Kentucky Department of EducationLast week the Kentucky Department of Education issued a News Release identifying 19 schools in Kentucky as persistently low-achieving schools based on criteria in KRS 160.346.

These schools include Dayton High, Dayton Middle, Bryan Station High, Fleming County High, Hopkins County Central High, Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North, Myers Middle, Stuart Middle, Thomas Jefferson Middle, Westport Middle, Knox Central High, Lee County High, Lincoln County High, Livingston Central High, Monticello High, Perry County Central High, Pulaski County High, Franklin-Simpson High and Trimble County High.

These schools will be eligible for federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding in the 2012-13 school year and are receiving assistance to enable them to improve student achievement.

In the spring and fall of 2010, Kentucky identified the first and second cohorts of PLAs, and those schools are receiving SIG funding and assistance to help them achieve AYP. Schools began implementing SIG-related school improvement plans in the 2010-11 school year, and based on recently released data, many of the schools have shown progress. Kentucky’s criteria for identifying PLAs incorporates an average of the percentage of students proficient or higher in reading and mathematics on the state assessments under KRS 158.6455.

Sheldon Clark was among these schools with 35.41% of the students scoring at proficient or higher in reading and math. This year they improved that a whopping 15.27% moving up to 50.68%, a huge improvement over the previous year.

Sheldon Clark will continue to implement the improvement plans they developed under the requirements of the SIG program. SIG funding for these schools continues until the 2012-13 school year.

Great job to all those involved with the huge success this past year!