Kentucky schools, districts recognized for best practices at 2022 Continuous Improvement Summit

The Kentucky Division of Schooling (KDE) acknowledged 9 faculties and three faculty districts for finest practices through the 2022 Steady Enchancment Summit, held on the Central Financial institution Middle in Lexington on Sept. 26-27. Greater than 800 educators from throughout the Commonwealth attended the summit.

The summit supplied attendees the chance to put money into their very own development as a pacesetter and a instructor and supplied methods to make a distinction of their work and of their college students’ experiences. 

“Congratulations to all of our Greatest Follow winners,” stated Schooling Commissioner Jason E. Glass. “I’m pleased with our educators’ dedication to offering Kentucky college students with vibrant studying experiences that may assist them out and in of the classroom.” 

Affiliate Commissioner Kelly Foster offered every Greatest Follow winner with a $500 verify that can be utilized towards faculty enchancment.

These acknowledged have been:

• Jacob Elementary (Jefferson County), Regulators, Mount Up 2.0!: This mission created an id in Constructive Behavioral Interventions and Helps that helps workers develop a primary understanding of mind science and its affect within the classroom for college kids & academics;
• Wellington Elementary (Fayette County), Highly effective Follow: PDSA to Teaching Protocol: Wellington Elementary engaged in a Plan-Do-Research-Act (PDSA) journey that led to creating a school-wide teaching protocol that’s evolving;
• Whitney Younger Elementary (Jefferson County), Implementing a Weekly Steady Enchancment Loop to Help Instructor Growth and Pupil Success: The Younger Elementary management group utilized Carnegie Enchancment Science protocols and inquiry cycles to the skilled studying group (PLC) work to create a system of instructor assist. The PDSA iterative course of supplied the pathway to this technique creation that yielded improved scholar outcomes, tutorial practices, and inclinations;
• Fern Creek Excessive College (Jefferson County), Laundry & Loot: Assembly Primary Must Enhance General Pupil Outcomes: Laundry & Loot gives decide up laundry companies to college students. Moreover, college students and their households obtain clothes and meals help. In spring 2022, Fern Creek Laundry & Loot supplied the inaugural Promenade Glow Up the place college students have been capable of choose attire, fits and equipment for senior promenade, in addition to obtain hair and make-up companies on promenade day;
• Doss Excessive College (Jefferson County), Accelerating Pupil Achievement: Doss Excessive College makes use of PLC techniques to research a wide range of knowledge sources and determine college students in want of Tier 3 assist in core content material courses. Recognized college students are grouped and assigned to content-specific academics for a chosen 45-minute block on alternating days for 3-week rotations. Throughout this time, extremely expert academics give attention to requirements restoration, using methods and actions best with Tier 3 instruction and studying. This system occurs through the faculty day;
• Fairview Impartial College District, Strategic Planning: Strategic Pondering Course of: Fairview Impartial adopted the Strategic Planning Course of from the Nationwide Institute for College Management Strategic Pondering Framework, encompassing the PDSA from Jim Shipley & Associates (JSA), with the give attention to the JSA Techniques Strategy to Steady Enchancment. The Strategic Planning Course of permits faculties and districts to develop techniques round priorities and goals. Via this course of, monitoring of the techniques being developed is included to align with the mannequin for steady enchancment;
• James A. Farmer Elementary (Jefferson County), Say Goodbye Phrase Wall and Good day Sound Wall: The sound wall is an tutorial software that aligns to the structured literacy methodology by selling specific, systematic educating that’s good for all kids, however obligatory for struggling readers. By making certain a high-quality Tier I instruction, fewer college students are recognized as needing Tier II and III interventions. The sound wall, which aligns to structured literacy, additionally addresses the restrictions of the phrase wall. Particularly, the sound wall promoted phonemic consciousness, phonics and a transparent group to deal with scholar usability of this tutorial software. The sound wall makes use of bars to mirror the frequency wherein the letters symbolize every of the 44 sounds;
• Jessamine County College District, Elevating Pupil Progress Throughout the Summer time: In 2021, Jessamine County leaders launched a focused summer time program that resulted in summer time progress from spring to fall 2021;
• Jessamine County College District, Instructor Chief Networks – A Steady Enchancment Powerhouse: Figuring out and partnering with instructor leaders throughout the district has been a key to creating a system of robust skilled studying communities. These academics work with district and college directors to steer their friends in implementing excessive yield practices, efficient studying communities and classroom studying techniques. They’re the spine of the work and create sustainable change of their faculties that has led to excessive ranges of development all through our faculties;
• Camargo Elementary (Montgomery County), Vertical Planning: Vertical Planning is a purposeful planning course of between grade ranges that addresses tutorial gaps, repetition of requirements, sources, vocabulary and the general high quality of instruction. This course of permits academics to change into masters of their content material and grade stage space and perceive the significance of their tutorial affect within the development of an ordinary;
• Rowan County College District, Preserve Your Eye on the Prize: Studying Intentions and Success Standards within the Elementary Classroom: Specializing in studying intentions and success standards, the scholars took the lead of their studying. Via studying intentions aligned to the requirements, success standards designed to permit college students to evaluate their understanding and academics amassing formative knowledge to tell tutorial choices, the result’s nice alternatives for profitable studying;
• Martha Layne Collins Excessive College (Shelby County), Establishing a Tradition of Progress Via Full Workers Suggestions: The executive group made a dedication to supply each instructor with suggestions that they might discover helpful. To take action, they developed expectations, paperwork, and protocols that we attribute to the success of our system. With a number of changes, this course of might show helpful at any faculty; and
• Atkinson Academy (Jefferson County), Bettering Writing Instruction with Enchancment Science: This mission focuses on their use of enchancment science to enhance writing instruction in all lecture rooms. Their journey included using a writing enchancment committee and a number of enchancment science instruments to foster overwhelming instructor efficacy.

In 2013, KDE launched the Greatest Practices and Sustainability web site which was designed to function a clearinghouse to advertise practices that inspire, interact and supply measurable leads to scholar studying, achievement and college/district processes. The location helps academics, directors, district personnel and another training advocates in search of methods which have been confirmed profitable in a wide range of settings. KDE has recognized efficient practices that enhance scholar efficiency and promotes practices for educators with the objective of bettering instructional alternatives for all kids.

Any Kentucky instructor, faculty or district might submit a finest observe to KDE for consideration to be a Greatest Follow award recipient.