Kentucky lawmakers are being briefed this legislative session on how state resources are going to improve academic standings at low-performing schools. It was the Senate Education Committee’s turn Thursday to hear from the State Department of Education. Paris Senator Steve West chairs Education. While certain federal regulations must be met, West said the state legislature does have some options.
“You know activities that are prohibited, we can’t do that but anything that they haven’t spoken on so to speak, those tools are at our disposal,” said West.
West said the federal government has expanded authority for KDE to do more. That comes with a new tier of regulations tied to low-performing schools. It’s called MRI or "more rigorous intervention" and pertains to schools that haven’t exited the low-performance standing for three years.
A State Department of Education official said there are additional measures the State could take in gauging the need for intervention when it comes to low-performing schools. Kelly Foster is associate commissioner in the Office of Continuous Improvement and Support. Foster said annual identification of these schools may help.
“The federal law says you must do it once every three, but you could do it every year. So, if the State could get back to identifying those CSI schools every we know that then they would have access to the additional supports,” said Foster.
CSI schools, of which Kentucky currently has 28, are in the Comprehensive Support and Improvement category. 73 State education recovery staff members are providing assistance in schools. In addition to district administrative actions, Foster said these DOE employees can also lend advice on day-to-day instruction.
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