Kentucky Teacher

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson talks with seniors about their postsecondary plans during the Close the Deal kickoff at Bullitt Central High School (Bullitt County).
Photo by Amy Wallot, Oct. 9, 2012

Lawrence County High School seniors strolled through their gymnasium last Monday, looking for their names on place cards.

Once all seated, they dined on a catered meal while watching a slideshow of Lawrence County High alumni. Each alumni photo included the person’s name, college, degree information and his or her current profession and place of residence.

That slideshow – which was part of the kickoff event for a new college-going program being piloted in the district called Close the Deal — will someday include the 136 seniors watching it. “We want to put into motion the notion that all of you are college- and career-ready,” Lawrence County school district Superintendent Mike Armstrong told students.

Close the Deal, which was spearheaded several years ago by Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson and other educational stakeholders in the Louisville area, gathers high school seniors to meet college recruiters and representatives from financial institutions that help students pay for college.

The program is being expanded this year to include Bullitt, Campbell and Lawrence county public schools. Similar kickoff events were held in Campbell and Bullitt counties earlier this month. Read the full story

Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson  joined local officials, educators and the business community yesterday to launch a state pilot program challenging Campbell County High School seniors to pursue additional education after they graduate.  

The Close the Deal initiative creates a college-going culture in high schools for students who aren’t yet considering higher education. The program supports high school counselors, and engages the business and postsecondary communities in helping these students attain further education past high school.  

 At the Close the Deal launch, seniors met with college representatives regarding how to apply for admission and financial aid, while local business leaders outlined the skills needed for current and future opportunities.

“We started Close the Deal when I was mayor of Louisville because we realized that many talented students who would earn a high school diploma had no idea what to do next. Since then, more than 5,400 students have learned how to continue their education thanks to the program, and it’s still going strong in Louisville,” Abramson said. “Now we are partnering with Read the full story

Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is encouraging school districts to participate this fall in the Gallup Student Poll, a survey for students in grades 5 through 12 which measures three positive indicators for student success: hope for the future, engagement with school, and wellbeing.

An overview of the Gallup Student Poll can be found at here. Districts must register to participate in the poll and that can be done at this same link.

Students will take part in the free, 10-minute poll in October. The survey tracks three key indicators of success in 5^th-12^th grade students:

• Hope – the ideas and energy students have for the future.  This drives attendance, credits earned and GPS of high school students and is often a better predictor of college success than high school GPA and ACT scores.
• Engagement – student’s involvement in and enthusiasm for school.  Engagement can distinguish between a high-performing and low-performing school. Read the full story

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday talks with sophomore Alex Kearns about his future college and career plans during Operation Preparation at Gallatin County High School. Kearns is interested in a science-related field. Photo by Amy Wallot, March 15, 2012

Gallatin County High School sophomore Brooke Dossett enjoys playing basketball and has hopes of a career in sports medicine one day. She is already taking an anatomy class with that in mind.

It never occurred to her, however, that a psychology class also might come in handy or that she might want to look into volunteering at her local YMCA.

“I hadn’t made those connections before, but when Mr. (Terry) Holliday made those suggestions, I knew it was good advice,” Dossett said.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday was one of numerous community volunteer advisors who spent time last week sharing college and career advice to 8th- and 10th-grade students during Operation Preparation.

The voluntary, statewide program was a joint effort of Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and the Department for Workforce Development.

“We want to help students realize their potential, maximize their academic preparation and stay on track for success during and after high school,” Holliday said.

College/career-readiness is one of the measures on which schools and districts will be judged as part of the state’s new Unbridled Learning: College/Career-Readiness for All assessment and accountability system.

College and career plans for each student are identified in their Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). Read the full story

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Craig Scharf talks with his STEM Academy students Josh Lindsey and Vaughn Reed about entering the Team America Rocketry Challenge at Muhlenberg County High School. Photo by Amy Wallot, Jan. 6, 2012

Craig Scharf, who taught college classes prior to coming to Muhlenberg County High School, could always spot the students who were prepared for his classes from the ones who weren’t.

“I could tell the kids who had a good background in research and critical thinking from the ones who hadn’t,” said Scharf, who has been at the recently consolidated Muhlenberg County High for 10 years. “I come from a research background, and I honestly believe students who think for themselves and can master independent research will be best prepared for college.”

With that in mind, Scharf and his colleagues at Muhlenberg County High launched an effort this school year that aims to help students better prepare for college by taking a rigorous series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes.

The STEM Academy, as it is called, is an outgrowth of a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) biomedical science program the school started in 2009. The biomedical science program was such a hit with students that administrators decided to form an entire STEM Academy.

“The academy was brought on board to increase the rigor of our course offerings, provide in-depth training for our instructors and put real-world applications and technology in the hands of our students,” said Principal Matt Perkins. Read the full story