Ed Secretary says Education Reform is making notable strides

The Glasgow Daily Times ran an Op-Ed by Education Secretary Laura Owens today. Owens defends against recent suggestions that Education Reform in Kentucky is on life support.

Her defense speaks for itself, but the secretary would do well to remember that student achievement is a lagging indicator. While many (including Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate) will agree that Kentucky has made great strides since 1990, the more recent record of legislative support and gubernatorial leadership in support of KERA is debatable.

Academic gains are attributable to a lot of hard-working Kentuckians; students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, support staff, board members, citizens - and yes, the Fletcher administration and our legislative leaders can also claim a place on that list. But much more remains to be done if the administration hopes to dispell the doubt that still exists concerning the strength of this administration's commitment to reform - and earn a top spot on that list.

Remember for example, the federal Reading First program provided the kinds of investment in struggling readers that some claim they are in favor of, but invest in...not so much. This is not to diminish last year's improved fiscal effort, a welcome relief after the prior decade of neglect. The fact that Reading First is contemporaneous with the Fletcher Administration is a happy coincidence.

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This from the Glasgow Daily Times.

In recent days, media attention has been given to the well-being of education reform, somehow equating the hiring process for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) with lack of sustained commitment to reform.

The prevailing headlines imply support for reform is waning with one paper going so far as to refer to the “backsliding” of education during the past three years. I am not sure what benchmarks are used to determine “backsliding” but would presume these opinions come from the uninformed.

Notable strides in education have been made during this administration. Since Kentucky implemented the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) in 1999, students at all grade levels have shown progress.

During the last three years, the state’s average score has continued to increase. We already see that this administration’s push for early support in reading and mathematics has resulted in success for Kentucky’s students. The state’s average CATS score in reading at the elementary level has increased from 83.6 in 2003 to 89.3 in 2006.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Kentucky’s fourth grade readers are outperforming the nation.

Mathematics scores at the same level have increased dramatically during this administration.

The average CATS score in elementary mathematics moved from 67.7 in 2003 to 83.7 in 2006.

NAEP scores also show continued student progress in mathematics during the past three years.

The Fletcher administration has supported and seen increases in funding for the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) formula, preschool programs, technology and teacher raises. In fact, P-12 funding has increased 25 percent, the greatest funding increase since the passage of education reform.

Numbers supporting the upward movement of higher education indicate the continued focus of education reform. Postsecondary degrees and credentials awarded in Kentucky jumped an impressive 12 percent in 2006 and have increased by nearly 63 percent since 2001. Also during that time period, 27 percent more students earned Baccalaureate degrees. The additional good news is that more of the state’s postsecondary graduates are settling here. Recent data from CPE show a 36 percent increase between 2000 and 2006 in the number of graduates who chose to stay in Kentucky to live and work.

Gov. Fletcher recognizes that a valuable education embodies lifelong learning. By combining the Education Cabinet with the Cabinet for Workforce Development, the governor placed agencies from all levels of education and workforce around the same table. This move is providing more Kentuckians with a seamless education that aligns with workforce needs.

During this administration, new pathways for educational attainment have been created. The 55 secondary school area technology centers, housed in the Department of Workforce Investment, offer students college credit while they take vocational classes. Kentucky’s program is the first system of its kind in the nation to achieve SACS accreditation. This confirms the improved rigor of vocational education, as well as promotes postsecondary education, another step in working toward the goal of higher education reform.

Assessment scores are up, postsecondary degrees and credentials are up, funding is up, more students are receiving college credits, more educated citizens are staying in Kentucky and new statewide partnerships have been formed to strengthen the progression of education.

So, where do we go from here?

Based on our continued progress, we are exploring ways for Kentucky to advance more quickly. We are creating and supporting learning environments for our citizens that nurture the 21st century skills necessary to compete in the world today and the future.

Gov. Fletcher and this administration will continue to look for ways to recruit the best and brightest teachers, and he will continue to push for increased funding of educational programs that provide resources for our students and teachers.

Rather than attacking the commitment to education reform in Kentucky, more informed citizens will recognize and celebrate the achievements of our students across the state.

We know there is still work to do. We will learn from our past experiences and build on our accomplishments as we work to move ahead more aggressively. Our collective goal will always be success for Kentucky’s students and Kentucky’s future.