Jun 14 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Part 3 of WFPL’s series this week looking at three collaborative studies on Project Proficiency from JCPS administrators.For the first time, studies are showing the affects of Jefferson County Public Schools’ "Project Proficiency," the district’s response for turning around student achievement in its persistently low-achieving (PLA) schools, according to the No Child Left Behind Act. The effort ensures all students understand the top concepts in math and reading in depth, and it requires teacher collaboration to move the lowest achieving students forward. By Devin Katayama Jun 14 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Devin Katayama
Jun 13 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Part 2 of WFPL’s series this week looking at three collaborative studies on Project Proficiency from JCPS administrators.For the first time, studies are showing the affects of Jefferson County Public Schools’ "Project Proficiency," the district’s response for turning around student achievement in its persistently low-achieving (PLA) schools, according to the No Child Left Behind Act. The effort ensures all students understand the top concepts in math and reading in-depth, and it requires teacher collaboration to improve student achievement. By Devin Katayama Jun 13 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Devin Katayama
Jun 12 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Part 1 of WFPL’s series this week looking at three collaborative studies on Project Proficiency from JCPS administrators.For the first time, studies are showing the affects of Jefferson County Public Schools’ "Project Proficiency," the district’s response for turning around student achievement in its persistently low-achieving (PLA) schools, according to the No Child Left Behind Act. By Devin Katayama Jun 12 Education Studies Favor JCPS Turnaround Model “Project Proficiency” Devin Katayama
Jun 11 Education Greater Clark Schools Approves Dr. Andrew Melin For Superintendent The Greater Clark County Schools board has approved the contract of its next superintendent, Dr. Andrew Melin.Melin will lead the district, overseeing nearly 11,000 students. He’ll replace Stephen Daeschner who was hired in 2009, and who oversaw significant gains in student achievement. Melin was chosen from a list of 17 national applicants and currently serves as the superintendent of Indiana’s Valparaiso Community Schools. He’s also served in various education roles including principal, counselor and teacher. By Devin Katayama Jun 11 Education Greater Clark Schools Approves Dr. Andrew Melin For Superintendent Devin Katayama
Jun 11 Education JCPS Board Narrowly Approves Student Assignment Changes The Jefferson County Board of Education has approved changes to the district's student assignment plan that will reduce school options but give many students shorter bus rides.After lengthy discussion Monday night, the board ultimately approved revisions to the elementary school plan that create 13 clusters in which parents can choose schools for their children. The board retained the current six cluster system for middle and high schools, but approved new diversity criteria for all schools. By Devin Katayama Jun 11 Education JCPS Board Narrowly Approves Student Assignment Changes Devin Katayama
Jun 11 Education JCPS Board Votes On Superintendent Evaluation, Student Assignment Changes The Jefferson County Board of Education will vote on two key agenda items at Monday night's board meeting.The first is the evaluation of Superintendent Donna Hargens’ first year on the job. Board chair Steve Imhoff says he’ll be surprised if the evaluation isn’t favorable. But there’s no way of knowing what discussions the board has had.The board met once in private last month and will again meet behind closed doors before Monday night’s board meeting.The decision to meet in executive session is their choice. Legislation was changed in 2010 to allow this, after the Courier-Journal sued the district to gain access to then-superintendent Sheldon Berman’s evaluation. By Devin Katayama Jun 11 Education JCPS Board Votes On Superintendent Evaluation, Student Assignment Changes Devin Katayama
Jun 11 Education Greater Clark Superintendent Finalist Hopes for Board Support The Greater Clark County Schools board will vote Monday night on whether to hire Dr. Andrew Melin as the new superintendent to replace Stephen Daeschner. If board members vote against his hire, Melin says it won’t be a reflection of his ability to lead.Melin, currently superintendent of Indiana’s Valparaiso Community Schools, was whittled down from a pool of 17. The district’s search committee chose him as the finalist last week while not releasing the names of any other candidates.Melin addressed southern Indiana residents in his first official public introduction last week. He answered questions regarding how he plans to continue the district's success and he addressed questionable spending practices in his current district. By Devin Katayama Jun 11 Education Greater Clark Superintendent Finalist Hopes for Board Support Devin Katayama
Jun 8 Education Kentucky Makes Above Average Progress In Grad Rates Education Week’s annual report, Diploma’s Count, shows while Kentucky has made significant improvements in the number of students graduating over a ten-year period, the commonwealth still falls behind the national average.The big news announced this week: between 1999 and 2009 the graduation rate rose to 73.4 percent, which is the highest it has been since the late 1970s, according to the report. By Devin Katayama Jun 8 Education Kentucky Makes Above Average Progress In Grad Rates Devin Katayama
Jun 6 Education Education Commissioner Terry Holliday Gets 4-Year Contract Extension The Kentucky Board of Education unanimously agreed to award Commissioner Terry Holliday a four-year extension of his contract Wednesday.Holliday was hired by the baord in July 2009 as the state's fifth commissioner . The contract extension will cover the period from August 2013 to August 2017. The contract does not provide Holliday with a salary raise, which will keep his $225,000 yearly salary the same, according to a press release sent from KDE. By Devin Katayama Jun 6 Education Education Commissioner Terry Holliday Gets 4-Year Contract Extension Devin Katayama
Jun 5 Education Free Meals Offered to Youth During Summer Months The Jefferson County Public Schools and Louisville Metro Government summer food programs have begun. Any minor can now get free breakfast and lunch throughout the summer at several school and community locations.The programs are mainly funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Summer food programs have been offered in Jefferson County for years, but participation has dwindled the past few years as the number of sites has decreased, said Julia Bauscher, nutrition director for JCPS. The programs provide one free breakfast and lunch per day to all residents under 18-years-old at over 80 sites throughout the county. Through JCPS's 46 locations over 6,000 meals are served each day during the summer months. By Devin Katayama Jun 5 Education Free Meals Offered to Youth During Summer Months Devin Katayama
Jun 5 Education Greater Clark Schools Names Superintendent Finalist The Greater Clark County Schools superintendent search committee has named Dr. Andrew Melin as the district's finalist to replace superintendent Stephen Daeschner.The committee met last week to finish a second round of interviews with three candidates. Board president Christina Gilkey previously told WFPL that only the finalist would only be named after a contract was accepted. Melin has now accepted an offer including a $170,000 salary, including a $20,000 stipend for moving and a $10,000 annuity for retirement, which he has received at his two previous jobs.The school board and search committee will hold a public forum Thursday to introduce the public to Melin, who is currently serving as superintendent of Valparaiso Community Schools in Valpraiso, Indiana. Prior to that he served as superintendent for Peru Community School, according to a news release sent out GCCS. By Devin Katayama Jun 5 Education Greater Clark Schools Names Superintendent Finalist Devin Katayama
Jun 4 Education Indiana Voucher Program Growing (Information for this story came from the Associated Press)Indiana's school voucher program has finished its first year with enrollment on the rise and supporters trumpeting the program's successes. Some 4,800 Indiana students have signed up for vouchers to attend private schools this fall. That's up about 800 students from the program’s first year, and the voucher deadline is still months away. By Rick Howlett Jun 4 Education Indiana Voucher Program Growing Rick Howlett
Jun 4 Education New Website Helps Community College Students Transfer to Universities Kentucky’s Council on Post Secondary Education will launch a website this week to help students who are transferring from community and technical colleges to four-year universities.“They would start at community colleges and then a good deal of their course work would not transfer toward the degree," said Rep. Carl Rollins, D-56.The called “Know How 2 Transfer” is a result of 2010 legislation, HB 160, sponsored by Rollins. The law creates better consistency among general education courses in community and technical colleges. This should make it easier for students to understand which credits will follow them, said Rollins. By Devin Katayama Jun 4 Education New Website Helps Community College Students Transfer to Universities Devin Katayama
Jun 4 Education Greater Clark Schools Could Choose Superintendent This Week Indiana’s Greater Clark County Schools has missed its goal of hiring a new superintendent by the end of the school year, but officials on the district’s search committee say they’re close to picking a finalist.Under a request from the Indiana School Board Association and the universities search committee helping Greater Clark with the hiring process, the names of the three finalists will remain confidential, said school board president Christina Gilkey. “They gave some reason, yes, and the biggest one was the confidentiality issue and of the three candidates. We did have one that did not want their name out in the public unless they were going to be made an offer,” said Gilkey. By Devin Katayama Jun 4 Education Greater Clark Schools Could Choose Superintendent This Week Devin Katayama