Kentucky School Advocate
October 2022
Gov. Beshear appoints Warren Co. finance director to state board
Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed Christopher McIntyre, Warren County Schools chief financial officer, to the State Board of Accountancy. McIntyre, of Bowling Green, also serves on the KSBA Unemployment Board of Trustees and is a trainer in school finance topics for KSBA. He replaces Diane Medley, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2026.
Five Kentucky schools named Blue Ribbon Schools
The U.S. Department of Education has named five Kentucky public schools as 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence.
The five schools selected are:
• Cairo Elementary School (Henderson County)
• Fancy Farm Elementary School (Graves County)
• Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent)
• Longbranch Elementary School (Boone County)
• Samuel Woodfill Elementary School (Fort Thomas Independent)
“This award shines a light on the dedication of school leaders, staff, teachers, families and communities to strive for, and attain, excellence,” said Kentucky Commissioner of Education Jason Glass. “I congratulate and thank our newest Blue Ribbon Schools for their hard work to ensure every student has the skills they need for a successful future.”
The Kentucky schools are among the 297 public and private elementary, middle and high schools across the country that were recognized this year. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential and achieve their dreams,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
The program recognizes schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:
• Exemplary High-Performing Schools: Among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools: Among the state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
The 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. later this school year.
KDE receives $3 million to support United We Learn
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has been awarded $3 million over the next four years to support United We Learn, the department’s vision for the future of public education in Kentucky.
The funding, from the 2022 Competitive Grants for State Assessments program from the U.S. Department of Education, will help advance innovations to move the state’s assessment and accountability system toward a competency-based education (CBE) model.
“Over the past year and a half, we have heard that Kentuckians are ready for change in their education system, especially when it comes to assessment,” said Education Commissioner Jason Glass.
In 2021, Glass held a series of virtual listening sessions with education stakeholders across the Commonwealth to gather information on what they want the future of education to look like in Kentucky. Participants overwhelmingly expressed a need to advance the state’s approach to assessments.
Following the listening tour, the Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education was formed to process data and create the United We Learn: Hearing Kentucky’s Voices on the Future of Education report. The report describes stakeholders’ desired future state of education around three ideas: creating a more vibrant experience for every student, encouraging innovation in our schools – especially when it comes to assessment – and creating a bold new future for Kentucky’s schools through collaboration with our communities.
KDE plans to use the CGSA grant to create greater coherence between local and state accountability systems.
Glass said KDE’s next steps are to establish the Kentucky United We Learn Council – which will be a diverse group of students, families, educators, business and community leaders – to create cohesive local and state systems and build an innovative statewide CBE model.