Kentucky is transitioning away from the Unbridled Learning Accountability Model to a new accountability model, which is expected to take effect beginning with the 2018-19 school year. Schools and districts will have no overall scores or labels; rather, results will be reported on the outgoing components of the 2016-17 assessment system. Until the new accountability system takes effect, the situation is changing: the district is moving away from the old and toward the new.
Based on the district results from the 2016-17 assessment, reading scores remain above the state average while mathematics continues to be a focus area for elementary and middle schools. Three of Marshall County’s elementary schools were awarded the Math Achievement Grant this year. This grant provides extensive training to multiple teachers in each building for the next four years. In addition to this training, Meena Wood will be supporting teachers as a learning coach in both math and reading. She will work with teachers throughout the district to implement research-based strategies to increase student mastery of academic content.
At the high school level, students scored above the state average in both Algebra 2 and Biology on end-of-course assessments, writing and the ACT. MCHS also met its graduation rate target by a score of 96 percent.
In 2016-17, science was assessed by the state, but this was as a pilot assessment, so the state did not report results. The state science assessment underwent a drastic change in design that assessed students’ understanding of science by asking them to make sense of phenomena. This type of test design requires students to use reasoning and critical thinking skills to reach an explanation and does not measure simple recall and memorization of science content.
While schools and districts across the state learn about the new assessment system that is expected to be in place by 2018-19, Marshall County Schools will continue to focus on the Future Ready Skills and Dispositions described in the Marshall County Graduate Profile. Staff will partner with the University of Kentucky’s Next Generation Academy and the Kentucky Department of Education Innovation Network. Both organizations are working to advance new models of learning that can best prepare all students for success in the 21st century by implementing deeper learning initiatives that include personalized learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based, blended learning and competency-based learning.
While standardized testing has its place in education, the Marshall County School System realizes that a student’s standardized test score does not determine the success of that student beyond graduation.
The district believes each student must be able to think critically and problem solve, work productively with others, innovate, effectively communicate ideas to a variety of audiences, practice all the components of citizenship and be of good character, along with mastering academic content. Many of these skills and dispositions are hard to measure, but must still be taught. Marshall County teachers and administrators are working on a system that will enable teachers to effectively assess and provide feedback to students around the components of our Marshall County Graduate Profile.
For more information, “like” the Marshall County Schools Deeper Learning Initiatives page on Facebook to keep up with the opportunities and learning activities taking place in schools to increase future-ready skills. For more information regarding the 2016-17 Unbridled Learning Assessment Results, visit the School Report Card page on the Kentucky Department of Education website.