Woodford County High School received the highest overall performance rating (Blue), according to state assessment results released by the Kentucky Department of Education on Oct. 15.
Being ranked 22nd in the state was described by Director of Student Achievement Susan Tracy as “significantly great.” Only one high school in Central Kentucky (Lafayette High School in Lexington) ranked higher than WCHS, Superintendent Lori Jones pointed out.
Continuous improvement across the district is evidence that students in Woodford County Public Schools (WCPS) can have “a world-class education,” Jones said, thanks to the hard work of teachers, support staff and school leaders.
Three Woodford County elementary schools and Woodford County Middle School all received overall ratings of Green, the second-highest performance rating.
Student proficiency in reading, mathematics, science and social studies at WCMS outpaced the state average, with sixth and seventh grade student proficiency in reading climbing above 60 percent.
The four elementary schools had a combined proficiency of 60 percent in reading, with the highest percentage being 65 percent at Southside Elementary.
Three elementary schools grew in math. Three elementary schools grew in social studies. Three elementary schools grew in science.
Northside was the only elementary school with an overall performance rating of Yellow (medium). However, Jones emphasized, “Northside made some huge growth. They’re very close to Green.” Northside third graders performed high in reading, with 72 percent deemed proficient/distinguished.
Jones said Southside, Simmons and Huntertown elementary schools were in the 73rd, 72nd and 68th percentile, respectively, in the state.
A variety of factors contributed to the high performance at WCHS, according to Tracy, including a large reduction in students scoring novice in tested areas. That reduction in novice scores included students with disabilities, she said.
Teachers and school administrators are building intentional relationships with students and their families so everyone has a seat at the table when decisions are being made about a student’s individual education plans, Tracy said.
Consistency in leadership at WCHS has also played a role in the high school’s success, Chief Academic Officer Ryan Asher said. “This is evidence of … consistent systems working,” he added.
Reading proficiency at WCHS climbed 12 percentage points from a year ago to 69 percent, which is 20 percent higher than the state average. Math proficiency climbed to 56 percent, compared to 32 percent three years ago. Social studies (48 percent) and science (30 percent) proficiencies were lower, but higher than state averages (37 and 23 percent, respectively), according to Asher.
The graduation rate at WCHS was 99.7 percent, which Asher and Jones described as phenomenal. Post-secondary readiness – meeting academic and/or career benchmarks – climbed to 97.6 percent, which speaks to the district’s focus on getting students ready for adult life after graduation, Asher said.
So if students don’t hit academic benchmarks, he added, “we certainly can have them post-secondary ready” through our CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs.
Jones said the high percentage of reading proficiency at WCHS is also attributed to students in CTE classes where they read technical manuals for information. What’s read in CTE classes is “really at the heart of a kid’s interest,” so that also encourages reading, Tracy added.
Project-based learning is another initiative undertaken by WCPS that prepares students to problem-solve in addition to being able to demonstrate academic proficiency on an assessment, Asher explained.
The focus, said Tracy, is doing memorable things that are embedded in the academic standards. “So the things that they remember are the standards that we’re trying to teach them,” through project-based learning experiences, she said.
In addition to students receiving high-quality instruction, Jones said it’s important that teachers have high-quality instructional resources, which Tracy said is shown by the growth in reading at every elementary school.
A literacy grant provided funding for instructional resources for reading, but WCPS will need additional funding in order to purchase high-quality resources for other academic areas, including social studies and science, Jones and Tracy said.
Asher said that the results from the state accountability show “we can do a competency-based education that also produces high academic achievement.”
Students in WCPS perform at high levels on assessment WCHS ranks 22nd in state
