The Kentucky United We Learn (KUWL) council recently announced they are seeking feedback from teachers, administrators, and community members statewide on how to ensure student success.
The KUWL council has entered what it calls a ‘study phase,’ gathering input on how to best implement certain visions. The survey, open to all districts, asks about vibrant learning experiences, the possibility of Kentucky schools entering an accreditation system, and changes to standardized state testing. So far, it has garnered more than 200 responses.
Meredith Brewer, the Executive Director of Education Policy with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), said the KUWL council is composed of advocates from all different backgrounds, and she aimed to see that representation in the survey feedback as well.
“We were really intentional with the composition of the KUWL council so that we felt like it was reflective of the commonwealth,” said Brewer. “So, we have family members, students, teachers, superintendents, principals, business members. And so, hopefully, we’re able to get a lot of really strong data out of these interviews.”
Brewer said the council’s goal is to present a prototype accountability model drafted by their November meeting, and ultimately, a complete plan to bring forward to the Kentucky General Assembly by 2026. She added school leaders know their districts best, so the KDE and KUWL council want to give these administrators a voice while still holding districts accountable.
“So, what is the role that the state might need to play to ensure that there are still through-lines of expectations across all of the districts, but that still allow for that individual representation? Also, what should the state’s role be in determining what can be submitted locally, as well as in reviewing the quality of the local data points that are submitted, if at all?” Said Brewer.
The anonymous assessment and accountability prototype stakeholder survey is available online at the Kentucky Department of Education website. Responses are due by October 4.