(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- Five Kentucky educators will help schools across the state close their academic achievement gaps between races and genders, the Kentucky Department of Education announced today.
The Closing the Achievement Gap School Improvement Coordinators will work to provide leadership to school staffs and students and improve student performance with support and assistance. Each of the five will target a specific area of the state, and each has experience with school assistance programs. They will begin their work on July 1.
"These coordinators were selected based on their prior work with schools and districts," said Kentucky Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit. "They have the communications skills and abilities to work with other educators that are necessary to help schools close their gaps."
The five and their target regions are:
- Kay Brown, western Kentucky
- Louise Byrd, northern Kentucky
- Michael Dailey, Jefferson and Fayette Counties
- Sue Davis, eastern Kentucky
- Gary Perkins, south-central Kentucky
Kay Brown is a Highly Skilled Educator (HSE) who was previously a principal at Foust Elementary in the Owensboro Independent school system. Louise Byrd, also an HSE, was a teacher in Jefferson County. Sue Davis, another HSE, was principal at Boyd County Middle School. Michael Dailey currently serves as an assistant in the Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Legal and Legislative Services and has been involved with the department's Minority Student Achievement Task Force and other initiatives. Gary Perkins most recently served as the director of the department's Regional Service Center in Corbin.
Tim Hanner, associate commissioner of the department's Office of Leadership and School Improvement, said the coordinators will work closely with other department staff to design assistance programs for schools.
"This group has one overriding objective," Hanner said. "That goal is to reduce the achievement gaps within schools via a systemic approach to school improvement, and to do that, the coordinators will develop and implement a statewide network to provide support and assistance to schools and districts. They also will serve as the department's "eyes and ears" throughout the state, providing staff with information about what schools and districts really need to make improvement."
The group will:
- work with the department's Division of School Improvement and the Highly Skilled Educators to identify school and district needs to close gaps
- network with professional development providers
- collect data from Scholastic Audits and Reviews to pinpoint successful programs and areas of weakness
- meet periodically to discuss and analyze information
- deliver services to schools and districts based on individual needs
"I'm excited about the work we're going to do," said Gary Perkins. "It will be a challenge, but it's similar to the work I've done before -- helping schools and districts improve student achievement."
Louise Byrd called the new initiative a great opportunity.
"We're on the ground floor of something that will enable us to use our skills and be creative to design programs that will have a positive impact on children and educators."
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