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Kentucky School Advocate
December 2018

Changes may be coming to accountability system
After hearing concerns from educators, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is considering changes to the way growth is calculated in the state’s accountability system.

Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis created a Growth Indicator Work Group, which includes five superintendents, five district assessment coordinators, a data management specialist, two principals and two teachers. The group met Oct. 24 to review the current growth calculation methodology and make recommendations for how to improve it before next fall’s accountability release.

The growth indicator measures whether students are on track to reach the goal of proficient in reading and mathematics. Currently, schools are scored on whether elementary- and middle-school students are on pace toward proficiency based on at least two years of testing data, current test results and how students who scored similarly performed on later tests. Students projected to grow gain points, while students projected to fall lose points.

Lewis told the group he shares some of their concerns.

“I would like our growth measure to be relatively easy to explain and understand, while also appropriate for school accountability purposes and informing of educators’ practice,” he said.

New KSBA development manager
Kristin Campbell joined KSBA’s communications unit as development manager on Oct. 26, bringing with her significant experience in sales, business relations, recruitment and advocacy. Among her responsibilities, Campbell will manage KSBA’s exhibitor and affiliate member partnerships and oversee tradeshows at all association conferences. She will also play a central role in fundraising efforts of the KSBA Education Foundation, Inc., including the First Degree Scholarship Program.

Most recently, Campbell worked throughout the Commonwealth as a sales representative for the Kentucky Lottery Corporation. Earlier in her career, she served the American Heart Association and Kentucky Medical Association in a variety of capacities including fundraising, programming, volunteer coordination, membership and policy analysis. Campbell holds a degree in health sciences from the University of Kentucky. She resides in Louisville with her two dogs.

Aaron Thompson named fourth president of CPE
After a national search, the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) unanimously selected Aaron Thompson, the council’s executive vice president and chief academic officer, as its fourth president.

He is the first Kentucky native and African-American to hold the position since CPE was formed 21 years ago.

“As a native of Clay County, a son of an illiterate coal miner and a mother with only an eighth-grade education, I am not only a first-generation college graduate, I am a first-generation high school graduate,” Thompson said. “Now, I am immensely fortunate to have an opportunity to represent that great opportunity to all citizens of Kentucky.”

Thompson came to the council in 2009 from Eastern Kentucky University, where he held a variety of leadership positions and was a tenured professor in the department of educational leadership and policy studies. He also served as interim president for Kentucky State University.

Thompson also has ties to P-12 education, serving on the Charter Schools Advisory Committee and the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and sociology from EKU, a master’s degree in sociology and a doctorate in sociology, both from the University of Kentucky. Thompson fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Robert L. King, who served as president for nearly 10 years.

More Kentucky children eat summer meals
Kentucky Summer Food Service (SFSP) sponsors, along with many partners across the state, celebrated an increase of nearly 166,000 meals in the summer of 2018 compared to the summer of 2017.

The Summer Food Service Program is a USDA Child Nutrition Program under the Kentucky Department of Education that helps ensure children in low-income households continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.

School districts, community action agencies, camps and other nonprofit programs apply to participate as a sponsor in the SFSP to provide free meals to children in their community.

In 2018, almost 3 million SFSP meals were served from May through August in Kentucky. July and August saw high increases in the number of meals served, signifying that sponsors are recognizing that the need for meals spans the entire summer. In July, the growth in meals compared to 2017 was 18 percent and in August, 21.5 percent.