classmates - we are a family," Crum said.

Boyd County school board chairwoman Sheryl Bryan said the program has helped identify students "who would otherwise avoid challenging classes during their high school years and thus be unprepared for post-secondary work."

Bryan said the board has been most impressed by the personal attention the students receive.

"Underachieving students are often overlooked and this program gives our high school an opportunity to reach out to students and their families, and to extend a caring hand of support," she noted. "This is an important message we as a board wish to send our community. We care about the success of all students and intend for every student to have a quality educational opportunity in the Boyd County Public Schools."

Sandi Roberts, whose son, Seth, is in the program, echoed that thought, saying, "I believe any child can succeed if those around him show that model of the love for learning."

The program is in its third year at Boyd County High School, funded by the state education department, Goals 2000 grant money and Boyd County Public Schools. The $5,000-$6,000 that the school board annually pumps into the program is used to pay faculty and tutoring stipends and purchase supplies.

The AVID program itself was developed by a California educator and promoted by the Kentucky Department of Education beginning in 1992. It is in use in 30 schools statewide this year, funded all or in part by the state education department.

# # #

Kenton gets reading right

Midway through last school year, Guss and Lisa Cox enrolled their children, who were at that time attending Kenton County Schools, in a private school for this year.

As it turned out, they would remain in public schools, thanks to Kenton County's Reading Intervention Program.

Lisa Cox said she became a believer in the program after watching son Joshua, as a first-grader, go from knowing his alphabet and a few words to reading at the sixth-grade level.

"I couldn't believe it! The books I once read to my children at bedtime, my 6-year-old was now reading to me," she said. "Not only did Joshua's confidence grow in his reading, but he was also more confident in other subjects."

Cox is not the only believer. Judges for the PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award also have heaped praise on the Kenton County Reading Intervention Program, giving it top honors in the award's latest installment.

"By intervening in their reading education early, these students will be less at risk for dropout and/or academic failure," noted state education department judge Cheryl Chedester, herself a former school superintendent.

Kenton County's Reading Intervention Program helps primary students who are having trouble reading. It was born in 1993, created by the district's own staff after participation in a similar outside program became too costly. The school board approved the hiring of a district reading resource teacher to train teachers and instructional assistants who work in the program.

Reading Intervention has grown from being offered in four elementary schools to 11 of the district's 12 elementaries, involving about 200 first- and second-graders this year. As a byproduct, 800-1,000 other students benefit from the techniques that other teachers learn from the professional training the program offers.

The project's expansion, in part, has been made possible by state Early Reading Incentive Grants, to the tune of $400,000. Other sources include Title I, district and PTA funds. The expansion goes beyond Kenton County Schools - other districts are successfully replicating the program in their schools. "There's beginning to be some real interaction and spin-off and sharing," said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joyce Fortney, who led the design of the new program.

The school board gets an annual report on Reading Intervention with data, said board President Carl Wicklund.

"The result of the increase in student reading skills has been impressive as our students reach and surpass their learning goals," he said. Informal assessments reflect sustained gains, with less than 5 percent of the students needing continued remediation.

Fortney said 95 percent of the students participating meet the goal of reading at or above their grade level, and many students leave the program reading two or three grade levels higher. Some even acquire the reading and comprehension skills of middle-school levels, the results show.

"Some of these kids are above their reading grade levels the rest of their time in school," Fortney said.

Chedester called the reading gains "phenomenal," while another judge, KSBA and Bardstown board member Margie Bradford, said Reading Intervention is "the kind of program that makes me think, 'Yes, that is what we should be doing!'"

There are several approaches that make the program succeed, Fortney said. Among them: a balanced literacy program, a consistent process, immediate feedback and a regular daily session.

"This is a comprehensive approach every day," she explained. "They're not 'taught to' - they are the ones doing the learning."

The program is distinguished by intensive assessment of students - before they enter the program, when they leave it, and during their 45-minute sessions each school day. Through testing, their reading levels are determined before and after the program. Every day, trained instructional assistants make written notes of specific difficulties that students are having and other observations, so the moderating teachers can devise ways to help students improve. The students also self-monitor and correct their reading behaviors or mistakes.

Title I teacher Violette A. Fausz said an exciting aspect of the program is how students are able to transfer their improved reading and writing skills to the classroom.

"Participation in the program has led to increased classroom performance by students who are in the lower achievement levels of the class," said Fausz. "Feedback from classroom teachers indicates that Reading Intervention students are able to maintain skills, participate in discussions and complete work more completely. They also note an increased desire to read and write in the classroom."

Fausz said parents also report their children show more desire to read at home and have a more positive outlook about going to school.

Those improvements are basically what Lisa Cox reported seeing in Joshua. "I believe the elementary years of a child's lifetime are the most impressionable," she said. "And for a child to be able to have a firm foundation in the beginning years of his life is what determines how he will succeed in his or her later years of education."

##

Total learning package earns recognition for Johnson County Schools

The Johnson County school district takes the frequently sounded state education theme "all children can learn" very personally. So personally, in fact, that the slogan of the program that drives the eastern Kentucky system is "all mountain kids can learn at high levels."

The program, called OASIS (Operating All Systems In Sync), involves educators at all levels, parents, school board and the community in a district-wide approach to planning aimed at supporting that belief. Called both systemic and relentless, OASIS is the latest recipient of the PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award sponsored by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

"We believe that our mountain kids are just as intelligent and talented as those from other areas of the state," said Johnson County school board chairman Dr. Franklen Belhasen. "We want our students to become proficient in each core content area so they can be better equipped to make successful transitions to post-secondary life."

The program uses all the district's resources to overcome the barriers to learning traditionally associated with the region's culture and poor economic conditions.

The effort is working. In September 2000, Johnson County's district accountability index placed it 44^{th out of 178 accountability systems in the state. In contrast, just prior to the 1990 implementation of Kentucky education reform, the district ranked 174th.}

"Applause, applause for this district and its children," said PEAK judge Rhonda Caldwell of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

Johnson County's program illustrates that a close look at student success can make a difference, noted Lois Adams Rodgers, a PEAK judge and deputy commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Education.

"They respect what they inspect, and that is student success - no excuses," she said.

KSBA staff judge Anne Booten pointed out that the OASIS process "provides the continuity from grade to grade that is often missing in the educational experience."

The district began using the emphasis in 1993-94 as a way of localizing the various facets of education reform, said Dr. Zella Wells, assistant superintendent and Title I director.

"It became pretty obvious that we needed to roll all of these things together at once," she said.

The increased funding that came with the statewide reform made it possible for Johnson County to prove itself and demonstrate to the community the value of education, Wells explained. "In a sense we've been able to change the perception and, believe it or not, those perceptions have become reality," she said.

The OASIS system begins at the grassroots level, with school teams and committees conducting needs assessments and analyzing student data to determine school-level goals and objectives. Schools then identify specific activities and initiatives to help them reach their goals. The same process is carried out at the district level, with a district-wide planning committee whose work is presented to the school board.

One example of an activity identified by the district to help students is the Accelerated Reading Program. Other projects include the Second Steps anti-violence project and early literacy programs.

The planning process sounds like the state education department's Consolidated Planning approach, but Johnson County school leaders say their OASIS program has three additional features that distinguish it from the state's process:

· Internal communications. This involves regular sharing of information among program coordinators, principals and others. Successful ideas are passed along in a teamwork approach to ensure the success of the district's children.

· External communications. A 16-page newspaper is sent to all parents and the community at large, but the most unique aspect of this communications effort focuses on parent involvement. Eight parent conference nights are held throughout the year at each school, aided by a modified alternate calendar. District personnel also work together to hold parent workshops on topics like parenting skills, student study skills, development and nutrition.

· Celebration of successes. Embracing the philosophy that "nothing breeds success like success," the school board begins nearly every meeting by recognizing recent outstanding student achievements.

Belhasen, the board chairman, said the panel's involvement in the process extends beyond recognition of students at board meetings. Board members have become involved in the consolidated planning process either at the district or local school level, are kept apprised of test data and get training from district coordinators about program requirements and resources.

"Operating All Systems In Sync," Belhasen said, "has proven to be an effective tool for promoting student achievement and has helped to make Johnson County Schools truly an educational OASIS in the mountains."

# # #

Pike County educator academies boost achievement, win PEAK Award

Teachers and principals in Pike County aren't asking their students to do anything they're not doing themselves.

To boost student achievement, they are improving their own achievement using a leadership academy for principals and academies in various subject areas for teachers. Even the students are noticing some changes.

Social Studies, said Johns Creek Elementary student Shane Davis, "has been both interesting and entertaining because our wonderful teacher has taught us many ways to learn definitions."

Pike County's unique approach to professional development is the latest program to be honored with the PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award, sponsored by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

Pike County school officials said the project is aimed at dispelling the dread with which teachers traditionally have viewed professional development, an exercise that hasn't always connected with what goes on in the classroom.

"Rarely now is a professional development program offered in Pike County that has little classroom application value," said Pike County Central High School teacher Angela Anderson Lockhart. "These opportunities are now more learner-centered, so the teachers are better able to implement such programs in their classrooms."

The Pike County academies are the brainchild of Superintendent Frank Welch, who said they have three main objectives:

• · To improve the instruction students receive on a daily basis.
• · To give principals the tools they need to be instructional leaders in their schools.
• · To provide teachers with professional development focused on the subjects they teach.

The approach, said PEAK judge John Ed Dunn, "appears to have great potential to improve student achievement through improved leadership and instruction." Dunn is a member of the KSBA board and the Daviess County school board.

Teachers are offered four different academies: an Elementary Reading Academy patterned after the Kentucky Reading Project, a Middle & Secondary Reading Academy, a Math Academy and a Science Academy. Slots in the academies are filled by application, and each academy accommodates about 30 educators per semester, meeting for daylong sessions

To instruct its teachers, the Pike County school board has partnered with Morehead State University, University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University, the state education department and the Region 8 Service Center. University professors deliver most of the instruction with help from state consultants.

The academies, which began in the spring of 2000, meet during the school day and teachers are told to take the strategies they learn back into the classroom the next day. As a follow-up, college professors and district personnel visit teachers' classrooms to observe the instructional strategies in practice and to help or provide feedback.

Participants in the reading academies are required to provide professional development sessions on reading strategies for the faculty at their schools. They must develop a Literacy Action Plan for their classroom, and to share it with other teachers by placing it on the district's Learning Village Web site.

Those teachers in the math and science academies also receive three hours of graduate credit after completing their courses.

In the Leadership Academy, which all principals attend, the school leaders study Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards and the development of an evaluation instrument for all administrators. They receive training in standards and indicators for school improvement and one-on-one training in technology. The principals' academy was launched in the fall of 1999.

The district pays for the supplies, textbooks and college tuition for all but the Science Academy, which is partially funded by a grant through the University of Kentucky.

In an evaluation of the reading academy, the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development found that more than 80 percent of students whose teachers attended the training used the new reading strategies they taught, expected to be successful and increased their knowledge by responding to oral or written questions. CATS district middle school and high school reading scores for 2001 were up by a half-point and almost 6 points, respectively.

But district officials said the success of the academies can also be measured in the level of enthusiasm among its teachers. All of their evaluations of the instruction they received have been positive, they said.

"A great deal of positive feedback has been received by the board of education from district personnel who have made visits to the participants' classrooms," said Pike County school board Chairman Greg Johnson. "We have also received many positive comments during our district's school-based decision making council reports."

###

Reading impact, college prep propel Providence to KSBA PEAK Award

Increase students' academic skills, particularly in reading.

Increase students' desires to attend college.

Both would be key ingredients to any successful school program.

Mix in collaboration between a school district and a community college and you have the recipe for Providence Independent's GEAR UP Kentucky Summer Program, the latest recipient of KSBA's PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award.

"For us being a small district and working continuously to keep up, winning this gives us a sense of pride and validation," Superintendent Keith Shoulders said. "It shows a small school can be successful."

A statewide panel of judges selected the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs Kentucky program at Providence's Broadway School for the second and final PEAK Award of 2003. Established in 1997, the award recognizes a Kentucky public school or district for a program with a specific goal of improving student achievement.

This summer, Providence first teamed up with Madisonville Community College (MCC), which hosted the 20 seventh-graders from Broadway for an intense, but fun, two-week experience. "We were tickled with the attendance. The kids were there every day ready for the bus to take them to the college," Shoulders said.

Teachers involved all were recent elementary education graduates of Murray State University's Madisonville site. They planned the curriculum, wrote lesson plans and created assessment tools. One of the lead teachers for the program was Broadway product Jennifer David.

"As a graduate of Providence Schools, I was ecstatic to find out I was working with children at Broadway where I was hoping to be a teacher," said David, who indeed began her teaching career at the school this fall.

Reading first

David said the students were divided into three groups focusing on reading, core content areas (such as social studies) and study skills/character building and technology.

"When the program's directors approached us about teaching this summer, they said to get reading levels up. I think most of the students were not reading on level," said David. "But we were also instructed to come up with interesting ways to present the assignments."

The program directors included Anna Leasure, director of educational talent search at MCC; Mary Powell, Providence Independent's Community Education director and Broadway Principal Jeanette Phillips.

Kentucky was the central theme for the program. Students read A Penny's Worth of Character by the late Kentucky author Jesse Stuart and B is for Bluegrass, an adult alphabet book that highlights the state's history. Dairy farm production and Kentucky's cash crops gave students the opportunity to use fractions, percents, decimals and graph readings, but even those classes incorporated reading skills.

Students were given a pretest to see what grade level they were reading on. "When we tested the students at the end of camp, almost 100 percent of our students' reading skills had improved," David said. "I was amazed at their enthusiasm for learning. They all caught on very quick."

"The reading focus was important to us (as a board)," said Providence Board Chairwoman Venita Murphy. "We've had a hard time on our CATS scores, so we are focusing a lot on our kids' reading."

After a few days at MCC, the students were paired with Murray-MCC elementary education students for a field trip to Frankfort that reinforced what the seventh-graders had been learning. The "Brown Bag Bus Buddies" played a Bingo game based on Kentucky facts and filled in a map as they went through counties or passed landmarks.

Teamwork is the key

The school/college partnership and use of a nearly $13,000 grant from a state GEAR UP Grant struck a positive chord with the PEAK Award judges.

"This is a wonderful initiative from a small district with limited resources. Great collaboration," wrote Wayne Young, the Kentucky Association of School Administrators' executive director, who served as a judge.

"I believe the GEAR UP Kentucky program truly accentuates the saying 'It takes a village to raise a child,'" said Betty Butler, a judge representing the KSBA staff. "This is shown by the number of groups participating in this program to make it a success. It proves everyone needs to be involved in our children's future."

Shoulders said, "We have a wonderful partnership with MCC, especially with President Judith Rhoads and Anna Leasure, who served as the liaison for this program. We wanted the kids to see that they could go to college. We have hopes to build on this and continue working with MCC."

"This collaboration was unique," said Leasure, referencing the different parties that had a part in this project. "We called in Murray State's site person here, Dr. Susan Edington, and our Community Education Director Cathy Vaughan and brainstormed how we could make this work."

A taste of college

In addition to boosting reading levels, organizers were also hoping to spark the middle-schoolers' interest in going to college.

"The kids seemed to enjoy being on the college campus," David said. "They were all pleased that for two weeks they were getting to go there instead of the high school or something like that."

Rhoads talked to the students one day and met with visitors on the program's "Parents Day." She told them that the "students who go there are just like you and you can come here," David said.

A parent of one Broadway student thinks being on MCC's campus will have an impact on her daughter, Cassiopeia Waller.

"She gained great appreciation of what it takes to be accepted to college, as well as what to look for in a college," Debra Breedlove-Waller said in a letter endorsing the program. "GEAR UP has stressed the need for my daughter to be responsible and to plan ahead for college by taking college preparatory classes in high school.

"My daughter was assured through this program with affirmation and positive praise that she is intelligent and possesses extraordinary abilities to be successful. This is reflected as she continues to show academic progress and speak of her ultimate goal of 'when I go to college…'"

Murphy said you could see the students' self-esteem improving.

"They felt like they were big kids, important to have been selected to go to the community college," she said.

A lasting impression

David and Breedlove-Waller have already seen a change in the children who were in the program.

"Even now, months after camp is over, many of our students are still close friends," said David. "You can see them carrying their backpacks with them. They help each other and know that they can rely on the friendships made through GEAR UP to help them throughout their school career.

"They have developed an extensive support system. Not only do they have their peers, but three of the program's instructors work at Broadway School. They know that we are there when they need us, for any reason."

In Breedlove-Waller's case, the program was a boon to parent and child alike.

"I have observed a considerable improvement in Cassiopeia's cognitive and social skills with a deeper desire to learn. She is more inquisitive and better behaved," she said. "As a parent, participation in GEAR UP has made me set high expectations for my child while advocating for her to receive the highest standards of education available."

Building Better Brains perfect blueprint for Campbell County PEAK Award win

Simple math: child + blocks = towering structures and beaming smiles.

Complex math: creative school leaders + a desire to challenge young minds = Campbell County Schools' Building Better Brains Program.

This massive undertaking by the northern Kentucky district and community involves research and classroom initiatives to develop students' critical and creative thinking. The desire to build the "whole child" caught the attention of judges who awarded the district the spring 2004 KSBA PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) Award. KSBA established the award in 1997 to recognize a Kentucky public school or district for a program with a specific goal of improving student achievement.

Campbell County launched the seven-block Building Better Brains program in the fall of 2002. Brian Mercer, an instructional technology specialist, said he and others in the district had been reading about brain research and wanted to see what would happen if a district applied these theories.

As part of the initial strategy planning, groups from Campbell County studied the brain-research initiatives in Daviess County (a 1998 PEAK Award recipient).

"We want to even the playing field for all our kids," Mercer said. "We know most parents read to their kids, but not all parents read to their kids. For example, the Literacy for Life block puts books in the hands of the parents when the children are at such a young age it can have an impact. That's evening the playing field.

"We're trying to enrich the lives and experiences that we know enhances the development of the brain."

Building the foundation

What started out as many different ideas was pared to seven building blocks that are the foundation of the plan:

rLiteracy - Promote the importance of literacy from infancy through adulthood.

rBest Practices - Inspire all school personnel to apply brain-compatible research in their "classrooms" by providing professional growth opportunities.

rThinking Skills - Implementing programs, such as chess, to make students aware of how they think.

rArts and Humanities - Enriching students in every school through arts and humanities activities through a variety of activities

rBuilding better communities - Using community resources to provide a strong academic foundation.

rHealth and Wellness - Address poor nutrition, lack of sleep or physical exercise so students are ready to learn

rForeign Language - Take advantage of early learning opportunities so students can learn a foreign language.

All of these blocks and ideas were based on research the district had studied.

"This is a many-faceted program that is inventive and uses the latest brain research," wrote Madelynn Coldiron, a judge from the KSBA staff. Steve Bullard, a judge from Associated Industries of Kentucky added, "The comprehensive approach to arts and humanities exemplified by Building Better Brains is an impressive way to enrich the learning process."

The enthusiasm with which students have embraced components of the program, especially chess and foreign language, surprised some.

"I don't know how to play chess, but it is amazing how many kids, once they play it, get into it," said Campbell County board member Carol Dunn, herself a teacher at Newport Independent.

Teachers are using chess to build the students' thinking skills. Rachel Vettiner, a teacher at Highland Heights Elementary, wrote in her nomination letter that four months after being introduced to chess, students were checking out books to learn better strategies.

"I have seen their concentration level increase and noticed improvements in the way my students answer open-response questions," she wrote. "My students have developed better logic skills…and use logical reasoning in their responses to quizzes and tests."

Susan Marlette, a parent who also wrote in support of the program, said her fourth-grade daughter Maya is trying to avoid junk food and include more fruits and vegetables after having the health and wellness block.

"This program's emphasis on literature has clearly had an impact on my daughter," Marlette added. "She is so eager to read that I have caught her at night reading with a flashlight when she is supposed to be sleeping!"

Partnerships breed success

A program of this magnitude needs more than the schools to succeed. It needs the community to support it as well.

"I always thought the Literacy for Life was unique," Mercer said. "We partnered with St. Luke and St. Elizabeth hospitals to provide new books to parents of newborns in Campbell County each quarter of their first year.

"Read Across the County on Dr. Seuss' birthday was more than a success. A businessman in the area, Barry Jolly, organized it and we had more than 200 people volunteer to read in classrooms. It was so unique to me because it was a total community effort."

Northern Kentucky University will be providing a statistical team to provide annual examinations of the effectiveness of the initiative by analyzing student scores on the ACT, CATS and other tests.

"This is a program which truly encompasses the whole child, school and community to build their education," wrote PEAK judge Ben Coomes, a member of the KSBA board of directors.

Nothing new, just improving

Diana Heidelberg, the district's interim superintendent, and Mercer said the size of the program has not deterred schools from starting parts of each block and that district officials have emphasized that teachers weren't being asked to change how they taught, but improve what they have been doing.

"A lot of these things you are already doing," Heidelberg said of the approach to the teachers, "but you need to recognize why you are doing it and improve your skills at how you're doing them."

Mercer added that the district would make a big push this summer to train teachers in creative and critical thinking and techniques.

"What has happened is that this such a big initiative our schools couldn't do it all at once. We had schools choose to bite parts off, for example the foreign language component, and they ran with it. Then they added a piece of chess."

District officials were pleased to hear they had been selected for the PEAK Award.

"For our district, it (the PEAK Award) recognizes that we have stepped into some different arenas and that we are at the cutting edge of what's important to education," said Heidelberg. "It's a big win-win for our students and staff. The recognition is great for our staff because they have worked hard."

"We know we've been doing excellent things. It's a matter that someone agrees," said Dunn. "It's hard to get the word out to the community, and this helps tell them that we are doing something good."

Heidelberg also thanked the board for its support, including financial and approving visits to other districts.

"This has been a tough year, with an interim superintendent, and it has been difficult for them from a district-standpoint," she said. "But we've moved ahead, kept our focus and work toward building better brains."

# # #

© 2004 Kentucky School Boards Association.

Home | About KSBA | Site Map | Contact Us | Privacy Policy