Despite many barriers, Kentucky has made progress in P-12 education, as evidenced in many measures of educational achievement.
· An April 2009 study by the Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center said, “Compared to our past and relative to the nation, these data show significant educational progress. Kentucky has moved from the bottom fifth of states in educational performance to the bottom third.”
o Based on the center’s National Education Index, Kentucky’s ranking has gone from 43rd in 1992 to 35th in 2007, a finding consistent with Education Week’s “Quality Counts 2008” Achievement Index, which ranks Kentucky 40th, and the Morgan Quitno 2006-07 Smartest State Index, which ranks Kentucky 31st.
o The study concludes, “The index shows that Kentucky has made educational improvements over the years and gained ground on other states.”
o The center also notes that "While the marginal drop in rank indicates that progress has stalled relative to other states in recent years, only tow states that were in the bottom ten in 1992 had managed to climb out of that group by 2007: Kentucky and North Carolina
· For its 14th annual “Quality Counts” report, Education Week looked at the move to common core standards nationwide. Kentucky’s overall grade in the Chance for Success Index, which rates states based on a variety of indicators, was 73.3, which is a C. The national average was 78, a C+.
· In early 2009, the 12th annual "Technology Counts" report by Education Week gave Kentucky favorable marks. Overall, Kentucky was tied for fifth place nationally.
· According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or the “Nation’s Report Card”), Kentucky children are performing better in comparison to their peers nationally than they ever have before.
o The 2007 NAEP in reading showed that Kentucky’s 4th- and 8th-graders made gains when compared to the state’s performance in previous NAEP assessments. In reading, Kentucky 4th- and 8th-graders scored just above the national average.
o In the 2009 NAEP in mathematics, Kentucky's 4th-graders' average score was 239 in 2009, matching the national average. For Kentucky 8th-graders, the average score was 279, three points below the national average.
o A June 2008 study by the Center on Education Policy indicated that Kentucky was one of four states to show consistent moderate-to-large gains in NAEP scores at all levels since 2002, indicating that achievement has improved across the board.
· For the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, in the 2008-09 school year, data indicate that 60.2 percent -- 696 -- of Kentucky's 1,157 public schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
· In Kentucky, the number of students taking the ACT test has increased significantly from 24,942 in 1990 to 41,099 in 2009. This is due in part to the requirement that all public school juniors take the ACT.
o Kentucky’s overall composite score was lower than the national composite in 2009, due to the increased number of test-takers. Kentucky’s overall composite was 19.1; the national composite was 21.1.
· According to state test results, students at all grade levels have shown progress since the inception of KERA, with performance trends going up in all subjects. In addition, elementary, middle and high schools have reduced the percentage of novice-level learners every year.
o The number of students scoring proficient or higher in reading and math on the KCCT improved significantly from 1999-2006. In reading, the percentage increased by 14 points at the elementary level, 13 points in middle school and 16 points at the high school level. In math, the story was much the same, with a 29-point increase at the elementary level, 11 points in middle school and 13 points in high school.
o The performance of students in various demographic groups has risen since 1999. At the elementary, middle and high school level, African American students, students with disabilities and those who qualify for free and reduced-price meals have posted double-digit gains in their overall average scores.
· Kentucky’s public school nonacademic measures also have improved since the early 1990s.
o The dropout rate in Kentucky has declined from more than five percent (5.06%) in 1993 to slightly above three percent (3.3%) in 2008.
o We’ve seen the graduation rate increase. In 2001, it stood at 79.72 percent. In 2008, it climbed to more than 84 percent.
o Of those who do graduate, more are pursuing some sort of postsecondary education. Fifty-five percent of our high school graduates are opting for college. Another five percent are pursuing vocational or technical education.
· Kentucky has seen improvements in teacher quality as well. The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) reports that the number of highly qualified teachers increased in recent years, while the number emergency certifications is down especially in the area of special education. More than 200 Kentucky teachers earned National Board certification in 2008, and Kentucky now ranks in the top ten nationwide in the total number of National Board Certified Teachers, with 1,648.
· According to the SREB Challenge to Lead Goals for Education Report, Kentucky has made some progress in reforming school leadership and is considered a “pacesetter” state in providing support for aspiring and newly appointed principals.