WEBB ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT LAWRENCE CO. TEST SCORES

This week the Kentucky Department of Education(KDE) released the 23-24 (last year’s) accountability results for all 172 school districts across the state. The pieces of school accountability are:

Elementary and Middle Schools:

State Assessment Results in Reading and Mathematics

State Assessment Results in Science, Social Studies and Writing

Quality of School Climate and Safety

English Learner Progress

High Schools:

State Assessment Results in Reading and Mathematics

State Assessment Results in Science, Social Studies and Writing

Quality of School Climate and Safety

English Learner Progress

Postsecondary Readiness

Graduation Rate

**Beginning in 22-23 KDE also started using “change” as half of a school or district’s accountability–meaning school and district scores are also impacted by how much their proficiency scores improved or declined compared to the year before.

KDE uses data from each of the pieces above to determine a school’s overall rating, as well a district’s rating at each level (elementary, middle, and high school).  KDE reports these using a color coding system. Assigned color ratings are red (the lowest), orange, yellow, green or blue (the highest).  Schools may also be assigned a designation of comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) if they need overall state assistance, or targeted support and improvement (TSI) if they need specific assistance in one area of accountability.

Lawrence County Results

     As a district:

• Lawrence County had no schools that rated red or received CSI or TSI designations from KDE.

• Lawrence County’s elementary level overall rating was green (above state average, placing it in the top 50 elementary scores by district in Kentucky)

• Lawrence County’s middle school level overall rating was yellow (at state average for middle schools)

• Lawrence County’s high school level overall rating was orange (slightly below state average for high schools).  LCHS did score in the blue range (well above state average) for both postsecondary readiness for its graduates, and graduation rate.

• Both Fallsburg Elementary (grades 3-5) and Louisa East (grades 3-5) scored green, placing them in approximately the top 35% of elementary schools in the state (717 state elementaries in all).

• Blaine Middle School (grades 6-8) scored green, placing them in approximately the top 35% of middle schools in the state (319 state middle schools in all).

• Blaine Elementary School (grades 3-5) scored yellow (at state average for elementary schools).

• Both Fallsburg Middle School (grades 6-8) and Louisa Middle (grades 6-8) scored in the orange range in overall rating (slightly below state average).
• All LC schools scored in the green (above state average) or blue (well above state average) for school climate and safety.

Statement:

“…After looking at both school and district results from last year we have several celebration points, particularly our increasing number of schools in the district that have reached green status (Fallsburg Elementary, Blaine Middle, and Louisa East), and the blue ratings our high school received in both postsecondary readiness for our graduates, and our graduation rate. Having students graduate on time and ready for the next step of life is the ultimate goal. Additionally, the green or blue ratings all our schools received on student climate and safety surveys are evidence that our students feel cared for, supported, and safe in our schools.  We will take this time to continue diving into our state assessment results to determine what we need to do to continue improving our teaching and student learning at all grade levels. We will use this one piece of information and add it to the ongoing student progress data we collect daily at each of our schools in order to set goals for the future.”