Jay Simmons

Jay Simmons

The Carlisle County school district had a very successful year in 2013-14 despite the severe weather that kept us out of school for 19 days.

Carlisle Co. Elementary School has continued to implement the new Kentucky Core Academic Standards in mathematics and English/language arts, and end-of-the- year MAP testing showed that a large percentage of students made or exceeded a year’s growth in both areas. The district continues to implement the new standards at all levels and shows growth districtwide.

One of the things the district is most proud of is the Comet Academy dual credit program. Through the Four Rivers Scholarship Foundation and other local donations, juniors and seniors at Carlisle County High School were able to complete 443 hours of college credit, most at no cost and all at a reduced cost. This number represents more than 90 percent of the senior class receiving at least some college credit. The Four Rivers Scholarship Foundation program also provides college scholarships to students, and is a joint venture which serves students in Fulton Independent, Carlisle County, Fulton County and Hickman County school districts.

The Carlisle County school district has won the KSBA PEAK Award, given by the Kentucky School Boards Association, twice in the past five years for the Four Rivers Scholarship Foundation program and for the PALS program, where at-risk students assist with the district’s preschool; the program has reduced the district dropout rate. The PALS program also has won the Magna Award given by the National School Boards Association’s American School Board Journal.

In the 2014-15 school year, the district will participate in a pilot program to align the new Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES) evaluation process with the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP). All new teachers in the district will participate in a hybrid KTIP/PGES system that will allow the state to combine the programs in the future.

The district will continue to grow successful students and improve its facilities here in Carlisle County in preparation for a bright future for all of our stakeholders.