KSBA Aware - News from the Kentucky School Boards Association

October 24, 2018

In this issue:

High school senior ACT results good news for Kentucky
Public comment period now open for graduation requirement changes
Get ready to vote
Is your district website up to date?
Registration now open for 2018 Winter Symposium
KSBA polling question, results
Upcoming dates, deadlines and events

Good news in high school senior ACT results

ACT scores released last week showed a slight increase in the percentages of last year’s seniors who hit the state’s college readiness benchmarks. Kentucky’s improvements come as ACT scores dipped nationally.

The percent increases came in English, mathematics and reading, according to data released by ACT. The state benchmarks, set by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), are the minimum scores that guarantee entry into credit-bearing courses at Kentucky colleges and universities.

Kentucky seniors also fared well nationally with an overall composite score of 20.2 – just 0.6 points off the national average of 20.8. Kentucky ranked sixth for the highest overall composite school of the 20 states that test all or most of their high school seniors, according to ACT’s report The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2018.

Public comment period now open for graduation requirement changes

At its October meeting, the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) approved proposed changes to the state’s minimum graduation requirements. While the proposal is not yet final, KDE has filed the regulation with the Legislative Research Commission, prompting a public comment which runs through the end of November. Page 16 of the regulation offers instructions and deadlines for sending comments to an email address and sets a public hearing for Nov. 29. To grasp the importance of the requirement that students must “demonstrate academic readiness or career readiness” in order to graduate, you will need to reference those terms in the accountability regulation 703 KAR 5:270 .

KSBA will continue to work with the education groups and our members to analyze the proposal. Details on the concerns raised by KSBA and other public education groups can be viewed in our latest Interim Advocacy Newsletter .

We ask board members, superintendents and district assessment and instructional leaders to closely examine the proposal and consider submitting written public comments on the regulation, either individually or collectively, during the comment period which ends Nov. 30.

See below for some of the results of our recent KSBA survey regarding new high school grad requirements and look for more on the graduation requirement debate in the upcoming November issue of the Kentucky School Advocate .

Get ready to vote

The November general election is just days away.

Kentucky has gained nearly 35,000 voters since the May primary bringing the total number of registered voters in the state to more than 3.4 million, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

That could mean a high interest in this year’s midterm elections. Are you ready to vote on Nov. 6? Do you need to check if you are registered? Do you know your polling place?

To make voting easier, check out your ballot before going in the booth so you know all of the races in your precinct.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you are in line at 6 p.m., you can cast your ballot.

Have your identification ready. All Kentucky voters must produce identification, which can include personal acquaintance of precinct officer, driver’s license, Social Security card, county-issued identification card approved in writing by the State Board of Elections, U.S. government-issued identification card, Kentucky government-issued identification card with picture, credit card or another form of ID with both a picture and signature.

What if you can’t make it the polls on Election Day? County clerk’s offices are now open for early in-person voting for those who need to vote absentee. Anyone who has not yet completed absentee voting paperwork can simply show up at your county clerk’s office during business hours before Nov. 6, sign a document affirming your absence on election day and then vote. In-person absentee voting does not apply if you have already submitted absentee paperwork by mail.

If you are considering voting straight ticket, don’t forget to cast your vote for the non-partisan elections at the bottom of the ballot, including your local school board races.

Is your district website up to date?

Effective communications between school districts and their constituents is critical to developing a culture of trust, transparency and support. A district’s website and social media channels are often the first places community members will go for information. Are your district’s online resources up to date? KSBA Communications Director Josh Shoulta visits a district website to show you what to look for.

Registration now open for 2018 Winter Symposium

The 2018 KSBA Winter Symposium will be held Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 at the Louisville Marriott East. Online registration for conference attendees is now open. Click the button below to begin the registration process. To view the conference agenda and hotel information, visit the Winter Symposium page on KSBA’s website.

This year’ s general sessions include:

From Priority to Distinction:

Focus, Strategy and Vision

Brian Creasman, superintendent,

Fleming County Schools

Learn how Fleming County Schools and its board of education went from state assistance to an accredited and distinguished district in Kentucky by focusing on student achievement and strategic processes.

#MarshallStrong

Trent Lovett, superintendent,

Marshall County Schools

Marshall County Superintendent Trent Lovett will discuss the Jan. 23 school shooting at Marshall County High School and the safety measures the district has added since that day.

KSBA will once again offer New School Board Member “Boot Camp.” Hours earned by newly elected/appointed board members can be applied towards the 2019 calendar year. Winter Symposium is a fantastic way to get ahead on state-mandated board training and it is the only conference to offer dedicated programming specifically for our newest members.