LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has released its comprehensive state and test score data indicating where each school district and individual schools stand.

The state tests students in grades three through eight, and tenth, in reading math, and other subjects every Spring. Each student receives a score based on performance level. The "grade" ranges from novice (lowest), apprentice, proficient (goal) or distinguished (highest).

The released data reflects scores from students who tested in the spring of the 2022-23 school year.

Across Kentucky, 47% of elementary school students scored proficient or distinguished in reading, while 42% of elementary school students tested proficient or distinguished in math. Both scores show a slight improvement from the previous school year.

In middle school, 45% of Kentucky's students tested proficient or distinguished in reading, and in math 37% of students scored in the same category. Middle school students' scores show slight improvement in reading, but remained fixed for math, compared to the previous school year.

Out of Kentucky's high school students, 44% scored proficient or distinguished in reading and 33% scored proficient or distinguished in math. The number of high school students that scored proficient or distinguished in reading remained the same and math scores decreased, compared to the previous school year.

State officials cautioned against too much interpretation of the data, saying that the statewide tests changed following 2018-19 and that the 2020-21 results were thrown off by abnormal absentees. They said the 2022-23 test scores released Tuesday can be validly compared only to the previous year's results.

At the same time, Kentucky education officials said the data shows that work remains to undo the damage of the pandemic.

"We expect that there will be needed a multi-year recovery period before school performance really gets back to similar pre-pandemic levels," said interim KDE commissioner, Robin Fields Kinney. "While we celebrate the progress contained within this results, we must also look to the future and what we can collectively do to help our students succeed."

KDE also provides districts and schools an accountability score. This score factors in assessment scores, as well as English language progress, transition readiness, graduation rate, and quality of school climate and safety. The score is reflected in its Overall Performance Rating. This rating is displayed on a color-coded indicator, starting with red (lowest), orange, yellow, green, blue (highest performance). As a state, Kentucky is in the yellow, for elementary, middle, and high schools.

KDE said its accountability scores could not be compared year-to-year, as this is the first year it factored in a "change" component between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year.

Kentucky's 4-year graduation rate for the 2023 school year was 91.4%.

  • To see the Kentucky Report Card Data, click here.

Jefferson County Public Schools

In its Overall Performance Rating, JCPS scored in the yellow for elementary schools, and orange for middle and high schools.

In its assessment results for elementary school, 39% of students scored proficient in reading, and 32% scored proficient or distinguished in math.  Around 2/3 of JCPS elementary school students scored below proficient in reading and math.

Elementary school students' proficient and distinguished scores in reading and math both improved compared to the previous school year.

"If you look at the schools that implemented that, the curriculum that EL, expeditionary learning, we saw some really positive results of that, now it's going to all our schools," Superintendent Marty Pollio told reporters during a news briefing Tuesday afternoon. "I wouldn't shy away from this too, we were in school every single day... Being in school clearly matters, so I think that's a big part of it." 

In middle school, 34% of students scored proficient or distinguished in reading, and 23% scored proficient or distinguished in math. More than 3/4 of middle school students scored below proficient in math, and just less than 3/4 of students scored below proficient in reading.

Reading scores slightly improved in proficient or distinguished for middle school students, compared to last year. Proficient or distinguished scores in math decreased, compared to last year.

For high school, 37% of students scored proficient or distinguished in reading and 25% of students scored proficient or distinguished in math. Nearly half of JCPS high school students scored at novice, the lowest level, for math. More than half of JCPS high school students scored below proficient in reading.

Compared to the previous year, the percentage of high school students who scored proficient or distinguished in reading and math decreased.

"The message is we're proud of what we've seen, we're proud of the results we've gotten, but we've got a long way to go to get to where we want to be as a district, but we can see it... we know that we're doing the right things to get there."

JCPS said in its press release, "the assessment showed almost 70 percent of JCPS schools increased or significantly increased their reading and math score." 

JCPS also said eight schools' results were rated "very high" by the state: Bloom, Dunn, Greathouse, Norton, and Stopher Elementary Schools; J. Graham Brown School (middle and high), as well as duPont Manual High School.

Pollio also praised the work of its Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) designated schools.

These designations are federally mandated identifications, based on the overall school score given by the state's accountability score. CSI status is based on if the school is in the bottom 5% of the state, have a graduation rate below 80% or fell under Additional Targeted Support and Improvement status for at least three years.

TSI schools have a student group performing at or below the bottom 5% of all schools.

Pollio said out of 65 schools designated CSI in 2019, 34 were JCPS. Pollio said it is now down to a total of 25 schools.

Pollio said it also had 15 schools exit TSI status.

"The biggest decline or declines, which is a positive in TSI status for schools, that were identified for African American students being in that bottom 5%, and so we're really proud of our 15 schools that came out of TSI status."

JCPS did see its 4-year graduation rate slightly increase compared to its previous year. In 2023, JCPS graduation rate was 86.8%. 

"I think if you compare this to many of our urban district cohorts, I think you would see that we are doing pretty darn well with graduation, rate," Pollio said. "That doesn't mean that we're exactly where we need to be, but a lot of challenges occur when you are in an urban district."

Oldham County Schools

In its Overall Performance Rating, Oldham County Schools scored in the green for elementary, middle, and high schools.

For elementary schools, 58% of students scored proficient or distinguished in reading, and 57% of students scored proficient or distinguished in math. Less than half of elementary school students scored below proficient in reading and math.

Elementary school students saw proficient or distinguished percentages for reading remain the same compared to the previous year, and decreased for math.

In middle school, 59% school students tested proficient or distinguished in reading, and 56% scored proficient or distinguished in math. Less than half of middle school students tested below proficient in reading and math.

Middle school students saw improvement in its reading proficient or distinguished scores, while the same score for math decreased, compared to the previous year.

Oldham County High Schools saw 62% of students score in proficient or distinguished for reading, and 57% in math.

Reading saw a slight improvement compared to last year's score, while math remained the same.

Bullitt County Public Schools

In its Overall Performance Rating, Bullitt County Schools scored in the yellow category for elementary, middle and high school.

For Bullitt County Schools, 49% of elementary school students scored proficient or distinguished in reading, and 41% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

Both reading and math scores are a slight decrease compared to the previous year for elementary school students.

For middle school, 46% of students scored proficient or distinguished in reading and 36% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

Reading scores for middle school showed a slight improvement compared to the previous year, while math scores decreased significantly.

For high school students, 39% scored proficient or distinguished in reading and 32% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

High school students made significant in its reading proficient reading scores compared to last year, while math scores slightly decreased.

Hardin County Public Schools

In its Overall Performance Rating, Hardin County Schools scored in the yellow category for elementary, middle and high school.

Hardin County Schools saw 48% of its elementary school students score proficient or distinguished in reading and 42% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

Elementary school students saw its reading and math scores slightly improve for proficient or distinguished compared to previous year.

For middle school, 45% of students scored proficient or distinguished in reading and 35% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

Middle school students saw slight improvement in both reading and math for proficient and distinguished scores compared to the previous year.

Hardin County had 47% of high school students score proficient or distinguished in reading , and 39% scored proficient or distinguished in math.

Reading scores for proficient or distinguished slightly increased, while math scores for proficient or distinguished remained the same compared to the previous year.

"These assessments are just one of the many tools that we use to focus on individual student growth," said Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan in a press release. "I-Ready tests, learning checks, formative assessments, and regular classroom exams are all still the best indicators of how students are performing. With this targeted data, we can refine and implement specific plans. We know that all children learn in different ways and we must continue differentiated teaching at all levels for all children to succeed. I'm proud of the things we have in place and we have seen improvement in certain content areas."

This story will be updated. 

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