Senate Bill 1 starting to have good impacts in schools

It took almost 20 years before Kentucky’s education reform got aimed in the right direction – what students need to be ready for college and careers.

But, gratifying evidence is coming in that school systems now are getting on the right track with badly needed changes in curriculum and student preparation.

One recent example is a January 8, 2011 article from Georgetown, Kentucky’s News-Graphic (subscription), which discusses how Scott County Schools are stepping up to the plate of “…new standards, new assessments and a new way of how we view assessment in the classroom.”

Admits Chip Southworth, director of secondary education for Scott County Schools:

“Senate Bill 1 is reforming a lot of the ways we are thinking about education.”

Senate Bill 1’s replacement of the state’s old CATS assessments – which never showed evidence of a focus in any area that students need, either college or careers – was an important Bluegrass Institute effort. We are pleased that educators like those in Scott County are stepping up to the challenge posed by the demanding changes they need to make as they refocus the state’s education system in a productive direction for students.