Kentucky Students Get Tough – Eleven School Districts Join Kentucky Scholars Initiative

Lexington, Ky. (June 1, 2007) - Students in eleven Kentucky school districts will now take part in a statewide effort designed to motivate greater success in college and work thanks to their participation in the Kentucky Scholars Initiative. Kentucky Scholars focuses on encouraging middle and high school students to take the kinds of courses that will help them compete more effectively for tomorrow’s best jobs.

Through collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education, the Partnership for Successful Schools, host of the Kentucky Scholars Initiative, is able to support the addition of eleven new school districts during the 2007/2008 school year: Campbellsville Independent, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Covington Independent, Erlanger-Elsmere, Madison, Nelson, Newport, Somerset Independent and Warren counties. These new districts join others already implementing the Kentucky Scholars Initiative: Kenton, Pike, Jessamine (pilot districts), Montgomery, Bath, Menifee and Powell counties.

The Kentucky Scholars Initiative links business owners and community leaders with middle and high school students as they work toward graduation. A cornerstone of the initiative is an annual presentation designed to help students understand the changing world of work and tougher post secondary environments. Community business leaders have the advantage of being able to connect students to the real world, helping them understand just how competitive the workplace of tomorrow will be.

The State Scholars concept stems from research that demonstrates coursework as a more accurate predictor of student success than grades, test scores or class rank, especially among minority students. Additional studies indicate that students who take rigorous courses score higher on ACT and SATs, are more likely to earn college degrees and earn better pay whether or not they attend college. (Clifford Adelman - U.S. DOE, 1999; ACT High School Profile Report - 2002; College Board - 2001)

In 2003, Kentucky, through the Partnership for Successful Schools, was selected as the seventh in the first round of twelve states that received seed money from the U.S. Department of Education to help begin the Kentucky Scholars Initiative.

This from KDE Press Release.

~

The Partnership for Successful Schools is a non-profit organization located in Lexington, Kentucky. The Partnership is dedicated to engaging communities in education improvement initiatives.

Kentucky Scholars Program

Partnership for Successful Schools

600 Cooper Drive Lexington, KY 40502

859-455-9595 or 859-321-6512