Principals speak up
With the release of the 2018-19 KPREP Test scores and school report cards by the Kentucky Department of Education this week, McCreary County school Principals commented on their scores:
By Greg Bird
birdman@tmcvoice.com
Becky Blakley, Pine Knot Elementary
“Pine Knot Elementary is pleased with the release of KPREP test scores. We are above the state average in all academic areas. Our school has the distinction of being a 4-star school. Our proficiency indicator has grown to 80.1 percent and our separate academic indicator has grown to 83.2 percent. Our school goal was to be above 80, so we are very pleased. All content areas are above the state average, but I would like to trumpet the fact that our writing scores are 20.7 points above the state average. These scores are a testament to our parents who work with us hand in hand on a daily basis. It is a testament to our staff that tracks each and every student to make sure every child is learning to his or her fullest potential. Above all, it is a testament to our hard working students. Go Dragons!
Skip Jones, Whitley City Elementary
“Whitley City Elementary is very pleased with out KPREP results. The instructional staff are working diligently to improving our instructional processes each year. Our test scores show good, steady yearly progress. With the instructional strategies implemented last year, many of our tested subjects show high growth. We are currently implementing the strategies and processes that showed high growth within our instructional framework in other grades to enhance student progress.
This past year we implemented new science standards from the state. We have made adjustments to address this issue. By creating our own after-school steam (science, technology, engineering, art and math) program, the activities that are being implemented go hand in hand with the inquiry-type science and math our students need to know.
The staff are working hard to ensure that we are preparing our students for their future.”
Todd Waters,
McCreary Middle
“We are extremely proud of our student’s performance on the KPREP assessment. We received a 3-star rating, showing we are a great school heading in the right direction. For the second year in a row we are labeled as “other,” the label designated for good schools. We are the only middle school in our area not designated as TSI or CSI. (Comprehensive and Targeted support and improvement – a designation indicating a school is in the bottom 5 percent or has a group of students performing at a low level) We did not have a demographic of students with a statistically significant gap and we showed improvements in reading and math, which make up the proficiency indicator. We also were one of only 41 middle schools in the state that received a label of “high” in growth, showing that our students are growing academically while they are here at MCMS. In addition to our success in student growth, MCMS was one of only 97 middle schools to receive a rating of “medium” for our separate academic indicator. I would like to thank all the students and staff of McCreary County Middle School for their contribution to our success.”
Sharon Ross-Privett, MCHS Principal
“McCreary Central High School’s performance in literacy continues to grow. Students in the 11th grade performed 11.9 points higher than the state-at-large in writing and 1.4 higher in reading. The high school’s graduation rate continues to maintain in the high range among state high schools. Another impressive indicator is McCreary Central High School’s transition readiness growth. Their goal was to improve on the previous year’s readiness by more than 10 points. They exceeded the goal and anticipate another year of solid growth through addition of new industry certification and dual credit programs. The school’s #BeyondTheDiploma initiative has focused students on reaching readiness benchmarks for post-secondary opportunities in both college and career readiness. This combined with their graduation rate is a powerful combination for student success. The school’s recent achievements include national recognition by US News & World Report as a 2019 “Best High School” and by national Beta as a 2019 “School of Distinction.”
Sunshine Canada,
McCreary Academy Administrator
“McCreary Academy continues to focus on a 100% graduation rate for students. We are excited to share that our 4-year graduation cohort rate is 92.3 percent and our 5-year graduation cohort rate is 93.8.”
“KDE shares that Graduation Rate is one of the indicators used to measure academic and school quality in Kentucky’s new accountability system. Kentucky’s new accountability system has students at its center – ensuring they are well rounded, transition-ready, and prepared with knowledge, skills and essential dispositions to successfully pursue the pathway of their choice after graduation from high school.”
(Note: though the Academy did not receive a star rating in this year’s assessments, their data does count toward the overall high school and District accountability.)
