Sherri McPherson Naturally, when the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (TPGES) was rolled out to our faculty many of us had questions. At my school, some of us wondered how this work would look in our large high school. Would our principals be stretched too thin with all of the observations and conferences? Others wondered how we [...]
Terry Holliday I came across an interesting article recently on results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The PISA evaluates education systems worldwide by testing 15-year-olds in key subjects. The man in charge of the PISA tests, Andreas Schleicher, the Director of education and skills with the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), says the [...]
Tanya Jury By Tanya Jury Tanya.jury@hardin.kyschool.us Although it used to be the norm for teachers to close their doors, lecture for 45 minutes while students sat in rows, listened, and took notes, times have changed. Over the past several years, student engagement has started to become quite a popular topic in the realm of education. So much so, [...]
Terry Holliday No matter how busy my schedule gets as Kentucky’s education commissioner, I am always interested in receiving feedback. That’s one of the many reasons I meet regularly with staff, connect through social media and visit schools around the state. The comments, questions and ideas I receive from all of these and many other activities are invaluable, [...]
Sarah Reed By Sarah Reed sarah.reed@jefferson.kyschools.us Each year students enter my classroom with different levels of knowledge and individual learning styles. Not all students learn instructional content in the same way or have the same level of proficiency. Consequently, I use differentiated instruction to support the needs of my students and to maximize their learning potential. When I [...]
Tricia Shelton By Tricia Shelton tricia.shelton@boone.kyschools.us The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education articulate a beautiful vision for our students. The overarching goal of the standards is a coherent and rigorous science education for all students that enables them to be critical consumers of science and attain the scientific literacy necessary to [...]
Kentucky Department of Education Chief of Staff Tommy Floyd is Commissioner Terry Holliday’s guest writer this week. He shares some of his experiences and thoughts on the implementation of the higher compulsory school attendance age and how it is really focused on helping each and every child in Kentucky become successful. Tommy Floyd I vividly remember the first high school [...]
Terry Holliday As a parent, it is always difficult balancing between supporting your children and monitoring their behaviors and actions, which in some cases may require a disciplinary follow through. Teachers face a similar balancing act – supporting and nourishing students while also monitoring student behavior and academic performance. Principals confront the challenge of supporting teachers, but also [...]
This blog is the third in a series about the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. My two previous blogs, Let the games begin and Grappling with testing questions provide additional background information. Terry Holliday This week, it was my honor to represent Kentucky and my fellow chief state school officers at a U.S. Senate Health, Education, [...]
Jana Bryant By Jana Bryant jana.bryant@daviess.kyschools.us Barnett Berry, one of the authors of Teaching 2030: What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools, believes “it is time to blur the lines of distinction between those who teach and those who lead.” This distinction ought to become even more blurred with Kentucky’s Professional Growth and Effectiveness [...]