Many schools in Kentucky have made significant gains in closing achievement gaps in reading and/or math for one or more subpopulations identified in SB 168. This page provides information on how those schools have been identified and common strategies/practices being implemented.
The Achievement Gap Team used a two-step process in looking at schools that are closing the achievement gap. The first step was to qualify schools for an on-site visit by the Kentucky Department of Education team through an analysis of Kentucky school progress data in relation to SB168. The criteria for step one is as follows:
Step 1
First, the team reviewed Kentucky school progress data at the elementary, middle and high school levels to identify schools whose data demonstrated a closing of achievement gaps in one or more of the subpopulations listed in SB 168 (i.e., gender, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, African American, students with low socio-economic status). The team used the same criteria established for the 2004-05 study to identify schools successfully closing achievement gaps. The criteria included:
· sustained evidence indicating whole school improvement for a minimum of six years (increase in academic index)
· made adequate yearly progress and not in school improvement
· closed the achievement gap in one or more subpopulations in reading and/or mathematics by at least 10 points;
· met or exceeded state accountability indices (81.5 for elementary, 75.8 for middle, 74.9 for high); and
· closed the gap in 60% of the content areas for the identified subpopulation.
The second step in the process was for the on-site visit team to chronicle qualitative data by using the Achievement Gap Site Visit Checklist which include the following eight (8) goals:
Rigor in curriculum for ALL students Accountability and incentives to increase minority achievement High achievement for minority students? Community dialogue and facing issues of race and achievement Respect of cultural and socio-economic differences High expectation for all students Teacher quality Utilizing data to improve student achievement
Step 2
The team completed an on-site visit of those schools that met the criteria in step one. Using the Achievement Gap Site Visit Checklist, reviewers were asked to document through supporting evidence a school's processes/practices, programs, people, policies, and the physical environment that assisted schools in successfully closing achievement gaps. The reports were analyzed to determine individual practices, policies, and strategies contributing to a school's success in closing the achievement gap as well as identifying commonalities across all of the schools selected for this process.
The purpose of this review process was to build a resource base for other schools to access and/or visit when trying to develop a plan that will close gaps in their school community. Those schools who met the criteria in step one and were able to provide the qualitative data in step two of the review process will be posted as resources on the KDE Achievement Gap website.