Kentucky Teacher

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

Senior Marina Vitatoe paints a ceiling tile during an independent study with art teacher Linda Ishmael at Deming School (Robertson County). Vitatoe was planning on attending Morehead State University to study graphic design on a partial art scholarship. Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

During the 2011-12 school year, Kentucky districts answered the call when challenged by Commissioner Terry Holliday and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to sign the Commonwealth Commitment.

Every district agreed to move 50 percent of their district’s high school graduates who are not college- and/or career-ready to college- and/or career-ready between 2010 and 2015.

To get a firm grasp on what schools were doing to facilitate this pledge and bring it to fruition, KDE staff members visited seven schools that have made significant strides toward student success in college and/or career readiness.

These visits consisted of interviews with teachers and school administrators and focused on how they were implementing a college- and career-readiness agenda.

Todd Baldwin, who formerly worked as a research and policy analyst at the time of the site visits, but who is currently an executive strategic advisor for the Office of Next-Generation Learners, said identifying promising practices around increasing college and career readiness and graduation rates was the main intent of these site visits. Read the full story

By Amy Wallot
amy.wallot@education.ky.gov

Science experiments are underway every day in schools across Kentucky. Students enjoy the hands-on activities and teachers like to get in on the fun, too. This is a small collection of science I’ve seen happening over the past few months.

A small group of teachers recently gathered at the University of Kentucky for a climate science workshop. Middle and high school teachers participated in hands-on experiments and group discussions. The workshop was a joint effort between the UK College of Agriculture and the UK College of Education.

Students in Tawnya Boyd’s 7^th-grade science class at Deming School (Robertson County) tried to keep penguins made of ice from melting as part of a lesson on heat transfer, conductors and insulation. Students constructed small, house-like structures to fit the ice cube penguins in and placed them under heat lamps to test how long it would take the penguins to melt.

Egg candling is a favorite experiment of students in Joann Hall’s 6^th-grade science class at Roy G. Eversole Middle School (Hazard Independent). Students use an egg candler to observe the eggs until they turn into chicks as a lesson on life science. This year, students were surprised to find an egg containing two embryos.

North Hardin High School (Hardin County) science teacher Laura Lang checks the temperature difference between air and air enriched with CO2 during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Vint Collins, an 8th-grade science teacher at Leestown Middle School (Fayette County), talks to faculty member George Wagner (not pictured) during the climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Wagner led the experiments during the workshop. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Jerri Dyer, a science teacher at West Jessamine Middle School (Jessamine County), measures melting ice during an experiment demonstrating the affects of soot on icebergs during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Seventh-grade students Dakota Moore and Jimmie King construct a model house for their ice penguin during Tawnya Boyd's science class at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Seventh-grade student David Kennedy places houses for penguins made of ice under heat during an experiment involving heat transfer, conductors and insulation at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Sixth-grade student Gavin Franks examines an egg with two embryos during JoAnn Hall's science class at Roy G. Eversole Middle School (Hazard Ind.). Photo by Amy Wallot, March 28, 2012