School Report Cards for the 2022-2023 school year from the Kentucky Department of Education have been released, and several eastern Kentucky school districts saw scores fall below the state’s average.
Michael Melton is Superintendent of Elliott County Schools. He said even though his district’s math and reading test scores were less than perfect, the report held some bright spots.
“Our elementary schools are doing really, really well. Our middle school needs some work,” he said. “Our high school needs some work but was promising in areas.”
Melton said the dip in test scores his district saw has several contributing factors, but the lapse in learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely the most to blame.
“It’s going to take us probably four or five, maybe six years to be able to see that learning be recovered across the board,” he said.
Jodi Blackburn is Chief Academic Officer with Menifee County Schools. She said her district is in much the same position as Elliott County, but they’re on the road to improvement.
“We’re looking more at the growth factor, and historical data,” she said. “We are seeing movement forward. It’s not where you want it to be, but we are seeing growth in those areas that are important to us.”
Elliott County’s Assistant Superintendent Josh Kincaide agreed. He said his district’s scores in math and reading testing may be below average, but Menifee County schools also saw areas improve from last school year.
“Our postsecondary readiness at the high school is an area of growth for us. We’re really trying to figure out exactly what our community wants out of our graduates,” Kincaide said. “It’s not just based on one test score.”
Full reports for districts statewide can be found on KDE’s website.