dec. kyt 2001pdfe-archives.ky.gov/pubs/education/decjan01kyt.pdf · tion, school safety and uses of...

Kentucky TeacherDECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002

Photo by Rick McComb

Kentucky 8th-graders shine on national science test4th-grade scoresalso beat national average

Sammi Conn and Joe Templeman answered weather-related questions during science class atRowan County Middle School last spring. Kentucky 8th-graders made a good showing in sci-ence on the most recent round of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests.For the first time, they scored above the national average.

Kentucky’s 8th-graders made significant progress in science from1996 to 2000, based on results of the most recent administration of

the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science test.For the first time, they scored above the national average.

In the spring of 2000, nearly 500,000 4th- and 8th-grade students inparticipating states and jurisdictions took NAEP’s science tests. The testincluded multiple-choice and open-response (short answer) items andhands-on tasks. The 2,300 participating Kentucky 8th-graders scored anaverage of 152, three points higher than the national average of 149.Kentucky’s score represents a five-point increase since 1996.

Kentucky joins Vermont and Missouri as the only states to make whatNAEP calls “significant progress” in 8th-grade science from 1996 to 2000.

Fourth-graders took NAEP’s science component in 2000 for the firsttime. Kentucky’s 4th-graders scored 152, four points higher than the national4th-grade average of 148 and 11 points higher than the average of thesoutheastern states.

While pleased with the rising scores, Education Commissioner GeneWilhoit said he is concerned about some of the NAEP-related data. WhileKentucky’s African-American 4th- and 8th-graders scored five points higherin science than their counterparts nationwide, their scores were as muchas 27 points lower than those of white Kentucky students.

“Obviously, we still have an achievement gap between whites andAfrican Americans, and that’s troubling,” he said. “The achievement gapat the 8th-grade level actually got wider between 1996 and 2000. Our schoolsand teachers need all the assistance we can muster to close this gap.”

About NAEPThe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is popularly

known as “the nation’s report card.” Educators nationwide generallyconsider NAEP’s results to be a valid source of state-to-state comparisonsof learning.

Kentucky joins 39 other states, Department of Defense schools, andschools in Guam and American Samoa in the NAEP program. NAEP providesdata to state departments of education showing a number of items:

• overall state score (on a scale of 0-300);• student achievement levels: below basic, basic, proficient andadvanced (levels that do not match precisely with Kentucky’s novice,apprentice, proficient and distinguished but can be correlated to somedegree);• break-out scores by gender and race;• exclusion rates indicating the number of students not tested becauseof disability;• progress from one testing year to another.

• • • • •More information about NAEP is available online at www.nces.ed.gov/

nationsreportcard.For details about Kentucky’s performance on the NAEP science test,

contact Lisa Gross at (502) 564-3421 or [email protected], or visitwww.kentuckyschools.org/comm/mediarel/01r065.asp online.

NAEP Scores in ScienceBy Gender and Race(Score scale 0 -300)

1996 2000

MalesKentuckyNation

FemalesKentuckyNation

WhiteKentuckyNation

African AmericanKentuckyNation

4th 8th 4th 8th

**

**

**

**

* NAEP tested 4th-graders in sciencefor the first time in2000.

148149

147148

151159

127120

155151

150146

156159

129124

155153

148146

155160

126121

2 Kentucky Teacher • DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002 www.kentuckyschools.org

Commissioner’s Comments


By Gene WilhoitCommissioner of Education

National test results again support what Kentucky’s ownCommonwealth Accountability Testing System shows:

Our public schools are improving, and our students areperforming at higher levels than ever before.

Results released on Nov. 20 from the National Assess-ment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly knownas “the nation’s report card,” show that Kentucky’s 8th-graders made a five-point gain in science from 1996 to2000. For the first time, Kentucky scored higher than thenational average in 8th-grade science.

It’s important to have such credible national compari-sons. They let parents and taxpayers see how the state’sschools stand in comparison to schools in other states.That’s why the state’s Commonwealth Accountability Test-ing System (CATS) includes the Comprehensive Test ofBasic Skills (CTBS), a national test of reading, mathemat-ics and language knowledge. Results from that nationaltest, released in August, showed that Kentucky studentswere at or above the national average for the first time onthat measure as well. For example, our 3rd-grade nationalpercentiles in both reading and mathematics went from49 in 1997 to 58 in 2001.

These significant improvements on two national testsare similar to the gains we have seen on the KentuckyCore Content Test components of CATS. Three years ofcomparable CATS test data show that Kentucky studentsare achieving at higher levels in every content area and atevery grade level.

CATS is the product of a broad, collaborative processof unprecedented public involvement. The Kentucky Boardof Education developed the test with legislative guidance,with the help of thousands of teachers, parents, businessleaders, university people and taxpayers, and in consulta-tion with a panel of the nation’s top testing experts. As aresult of this inclusive, careful and trustworthy process,we have a strong system of testing and accountability –

‘The Nation’s Report Card’

Success on another national test confirms it:Kentucky schools are on the right track

and every reason to have confidence in it.Each school has its own chart showing where it is

and what it needs to achieve each year to reach the goal ofproficiency and beyond by 2014. Parents and taxpayerscan easily see exactly how a school is progressing towardthe goal. In addition, every school mails to parents everyyear its School Report Card, which reports CATS results,other test results and information about teacher prepara-tion, school safety and uses of technology.

These consistent and clear reports of progress andresults – including national test results – give parents andtaxpayers the information they need to examine schoolquality and participate in school improvement.

What we see are meaningful results produced by theKentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 and by the hardwork of Kentucky’s public school teachers and adminis-trators. It is clear that Kentucky’s students are makingprogress.

We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal. Weare pursuing excellence in Kentucky, and we can’t stopworking now. But we can pause for a moment and recog-nize how far we’ve come. The National Assessment ofEducational Progress, the national Comprehensive Test ofBasic Skills and the Kentucky Core Content Test compo-nents of the Commonwealth Accountability Testing Sys-tem all convey the same exciting message: The investmentand the hard work are paying off in the lives of Kentuckychildren. Schools in Kentucky are improving. Students inKentucky are achieving at significantly higher levels thanthey ever have before.

• • • • •To respond to the commissioner on this or any other

topic, send e-mail to [email protected], phone (502)564-3141, or address correspondence to Gene Wilhoit, Ken-tucky Department of Education, 500 Mero St., Frankfort,KY 40601.

Learning About LearningEducation Commissioner Gene Wilhoit gets specific as heasks students about their work at Happy Valley Elementaryin the Glasgow Independent school district. The schoolwas one of eight stops on a “Learning Talks” tour of high-performing schools that met their performance goals forthe past four state assessment cycles.

Kentucky students and teachers will haveopportunities to see and learn from the cutting-

edge work of the world’s youngest scientists when theIntel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)comes to Kentucky May 12-18, 2002.

This event, known as the “Olympics” of sciencefairs, will take place at the Kentucky InternationalConvention Center in Louisville May 12-18, 2002.More than 1,200 of the world’s most promising highschool scientists, all of them winners at theirregional or national science fairs, will exhibit theirdiscoveries and compete for major awards.

Inspire students with visit to science fair ‘Olympics’The fair’s exhibition hall will be open for class

field trips on May 16 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and May17 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Visit www.intelisef2002.orgafter Feb. 1 for information on how to register aclass for a field trip.

Intel ISEF “Innovation Rooms” at variousdowntown Louisvi l le locat ions wil l featuredemonstrat ions, hands-on act iv i t ies andpresentations on a variety of science topics. TheWeb site will offer details.

Classes throughout the world will have accessto Intel ISEF resources. The Kentucky Department

of Education is developing curriculum suggestionsfor K-12 teachers, and real-time webcasts are inthe planning stages. Watch the Web site for detailsabout these and other resources.

Refer questions about Intel ISEF educationalresources and opportunities to state scienceconsultants Russell Moore and Jackie Hensley at(502) 564-2106 or through KETS global e-mail, orcontact the science consultants in the Departmentof Education’s regional service centers. For a listof centers and consultants, seewww.kentuckyschools.org/oapd/rsc/.

www.kentuckyschools.org www.kentuckyschools.org Kentucky Teacher • DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002 3

Elementary schools can volunteerfor longitudinal assessment in readingBy Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education

E lementary schools throughoutKentucky will have the opportunity

this spring to participate in a statewidereading assessment that will helpmonitor student performance in readingover time. The statewide project wouldretest 5th-graders using the 4th-gradeKentucky Core Content reading test.

Legis la t ion that created theCommonwealth Accountability TestingSystem in 1998 requires thedevelopment of a “technically soundlongi tudinal compar ison of theassessment resul ts for the samestudents.” For the past two years,selected elementary schools haveparticipated in piloting a longitudinalassessment. The Kentucky Departmentof Education worked with the NationalTechnica l Advisory Panel onAssessment and Accountabi l i ty(NTAPAA), the School Curriculum,Assessment and Accountabi l i tyCounci l , and the Educat ion,Assessment and Accountability ReviewSubcommittee of the legislature tocreate the pilot program.

At i ts December meeting, theKentucky Board of Education gave itssupport to another piloting of theprogram to allow elementary schoolsto participate voluntarily in retesting5th-graders in reading. The 5th-gradersat the participating schools will retakethe 4th-grade reading assessment at theconclusion of the spring Kentucky CoreContent Tests.

Because the pilot would involvemore schools, board members said theythink the data collected will help themmake a more informed recommenda-tion to the legislature as to whether alongitudinal assessment should be partof the state’s accountability system.

James Cat tera l l , who chairsNTAPAA, told the board that the dataproduced from the first two pilotssupport expanding the project toinclude schools throughout the state.The third pilot would provide data tohelp the board decide whether torecommend including longitudinaltesting in the accountability system, headded.

Significant information from thepilots shows that teachers in theparticipating schools embraced the

assessment as aviable tool to use intheir instruction, saidJohn Poggio, v icechair of NTAPAA.

“Teachers are notsaying, ‘Here’s anothertest from Frankfort,”he explained. “Theysee retesting as a goodinstructional tool.”

The board alsogave its support to aDepartment of Educa-tion study that will lookat rigorous individualassessments for all stu-dents prior to highschool graduation. Edu-cators would use thisassessment to identifyacademic deficienciesas well as improve stu-dents’ readiness forpostsecondary educa-tion or the work force.

As part of thestudy, the departmentwill look at thefeasibility of requiringdiagnostic pre-assessment and/or atleast one rigorousindividual assessmentof every high schoolstudent. Almost 7,000of the 37,000 studentswho graduate fromKentucky high schoolseach year do notparticipate in anyindividual assessmentprior to graduation.

During the meet-ing, the board also heard updates on thefollowing projects:

• “Characteristics and Attributesof Primary Programs and Practices” –This study, conducted last school year,identifies the characteristics andattributes of effective Kentuckyprimary schools and classrooms.(Watch for more information aboutthis report in a future issue of KentuckyTeacher.)

• Extended School Services –


State Board of Education member Carol Gabbard got a first-hand look at work produced by studentShalyne Walters during a visit to Jackson County’s McKee Elementary School in mid-November. Gabbardand other state education leaders plus local business and community representatives are on “LearningTalks” visits to eight of the state’s 67 schools that have qualified for rewards in each of the fouraccountability biennia completed since 1992. For details about the tour, visit www.kentuckyschools.org/comm/pubinfo/learning_talks.asp on the Internet or contact Kay Anne Wilborn at (502) 564-3421 [email protected].

‘Learning Talks’ Tour

Merrill Meehan of the AppalachiaEducational Laboratory, which isconducting a third-party evaluation ofthe state’s ESS program, presentedpreliminary results from surveys ofESS coordinators at the district andschool levels. The final report isexpected next year.

• Minority recruitment – Onlyfour of Kentucky’s 176 schooldistricts failed to submit the state-mandated Minority EducatorRecruitment and Retention report for

2000-01. The report providesinformation about job vacancies,interviews and positions filled.

In addition, the board made final itsintent to amend two regulations: theEffective Instructional Leadership Act andthe regulation that governs Home/HospitalInstruction. For more information aboutthese proposed amendments, visitwww.kentuckyschoo l s.o rg/ lega l/hearings.asp on the Web.

The sun shines brightat Wurtland Elementary


By Joy BarrKentucky Department of Education

How much electricity do you usedaily? How much does your

classroom use? How much does yourschool use?

Students at Wurtland Elementary inGreenup County can answer thosequestions. Their school is the first inKentucky to install a solar electricitysystem as part of the U.S. Departmentof Energy’s Million Solar Roofs initiative.The initiative’s goal is to enable U.S.businesses and communities to installsolar systems on one million rooftops by2010.

The Department of Energy is leadingthis trailblazing initiative by workingwith partners in the building industry,local governments, state agencies, thesolar industry, electric service providersand non-governmental organizations toremove barriers and strengthen thedemand for solar technologies.

Wurtland Elementary installed thesolar system through Learning FromLight, one of many programs under theMillion Solar Roofs umbrella. Theprogram, a cooperative effort ofelectricity provider American ElectricPower (AEP), federal and state

The sun shines brightat Wurtland Elementary

governments, local communities andother partners, helps schools worldwideinstall solar energy systems and teachstudents about energy resources.Students learn about the different waysof generating electricity and the impactof electricity production on theenvironment. An Eisenhower grant anddonations from AEP funded the solarsystem installed at Wurtland.

“This system is an invaluablelearning resource for the school and thecommunity,” said Timothy Mosher,Kentucky state president of AEP.

The solar energy system installed atWurtland Elementary is a 1,000-wattsystem consisting of 20 panels, 50 wattseach, connected and mounted on a pole.The system measures approximately 8.5feet by 11 feet and is electricallyconnected to the school building and theelectric grid. Datapult Internet-based,energy management software developedby AEP lets Greenup County students,teachers and others track the amount ofelectricity supplied by the solar panelsand compare it to the school’s energydemand.

“We are very excited about theLearning From Light project,” statedBarbara Cook, principal at WurtlandElementary. “So many windows forlearning open with this project. There areopportunities to use the project in allsubjects and all classrooms at Wurtland.Even becoming friends with students inother parts of the country makes it a

learning tool of infinite value.”Students monitor the

school’s total energy use, theamount of electricity produced,and electrical activity used forspecific purposes such as lightingand computers. Students graphtheir data and go to the LearningFrom Light Web site to comparetheir graphs to those producedat other schools involved in theprogram. The Web site createsopportunities for global

networking among students, teachersand communities.

By developing this uniqueeducational program and installing solarpanels at schools, AEP and its partnershelp students and community memberslearn more about and understand theimportance of using all types of fuels toproduce energy. “Enhanced mathematicsand science comprehension amongstudents and increased understanding ofthe different ways of generating electricityand their impact on the environment arethe desired outcomes of the installation,”

Guided by teacher Kathy Glancy, Wurtland Elementary School studentspresent “How Does Your Garden Grow” to demonstrate the impact ofsolar power. The Greenup County school is the first in Kentucky toinstall a solar electricity system as part of the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s Million Solar Roofs initiative. Solar power is a schoolwideinstructional theme in all content areas.

Photo courtesy American Electric Power

Mosher said.• • • • •

For more information about theLearning From Light program, contactMelissa McHenry at American ElectricPower at (502) 696-7003 [email protected].

To request information about theMillion Solar Roofs initiative, e-mailwww.eren.doe.gov/millionroofs/.

For details about WurtlandElementary’s solar energy activities, con-tact Scarlet Shoemaker at (606) 473-7739or [email protected].

[email protected]

(502) 564-3421 or (800) 533-5372 (toll free in Kentucky)

(502) 564-6470

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Kentucky’s Classof 2014 – A StrongStart in Reading

Dressed in robes and slippers, TrevorTurner and his classmates listened

to a reading of a holiday story, “ThePolar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg,and used prompts on the board to writeabout their own holiday wishes. Theirteacher, Tamara Gilvin, read the storyand guided the students in reading-skills activities, including predicting,vocabulary, spelling, comparing andcontrasting, and retelling. The picturesand stories the students developed asthey related the story to themselves areon display at their school, Northern El-ementary in Pendleton County. Afterthe holidays, the class will publish themin book form and share them with theirfamilies.

Such activities are giving thisyear’s entry-level primary students –Kentucky’s high school graduates of2014 – a strong start in reading. Here’show their learning relates to some of

the expectations outlined in “Programof Studies for Kentucky Schools”:

• Primary: Students will listen toa variety of genres to form an under-standing of reading; develop conceptof self as reader through using experi-ence, memorization, pictures andimagination to make meaning fromreading materials; make connectionsbetween letters and their correspond-ing sounds in words; use pictures totell stories; re-tell stories to demon-strate understanding of plot; summa-rize what happened in a story by tell-ing and/or drawing.

• Grade 4: Students will under-stand and respond to a variety of read-ing materials, making connections tostudents’ lives, to real world issuesand/or to current events; identifymeaning from a variety of reading ma-terials; employ reading strategies to lo-cate and apply ideas and information

for inquiry projects and other authen-tic tasks.

• Grade 7: Students will respond toand analyze meaning, literary tech-niques and elements of different liter-ary genres; respond to and analyzetransactive reading materials (informa-tional, practical/workplace, persuasive)through raising and addressing ques-tions, making predictions, drawing con-clusions, solving problems and summa-rizing information.

• High School: Students will readand analyze informational material(such as biographies, autobiographiesand periodicals); respond critically to avariety of literary genres … and stylesby applying a knowledge of character-istics of those genres and literary termsand concepts … and by making connec-tions to personal experiences; read andanalyze practical/workplace materials(warranties, recipes, forms, memoranda,

consumer texts, manuals); read and ana-lyze classic and contemporary persua-sive materials (editorials, articles, ad-vertisements, essays, speeches) … andclassic and contemporary literature asrepresentative of the many dimensionsof the human experience.

• • • • •

For more about what this year’s en-try-level primary students are learning,refer to “Program of Studies for Ken-tucky Schools.” The document is avail-able free of charge online. Go to the Ken-tucky Department of Education’s Website (www.kentuckyschools.org) and se-lect “Program of Studies.” It is also avail-able for purchase from the KDE Book-store. Select “Bookstore” on thedepartment’s Web site or contact WindyNewton at (502) 564-3421 [email protected].


Kentucky’s Classof 2014 – A StrongStart in Reading


Welcome back to “New to the’Net,” a professional develop-

ment series for teachers who want touse technology effectively for teach-ing and learning. In this lesson, learnhow to link your students – and your-self – to experts on almost every topicor core content area. When you visitthe online version of this lesson, youwill discover how it can help you meetStandard X of Kentucky’s ExperiencedTeacher Standards.

To locate this lesson online, go tothe Kentucky Department ofEducation’s home page(www.kentuckyschools.org) and clickon the mascot “Newt” (or directly towww.kentuckyschools.org/newt),then click on “Lesson 2.4.”

Lesson 2.4More than 407 million people

worldwide use the Internet to find andshare information. Many of thosepeople are subject-matter specialistswith high levels of knowledge andexpertise in many academic and prac-tical areas.

Wouldn’t it be great if your stu-dents had direct access to these ex-perts?

They do! The Internet offers sev-eral telementoring opportunities thatbring expert volunteers virtually intoK-12 classrooms to communicate di-rectly, longitudinally and electroni-cally with students and teachers. Onesuch possibility is the University ofTexas at Austin’s Electronic EmissaryProject (http://emissary.ots.utexas.edu/emissary/). This curriculum-based, electronic system brings teach-ers, students and experts together bye-mail and desktop conferencing. TheElectronic Emissary is also a researchproject focused on the nature ofonline, authentic professional devel-opment for teachers andtelementoring interactions in which

New to the ’Net Lesson 2.4

How can the Web helpmy students becomeactive inquirers?

K-12 students are active inquir-ers.

The range of telementoringprojects spans the curriculum to in-clude language arts, history, science,mathematics and foreign languages.This project benefits students whoare motivated by “real” experts, andit gives teachers opportunities toform content-related partner-ships with internationally re-spected authorities.

The experts benefit, too.Many have expressed delight indelving deeper into their areasby interacting with otherswho are digging for factsand information.

When you and yourstudents want experts tohelp answer questions andprovide perspective, check “Ask anExpert” (http://njnie.dl.stevens-tech.edu/askanexpert.html). ThisWeb site is geared to all grades andprovides links to experts in a num-ber of different categories.

The online version of this lessonprovides links to other ways to con-nect with experts in various fields.

One of the greatest assets of theWeb is the people who are part of theInternet community. “Ask an Expert”offers a quick, one-step process forfinding experts in any field. Start yoursearch by choosing one of the sec-tions: Science and Math, Medicineand Health, Computing and theInternet, History and Social Studies,Economy and Marketing, Profession-als, Personal and College Advisors,Library Reference, Literature and Lan-guage Arts, and Just Out of Curiosity).

Another link to experts – andprojects for students and classes – isthe Online Classroom site sponsoredby Stevens Institute for Technology(http://njnie.dl.stevens-tech.edu/currichome.html).

The Nat ional Counci l o fTeachers of Mathematics offers Il-luminations, a multimedia site thatfeatures materials based on na-t ional mathematics standards.Mathematics comes alive on theWeb with I-Math Investigations,multimedia tools and activities ar-ranged by grade level. Visit Illumi-nations at http://illuminations.nctm.org/index2.html to checkout the many resources and weeklyhighlights.

Illuminations is one of manyresources available through part-nerships with MarcoPolo, an onlineresource for teachers who wantstrong, research-based concepts forusing the Internet as a teaching andlearning tool. To learn more aboutMarcoPolo and its resources, visithttp://MarcoPolo.worldcom.com.

• • • • •

“New to the ’Net” started in theAugust 2000 issue of KentuckyTeacher. If you need copies of printedlessons, go to www.kentuckyschools.org/newt and click on thelink to each Kentucky Teacher issueor send a request to Kentucky Teacher,1914 Capital Plaza Tower, 500 MeroSt., Frankfort, KY 40601;[email protected].

Susan Lancaster of the Depart-ment of Education’s Division ofSchool Instructional Technology is thementor for this year’s “New to the’Net” series. E-mail your questions,comments and ideas to her [email protected] (or throughthe KETS global list), or phone her at(502) 564-7168, extension 4542.


By Joy BarrKentucky Department of Education

Many educators and parents recognizethat the transition from elementary

to middle school can be difficult forstudents. Most students moving fromelementary to middle school encounter alarger school with class changes and morechallenging course work.

Franklin County’s science teachersmade the transition a bit smoother forlocal students entering BondurantMiddle School this year. They invitedthe students to a weeklong Wild andWacky Science Camp. The experienceprovided an introduction to doingscientific research while giving campersa chance to meet students from variouselementary schools that feed intoBondurant.

Fun and making friends were built-in parts of the campers’ experience, butthere was some serious science goingon, too. On the first day of camp, thestudents divided into groups to workon projects that required research andthe application of scientific principles.One group, for example, had to usewhat they already knew plus what theycould find out to come up with thelikely characteristics of an imaginedplanet orbiting between Earth andMars.

Other groups dealt with differentchallenges: cleaning up an oil spill onthe Mississippi River, describing a newhybrid insect, estimating the effects ofa meteor hitting the African Savannah,and putting the laws of physics to thetest by designing a roller coaster.

All groups fol lowed the sameformula in tackling their assignments:Do the research, make conclusions, andpresent f indings to the group. Inkeeping with the camp’s theme,students had to present their findingsin a “wild and wacky” way. No boringlectures at this camp! The “insectbreeders,” for example, had one studentplay the part of a teacher quizzing theclass about the bug.

Even though the presentations onthe las t day of camp proved thestudents had accomplished quite a bit,most of the campers acted like typicalmiddle school students and preferred

Summertime SuccessesTwo Franklin County camps pave the way for earlyreaders and students entering middle schools

to talk about the fun they had or thefriends they met. That was fine withthe teachers. They agreed that “wildand wacky” appeared to be a perfectway to sneak learning past a middleschooler!

For more information, contactRusty Wil lhoi te a t Bald KnobElementary, (502) 875-8420 [email protected].

Literacy CampA lot of summer camps of fer

children the adventure of a lifetime.Campers attending a summer programoffered by Franklin County Schools canget a lifetime of adventure.

Through Frankl in County’ssummer l i teracy camp, s tudentsimprove their reading, writing andlistening skills. The 10-day program forincoming first-graders is an extensionof the district’s early literacy program,which targets students at risk of fallingbehind in reading. Each spr ing,teachers and literacy aides travel toeach of the district’s six elementaryschools to screen a l l P1 and P2students. They use their findings toidentify students who would benefitmost from literacy camp.

The next step is to talk with theparents of prospective campers togauge interest and seek commitments.“One of the camp requirements is thatparents be involved. We ask them tospend 20 minutes a day reading withtheir children at home,” said Vikki Hall,the district’s reading specialist and oneof the camp leaders.

To help eliminate attendance andlearning barriers, the district providestransportation, meals and activities thatmake learning fun. Each year’s themebecomes the basis of what campersread, play and eat . Campers lastsummer spent a day in the woods andread stories about the wilderness,played outdoor games and ate snacksshaped like bugs.

Camp counselors are teachers andaides. Hall likes to have one teacher oraide from each elementary school sothere will be at least one familiar facefor every camper who attends. Thecamp staff gets 20 hours of training,

covering subjects such as genderequity, best practices, reading stylesand ways to improve parenta linvolvement.

After only two summer camps, Hallhesitates to gauge its impact but saysthings look promis ing. “Ear lyindications are good,” she said. “The

Students Rachelle Delgado (bottom), Ki-Jana Taylor and Alanna Simpson got areal feel for the alphabet during last summer’s literacy camp for early-primarystudents of Franklin County. Aide Dana Murphy supervised as the students wroteletters in shaving cream at Hearn Elementary, which hosted the camp.

kids who attended the first camp twoyears ago are progressing well. Thisspring we’ll take a look at how the mostrecent campers are doing.”

For more information, contactVikki Hall, Title 1 coordinator at HearnElementary, at (502) 695-6760 [email protected].


Athens students learn to be independent readers and writers

Athens Elementary teachers hone their skillsin student-driven reading and writing instruction

www.kentuckyschools.org Kentucky Teacher • DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002 98 Kentucky Teacher • DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002 www.kentuckyschools.org

By Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education

Teaching from traditional lesson plans doesn’t happen at Athens Elementary.Teachers at this historic Fayette County school come to class prepared to teach,

but they set their target every year by using standards to develop long-range plans.How they reach that target depends on their students.

Athens teachers let student learning guide instruction. They make teachingdecisions “on the run” to ensure their students are learning what’s being presented.They decide what’s to be taught tomorrow by what they observed in the classroomtoday. Teachers look at student progress often, not just at formal assessment times.

This isn’t something the teachers prepared for in college. Flexible instructionis something they’re learning on their feet through an empowering, job-embeddedprofessional development program that emphasizes writing and reading.

“Teachers observe student progress from day to day and make their teachingdecisions accordingly,” said primary teacher Jill Myers. Myers received training aspart of Ohio State University’s Literacy Collaborative to serve as the on-site literacycoach at Athens Elementary.

The school day begins with a three-hour literacy block. During that time,students focus on reading and writing. Each day they build their skills towardbecoming independent readers and writers.

During those morning hours, teachers are honing their skills in how they teachreading and writing. As the literacy coordinator, Myers confers with teachers, coaches

them and models lessons.Teachers videotape themselves working with students. They find that watching

the tapes helps them reflect on their own daily teaching, Myers explained.“I’m helping the teachers connect with what their students are doing now and

how they can help students become independent writers and readers,” Myers saidabout her work in other classrooms. “I want teachers to discover on their own.They do a lot of self-evaluation, reflecting and making their own decisions on howto teach better.”

Since she does not teach students during the morning literacy block, Myers isavailable to coach other teachers. “Teachers don’t always realize the good thingsthey do,” Myers said. “This is an extra tool to assist in our development.”

Myers teaches her own primary literacy block in the afternoon. “I’m not askingthe other teachers to do something I’m not doing myself,” she explained.

Myers also leads an after-school literacy class in which teachers do whole-school reflection, analyze student work, study current literacy research andstrategies, and devise plans to help students move forward. Last year, each Athensprimary teacher spent 40 hours in the class.

“This part has been very beneficial,” Myers said. “Teachers always say they’llget together but rarely do. Time is such an issue, this class gives us a regularlyscheduled opportunity to meet and focus on our work with students.”

During this year’s literacy class, each teacher is doing a case studyof three students – one lower-level, one mid-level and one highperformer. By using student work and the Kentucky Marker Papers,Athens teachers are identifying student strengths and weaknesses anddevising teaching points for improvement. Kentucky Marker Papersgive P-8 teachers samples of what good writing looks like and suggestslessons to help students become proficient writers.


Athens students learn to be independent readers and writers

Jill Myers (background) observes and takes notes as teacher PennyPerkins guides primary students in a reading exercise at AthensElementary. Myers received training as part of Ohio StateUniversity’s Literacy Collaborative to serve as the school’s on-siteliteracy coach. Perkins trains other Fayette County teachers in lit-eracy strategies.

Athens Elementary studentsLisa Nguyen and Valerie Varblerespond to questions aboutwhat their teacher has readaloud in class. Each school dayat Athens begins with a three-hour literacy block focused ongiving students the skills theyneed to become independentreaders and writers.


Athens Elementary teachers hone their skillsin student-driven reading and writing instruction

“Until we had the marker papers, we didn’t fully understand what writingshould look like developmentally,” Myers said. “Using the papers has given us acommon language about writing. We also have been able to use the marker papersto help parents understand what their children are able to do and, more importantly,what our expectations are for children.”

Kentucky’s Early Reading Incentive Grant Program funds Myers’ work as literacycoordinator. Through a continuation grant from the program, Athens is now aprofessional development lab site to help increase the number of building-levelliteracy leaders in the district. Teachers from other Fayette County schools observeand work with primary teacher Penny Perkins during her literacy block for threeweeks. They receive on-site support from Perkins when they return to their schoolsto implement the literacy methods they observed. These teachers will becomeliteracy leaders in their schools.

Athens has selected primary teacher Leisa Reid to participate in Ohio State’sliteracy training focused on students who are at the exiting primary through 5th-grade levels. An early reading continuation grant provides funding for her training.She will provide the same job-embedded professional development opportunitiesto Athens intermediate teachers as Myers does for the primary teachers.

Claire Batt, professional staff assistant, provides additional literacy support toteachers by modeling, analyzing student work and coaching teachers.

“Professional development is the key,” said Myers. “It takes more of our time,but it’s worth it to help our children.”

For more information about the Literacy Collaborative, contact Jill Myers at(859) 381-3253 or by e-mail through the KETS global list. For information about theKentucky Marker Papers, contact Kentucky Department of Education writingconsultant Saundra Hamon at (502) 564-2106 or [email protected], or contactthe writing consultant at a Kentucky Department of Education regional service center.

Primary students at Athens Elementary do a lot of reading and writing.In fact, they spend three hours every morning increasing their literacy

skills.The morning literacy block may sound like a long time to hold

primary students’ interest, but it’s not, according to teachers atthe rural Fayette County school. The youngsters are having toomuch fun reading stories, telling their own tales and writing aboutevents in their lives.

“My students are excited about writing,” said primary teacherPenny Perkins, who also trains other Fayette County teachers inliteracy strategies.

Through a variety of daily activities, Athens students gain alove for words. They learn the power of words in communicatingtheir thoughts and emotions to others.

Using strategies from the Literacy Collaborative, teachers areincreasing literacy achievement for all Athens students. Studentsand teachers read aloud together. They write together. Teachersstop frequently to ask: “What is the author trying to tell us?”“Why would you use those words?” “Should we write a poem ora letter?”

Teachers also confer individually with students about theirwriting. “We take time to talk, let the students tell us more abouttheir message and develop their own story by talking it out,”said Leisa Reed, who is training to be a literacy coordinator forAthens’ exiting primary and intermediate classes.

Allowing students to see adults as readers and writers is animportant part of literacy strategies at Athens. Every school day,Athens Elementary Principal Judy Boggs writes a letter to the

218 students and displays it on the wall outside her office. Manystudents write back to her, sharing their thoughts and feelingsand raising new ideas of their own.

At Athens, it’s important for students to know that readingand writing have authentic purposes. It’s not just something todo to get a grade. “We can get writing out of our students, but ifthey never pick up the pen on their own time, it’s for nothing,”said Jill Myers, a primary teacher who spends part of every dayas literacy coordinator for primary classes. “We’re buildingwriters and readers at Athens.

“We encourage parents to let their children see them readand see them write notes, letters, even grocery lists,” Myersadded. “This helps our children understand how literacy isimportant to their lives.”


Renowned writer andEgyptologist helpsstudents solve themysteries of writing

they use to create original fiction.Ellis often incorporates her

work as an Egyptologist into herresidency work. Last year, shevisited Egypt between sessionswi th s tudents a t Peaks Mi l lElementary in Franklin County.She sent them daily postcardsfrom Egypt. When she returned,she shared memories of her trip.

This year, her Spencer Countystudents are copying their poetryon scrolls and learning about thelife of scribes in ancient Egypt.In the wake of the terrorist attackof Sept. 11, she has also helpedstudents understand contempo-rary life in an Arab country.

In an author interview onamazon.com, Ellis explained whyshe loves be ing a wr i ter - in -residence: “It feels important tome. … What matters is when achild stops me in the hall to showme something newly created,when a child tells me he thinksI ’m the Michae l Jordan o fliterature (how dear!), when Iread a poem out loud … andevery chi ld holds his or herbreath. … I love watching their

By Judy SizemoreKentucky Arts Council

Fourth-grade students at SpencerCounty Elementary are enjoying

a rare treat this year. They aredeveloping their writing skills underthe guidance of Normandi Ellis, anaward-winning author and anexpert in the ancient scrolls ofEgypt.

As a child, Ellis could notdecide whether she wanted to bean artist or a writer. In a way, shehas become both. Her work withhierog lyphics a l lows her toexper ience poet ry as bothlanguage and the visual imageryof the pa in ted g lyphs. As aKentucky Arts Council writer-in-residence, she shares this multi-sensory approach with studentsthrough a ser ies o f wr i t ingactivities. In “Personal Universe,”for example, students developtheir own word banks of concretesensory images throughvisualization. In “Page to Stage,”students use their kinestheticsenses to jump between creativewr i t ing and dramat icimprovisation. In “Story Spinner,”students spin a gigantic wheel to“win” random story elements that

Photo by Scott Fray

Normandi Ellis is one of many artists working inKentucky schools through the Kentucky Arts Council’sArtists-in-Residence grant program, which provides matchingfunds to bring painters, potters, weavers, sculptors,storytellers, musicians, dancers, theatre artists, folklorists,folk artists and writers into Kentucky classrooms. The nextdeadline for schools to apply to host an artist-in-residenceis Jan. 22, 2002.

The council’s Arts in Education opportunities alsoinclude the School-Community Arts Partnership Program,the Teacher Incentive Program and project grants. For details,visit the council’s Web site at www.kyarts.org and click onGrant Guidelines and Applications, or contact John S.Benjamin toll free at (888) 833-2787, extension 4813.

Kentucky Arts Council “circuit riders” in each region areavailable to explain the grant programs and provide technicalassistance in developing grant applications. Contactinformation is on the Web site under “KAC Staff and CircuitRiders.”

Want an artistin your school?

faces when they ‘get it.’ Languagelike that is like love flowing outof our mouths, cascading ontoschool desks, spilling over into

little grubby hands and fillingthem with light. I love it. I reallydo. And I’m proud of my kids.”


By Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education

Spending three hours after schoolstudying mathematics sounds like

cruel and unusual punishment tomost people. However, 65 middleschool mathematics teachers willmeet six times this school year to dojust that.

Participation in the Middle GradesAlgebra Project – MGAP – revives andreenergizes them, say these teachers ingrades 5-8 in the Owensboro Indepen-dent, Daviess County and HancockCounty districts. Janice Eaves, assistantprincipal at Owensboro Middle andMGAP coordinator, says the goal of thislocal professional development programis to increase teachers’ mathematicsabilities and improve their instructionalpractices.

While serving as a mathematicsconsultant for the Region 2 Service Cen-ter, Eaves learned about the Teachers’Professional Growth Fund, created bythe 2000 General Assembly. The fundprovides money to help middle schoolteachers obtain high-quality profes-sional development in content knowl-edge and teaching methods. It targetsmiddle school mathematics teachers,but unused money can be awarded toother middle school core content teach-ers.

In developing a program that ledto MGAP, Eaves enlisted the assistanceof two mathematics allies: Ann Evans,Hancock County assistant superinten-dent for instructional assessment, andScott Firkins, Daviess County’s math-ematics and science curriculum consult-ant. They collaborated to design a high-quality, continuing professional devel-opment program that would give theirteachers access to trainers who knowcontent, mathematics standards and

Kentucky’s education system.Project Math Mentoring (or Project

M2) was developed in 2000. Twenty-eight teachers participated in the 18-hour professional development programlast year. Teachers applied to the Pro-fessional Growth Fund to be reimbursedfor the cost of program registration andtravel expenses. Teachers received a$500 stipend for completing the project.

Nancy Henson, a former regionalmathematics consultant for the Ken-tucky Department of Education andformer mathematics teacher at RowanCounty High, led the sessions. She re-mained in the districts one day after

training to model lessons for teachersand to answer follow-up questions.

In planning the second year for theproject, the three district leaders polledparticipants. Teachers looked at studentscores and determined that algebraicthinking was the weakest area of stu-dent achievement in all three districts.

Algebraic thinking became the fo-cus for year two, and Project M2 becamethe Middle Grades Algebra Project. All28 first-year participants returned for thesecond year, and 37 additional teach-ers registered.

Penny Roberts, a 5th-grade math-ematics teacher at Longest Elementary

Sarah Lambmakes the fundwork for her

“If anyone offers me $2,500, I’lltake it!” Sarah Lamb told membersof the Kentucky Board of Educationat a recent meeting.

The 7th-grade mathematicsteacher at Owensboro Middle Schoolis one of nearly 400 middle schoolteachers who participated in theTeachers’ Professional Growth Fundprogram last year. She received anadditional $2,500 from the fund thisschool year.

Lamb used the money to par-ticipate in national and state math-ematics and technology conferencesshe would otherwise not have beenable to attend. She shares the mate-rials and resources from these con-tent-rich professional developmentactivities with other OwensboroMiddle School teachers and withteachers participating in MGAP. (Seestory on this page.)

Most importantly, Lamb said,the professional development moneygave her “the extra push” to get hermaster’s degree in mathematicsrather than a master’s in education.She has used fund money to take 12hours of graduate-level mathemat-ics courses at Western Kentucky Uni-versity. The fund paid for tuition,books and travel.

“Getting my master’s in math-ematics is increasing my mathknowledge and giving me more con-fidence in my teaching,” she said.“I know where I really need to beleading my students and can helpthem build those skills. It makesteaching the material so mucheasier.”

Lamb encourages other areamiddle school mathematics teachersto take advantage of the fund to con-tinue their education. Because of herefforts, Western Kentucky Universitywill offer a mathematics class viateleconferencing and the Internet toOwensboro teachers next year.

“The Teachers’ ProfessionalGrowth Fund has been a wonder-ful, wonderful assistance to me,”Lamb said.

Continued on Page 12

Photo by Janice Eaves, Owensboro Independent Schools

Teachers’ Professional Growth Fund

Kevin Lowe and Sally Tingle, 5th-grade mathematics teachers at Audubon Elementary in DaviessCounty, work with manipulatives to solve a mathematics problem during an MGAP trainingsession at Owensboro Middle School. Teachers in grades 5-8 from Daviess County, OwensboroIndependent and Hancock County districts are using Teachers’ Professional Growth Funds to payfor an 18-hour content-specific mathematics training program.


in Muhlenberg County, trains the 5th- and 6th-grade teachers;Henson trains the 7th- and 8th-grade teachers. Henson againremains in the districts the day after each training.

Firkins, Daviess County’s mathematics consultant, saidevery mathematics teacher from Burns Middle School partici-pated in Project M2 last year. That spring, the school postedthe district’s highest mathematics scores at 88 on the stateassessment system’s 140-point scale.

“The project is giving teachers activities that fit right intotheir classes,” he said. “It’s giving them exactly what theyneed.”

Judy Trunnell, a 6th-grade teacher at Burns, agrees. “Ithink the training is really involved in bringing up our scores,”she said.

Jennifer Martin, a special education teacher in mathemat-ics and language arts at Owensboro Middle, used new instruc-tional strategies with her 7th-graders. “I’ve been able to takeactivities for the regular classroom and modify them for mystudents,” she said.

Michael Swihart is a 5th-grade mathematics teacher atSouth Hancock Elementary. Sona Miller works with Title Istudents in his classes. “Now when the students struggle withmathematics, I’ve got strategies to use to help them break downthe problem and learn how to solve it,” said Miller.

Swihart, who has been teaching for four years, can seeresults from the professional development project. “It’s defi-nitely contributed to the growth in our math scores,” he said.“Any growth I do as a teacher is going to make a difference inmy students.”

For more information about MGAP, contact Janice Eavesat (270) 686-1130, Ann Evans at (270) 927-6914, or ScottFirkins at (270) 852-7000. For more information about theTeachers’ Professional Growth Funds, contact Ann Bartosh,mathematics consultant for the Kentucky Department ofEducation, at (502) 564-2106 or visit the Kentucky Departmentof Education’s Web site at www.kentuckyschools.org/oapd/curric/tpgf/. All four educators are on the KETS global e-mail list.

Teachers’ Professional Growth Fund continued from

S cholastic achievement andpatriotism blended into a theme

for this year’s Renaissance Rally atMenifee County High School. Localbusiness and civic leaders join thedistrict’s high school and middleschools each year to recognizestudents who scored at theproficient and distinguished levelson the Kentucky Core ContentTests.

At this year’s rally on Nov. 15,seven seniors and juniors whoposted distinguished-level scoreson last spring’s state tests receivedlaptop computers. Five others whohad received laptops the previousyear received digital cameras. Tensophomores received graphingcalculators for scoring in the top5 percent of the nation on theCTBS section of last year’s stateassessment. Four freshmen whoscored distinguished on the teststhey took as 8th-graders received$25 gift cards. The communitydonated more than $10,000 inprizes this year.

The school regular lyrecognizes students for day-to-dayachievements, too. Each studentwith a grade point average of 2.0or higher for the first nine-weekgrading period this year received ared-white-and-blue T-shirt with themessage “No Grades, No Glory.” Atthe end of every grading period,students can earn “Renaissancecards” offering privileges such asadmission to a ball game or ahomework or quiz pass.

Menifee County started theRenaissance recognition system in1998-99 as one s trategy forboosting test scores. High schoolteacher Brenda Warren considersthe system a success. “Studentmorale has increased 20 fold!” shesaid. “Students like school now,and they want to earn Renaissancecards. They also want to do wellon state tests to qualify for themajor prizes. Scores on the 2000-01 assessments are 10 points higherthan in 1998-99.”

Warren praises the communityfor its support. “We live in a small

Grades bring glory in Menifee CountyGrades bring glory in Menifee Countycommunity that is economicallychallenged,” she said, “but ourlocal business and communityleaders recognize the importanceof educat ion. They showtremendous support for our

students.”For more information about

the Renaissance s tudentrecogni t ion system, contactMenifee County High Schoolteacher and Renaissance

coordinator Donna Childers [email protected] orteacher Brenda Warren [email protected]. Toreach them by phone, call (606)768-8102.

Photo by Joy Barr

Step-off to theOlympics

Olivia Deneva (right), Maria Ortiz, DianaCruz and Heriberto Vargas prepare to lead theirclassmates in a parade to the gym to participatein their own “Olympic Games.” Their school,Cardinal Valley Elementary in Fayette County, isin the spotlight as an official relay point for theOlympic torch. Teachers in all content areas arecapitalizing on the event to tie instruction to thegames. Some of the primary classrooms, for ex-ample, have become different “nations,” eachwith its own color, mascot and flag.

For more information about CardinalValley’s approach to Olympics-related lessons,contact professional staff assistant Pam Clemonsor teacher Judy Turner at (859) 381-3340 orthrough the KETS global e-mail list. These Websites lead to resources for Olympics-related in-struction:• The school’s site at www.cardinal

valley.fayette.k12.ky.us/ (click on “Projects”or the Olympic flag);

• The Utah Education Network’s Olympicssite at www.uen.org/2002;

• The official Web site of the 2002 OlympicWinter Games and the Paralympic Gamesat www.slc2002.org.


T he Kentucky Department ofEducation and the State Textbook

Commission invite Kentucky educators,parents and members of the generalpopulation to apply to reviewmathematics textbooks andinstructional materials, both print andelectronic, for the state’s K-12 public

State seeks reviewers of new materials for mathschools.

Reviewers will meet for one day inMay 2002 to receive training andestablish evaluation criteria. The teamwill meet for a week in July to reviewinstructional resources and developrecommendations for the commission.

By state law, reviewers must

represent specific areas of experience andexpertise and represent balance ingender, geographic and ethnic diversity.Reviewers will receive a stipend andexpense reimbursement, and they mustbe present during the entire week of thereview.

To request details or an application,

contact Martha R. Francis, instructionalresources consultant in the Departmentof Education’s Division of Extended Learning,500 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY 40601; [email protected]; fax (502) 564-6952.

Completed applications must bepostmarked, e-mailed or faxed by 4 p.m.(EST) Feb. 28, 2002.

The State Multiple List and Consumer Guide for the scienceadoption cycle (2002-2008) is available on CD-ROM. This

CD contains recommended titles (both print and electronic),evaluations by Kentucky reviewers, and the publishers’description sheets and contact information. This and otherinformation on the CD can be helpful to teachers and school-based councils choosing resources for science instruction.

The Department of Education has sent one copy of the CD-ROM to each district textbook coordinator, Kentucky public

Science materials list now on disk and onlineschool principal and regional service center. Additional copiesare available for purchase from the department’s onlinebookstore at www.kentuckyschools.com/bookstore (click on“Curriculum”).

All information included on the CD is available free ofcharge on the department’s Web site atwww.kentuckyschools.org/oapd/curric/textbook.

For details, contact Martha R. Francis [email protected] or (502) 564-7056, extension 4719. The Speed Art Museum in

Louisville invites all K-12students to participate in “WhatMakes America Great?” a projectin conjunction with themuseum’s presentation of ABrush with History: Paintingsfrom the National PortraitGallery, Smithsonian Institution,Washington, D.C.

Participating students can visitthe museum’s Web site(www.speedmuseum.org) to learnmore about the great Americanscientists, authors, statesmen andmilitary leaders depicted in theexhibit. Each student will chooseone of the 75 great Americans and,from that person’s perspective,write a letter about what makesAmerica great.

The museum will display allentries in a book during theexhibition. One student choseneach week by random drawing willreceive a free tour of the museumfor his or her entire class and freelunch from Subway.

Send letters to What MakesAmerica Great?, The Speed ArtMuseum, 2035 South Third St.,Louisville, KY 40208. Includename, address, phone number, e-mail address, school, grade level,teacher’s name and teacher’sphone number. All entries must bereceived by Jan. 20, 2002. Acomplete list of rules andregulations are posted atwww.speedmuseum.org.

Speed holdsonline activitylinked to portraitexhibition

Photo by Kay Gevedon, Ashland Independent Schools

‘GetawayGuide’is free toschoolsThe Kentucky Department of

Travel has an ample supply ofits 2001 “Kentucky Great GetawayGuide” available and will shipcopies free of charge to teacherswho want them as a teaching andlearning tool. Send a request toDavid Garrett , KentuckyDepartment of Travel, 514 BarrettAvenue, Frankfort, KY 40601;[email protected] a return shipping addressand note the number of copiesrequested.

To learn more about the“Getaway Guide” and othermaterials available through theDepartment of Travel, visi twww.kentuckytourism.com on theInternet or phone Garrett at (502)564-0234.

Josephine Kalakon (center), a student at Central High School in JeffersonCounty, works on an experiment with Sara Montague (right) and Ashima Khannain the chemistry lab at Ashland Independent’s Paul Blazer High. The three aremembers of their schools’ human relations clubs, which recently met to exchangeideas and talk about the human relations challenges that students in both clubsface.

Ashima was Josephine’s host during the two-day visit that featured classroomand extracurricular activities. At the same time, students at Boyd County Highhosted students from Bowling Green (Independent) High School. About 30 humanrelations clubs in Kentucky middle and high schools receive support from theDepartment of Education’s Division of Equity for their work in creating a positiveclimate for all students in their school communities.

For information about these clubs, contact Paige Sexton, Division of Equity, at(502) 564-2703, or visit the department’s Web site at www.kentuckyschools.org/ohre/equity/projects/diversityclub/clubs.asp.

For information and activities related to February’s Black History Month, goto www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/AfroAm.html on the Internet.

Cultural Ambassadors


Learning takes wingat aviation museumLooking for a way to stimulate students’ interest in academics?

Consider a field trip to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky. Asstudents visit to see vintage and modern airplanes, they get in-volved in the mathematics, biology, physics, history and geogra-phy of flight.

The museum’s tour guides, many of them retired from ca-reers in aviation, answer questions and work with teachers tointroduce and explain concepts.

In addition to tours, the museum also offers a library of avia-tion materials; summer aviation camps taught by certified teach-ers and FAA-approved instructor pilots in Lexington, Madisonvilleand possibly eastern Kentucky; and NASA-affiliated teacher work-shops on using aviation as a teaching tool in the classroom.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To learn moreabout the museum’s education programs and special group ratesor to make tour reservations, visit www.aviationky.org on theInternet or contact the museum’s executive director, Steve Parker,at [email protected] or (859) 231-1219.

Watch

Inside Kentucky SchoolsA Kentucky Department of Education TV Production

Second & fourth Saturday of every month• noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central on KET

• 5:30 p.m. Eastern/4:30 p.m. Central on KET2Also check TV listings for air times on local cable stations.

For program information, visitwww.kentuckyschools.org/comm/mediasvcs/Host

Pia Cummings

30 minutes of news and featuresabout education in Kentucky

Teachers who want to apply for theKentucky Teacher of the Year 2003

program will have access to applicationsin early January.

The Department of Education willpost applications on its Web site(www.kentuckyschools.org) and willsend one printed copy to each publicschool principal and distr ictsuperintendent, who may photocopy theapplication as many times as needed.

The Department of Education co-sponsors the annual teacher recognitionand professional development programwith Ashland Inc. Independent judges,all education professionals, will scoreapplications and select 24 semi-finalists:

Teacher of the Year application process opens soonan elementary, middle and high schoolteacher from each of the state’s eighteducation regions.

Judges will visit the classrooms ofthe top nine scorers (three elementary,three middle and three high schoolteachers) and then choose one finalistat each level. The judges will interviewall three finalists and select one to beKentucky Teacher of the Year 2003.

In the fall of 2002, the 21 semi-finalists will receive Ashland Inc.Teacher Achievement Awards of $500each. Two of the three finalists willrece ive Ash land Inc. TeacherAchievement Awards of $3,000 and thetitle of Teacher of the Year for their

grade levels.The top award winner, Kentucky’s

Teacher of the Year 2003, will receiveseveral benefits:

• a $10,000 Ashland Inc. TeacherAchievement Award• up to $25,000 in professionaldevelopment opportunities• a $2,500 expense voucher fromthe Kentucky Department ofEducation• $1,000 from a national insurancecompany• the opportunity to representKentucky in the National Teacherof the Year competition sponsoredby the Council of Chief State School

Officers and Scholastic Network• other gifts from state agenciesand private businesses.Any teacher in the state with three

years of experience may apply.For more information about the

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Program,contact Donna Melton at (502) 564-3421or [email protected], or checkthe Internet at www.kentuckyschools.org(select “Awards and Recognition” in thedrop-down menu).

Information about the Ashland Inc.Teacher Achievement Awards isavailable from Chris Yaudas at (859)815-3846 or www.ashland.com/education/awards/.

Kentucky has named three BlueRibbon Schools for 2001-02 and

nominated them for the U.S. Departmentof Education’s Blue Ribbon Schoolsrecognition program. The nominees areBarren County Middle, North OldhamMiddle and Oldham County High schools.

The Blue Ribbon Schools programserves three purposes:

• to identify and recognize

Three schools win Blue Ribbon honorsoutstanding public and privateschools across the nation

• to make research-basedeffectiveness criteria available to allschools for self-assessment andimprovement

• to encourage schools to shareinformation about best practices.To receive Blue Ribbon recognition,

a school must demonstrate a strong

commitment to educational excellence toall students.

Schools apply for the program bycompleting an application form availableon the U.S. Department of Education’sWeb site (www.ed.gov). The state’seducation department enlisted a panelof Kentucky educators to select the state-level Blue Ribbon schools. A nationalreview panel will evaluate the

nominations and select schools fornational recognition in the spring of2002.

The Blue Ribbon Schools program for2002-03 will spotlight elementary schools.For more information about the program,visit www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/BlueRibbonSchools/ online or contact KayAnne Wilborn at (502) 564-3421, (800)533-5372, or [email protected].


TH

E Bulletin BoardBy Joy BarrKentucky Department of Education

KET wants your school videoKentucky Educational Television (KET) is looking for sample video

projects for a television program on what students are creating. Thestudent-made videos can be any school news program, commercial orpublic service announcement, music or art video, special event coverage,documentary or classroom demonstration. KET will include examplesin a program to be aired over the KET satellite instructional televisionsystem near the end of the 2001-02 school year.

Entries are due by April 1, 2002. For more information, call JeffGray at (800) 432-0951 or send e-mail to [email protected].

Tool kit available for consolidated planningDownload the Kentucky Association of School Council’s Consolidated

Planning Toolkit at www.kentuckyschools.org/olsi/conp/kasc.asp.

Get college credit and professional developmentonline with KYVU

Get college degrees or other professional training online from the state’s officialvirtual campus, Kentucky Virtual University (www.kyvu.org).

KYVU offers college-credit programs and courses, as well as continuing educationand professional training from some of the state’s finest institutions. Also available arethe Kentucky Virtual Library, online tutoring and an online writing center.

KYVU’s online courses may qualify for state tuition reimbursement. Registrationfor spring 2002 classes is open now. For more information call toll-free (877) 740-4357or send e-mail to [email protected].

For information about professional development from another online resource –Kentucky Virtual High School – check www.kvhs.org.

We the People competition setThis year’s “We the People…the Citizen and the Constitution”

statewide competition is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2002, at Frankfort’sHoliday Inn. The annual competition, sponsored by the KentuckySupreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts, is part ofthe “We the People…” national scholastic program for teachingstudents about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Schoolteams compete in annual mock congressional hearings.

For details, contact Rachel Bingham, Administrative Office ofthe Courts, at (800) 928-2350 or [email protected].

KCTE/LA conference coming up in FebruaryThe Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts 66th annual conference

is set for Feb. 8 and 9, 2002, at the Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell. The theme is “Creatinga Legacy of Student Literacy.”

Advance registration is available at www.kcte.org/conference/register.html.

Photo essay competition announced“Preserving the Spirit of Place,” a photo essay competition, is open to all

Kentucky students. The competition sponsors are the Kentucky Heritage Counciland Preservation Kentucky.

Interested students may photograph a local historic building, site orstructure and write an essay describing the historic resource and explainingits significance and the importance of protecting it for the future.

Cash awards will go to winners in three categories: primary, intermediateand secondary. Winners also will receive recognition at a Preservation Weekcelebration. Essays must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2002.

For more information, contact Becky Shipp at the Kentucky HeritageCouncil, (502) 564-7005 or [email protected]; or Jan Johnston atPreservation Kentucky, (502) 769-2393 or [email protected].

Conference scheduled for educatorsof gifted students

The 22nd annual conference for the Kentucky Association of GiftedEducators will be Feb. 21 and 22, 2002, at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington.The theme will be “Making All the Difference: Gifted Education in Kentucky.”

Conference topics include curriculum differentiation, diversity, social-emotional issues, visual/performing arts, parenting, creativity and theadministrator’s role in programming for gifted students.

For a conference brochure, call (270) 745-4301 or send e-mail [email protected].

Summer research program open to juniorswho excel in science

High school juniors who excel in science have an opportunity to participate in the 50thannual Summer Research Participation Program sponsored by the National Science Foundation,the National Cancer Institute and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Selected students will gather in Buffalo, N.Y., to attend classes taught by a faculty ofinternationally known scientists. The students will conduct a research project in molecular-cellular biology, immunology, biophysics, biochemistry, pharmacology or tumor biology, thenpresent their findings.

The application deadline for high school juniors (the graduating class of 2003) is Feb. 15,2002. Contact Mary Wisnicki at (800) 767-9355 or [email protected].

Handbook redefines the role of school principals“Leading Learning Communities: What Principals Should Know and Be Able to Do” is a comprehensive handbook designed to guide elementary and middleschool principals in crafting their responsibilities in key instructional areas. These include setting school goals and standards, improving student performance,providing meaningful professional development for faculty and staff, effectively using data and testing tools, and engaging the local community.The National Association of Elementary School Principals, in partnership with Collaborative Communications Group, developed the report. Information is onlineat www.naesp.org/comm/prss10-29-01.htm.

Kentucky TeacherKentucky Teacher

Kentucky Department of Education Gene Wilhoit, CommissionerVisit the Kentucky Department of Education’s Web site: www.kentuckyschools.org

Kentucky Teacher is published by the Kentucky Department of Education forteachers, school administrators, counselors, support staff, parents, students,legislators, community leaders and others with a stake in public education. Pleaseaddress correspondence to Kentucky Teacher, 1914 Capital Plaza Tower, 500 MeroSt., Frankfort, KY 40601; e-mail [email protected].

The Kentucky Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race,color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisionof services. Alternate formats of this publication are available upon request.

Printed with state funds by the Winchester Sun, Winchester, Ky., on recycled paper

ISSN 1526-3584

Commissioner of Education

Associate Commissionerfor Communications

DirectorDivision of Publications and Web Services

Editor

Copy Writers

Photographer

Graphics and Design

Gene Wilhoit

Hunt Helm

Armando Arrastia

Fran Salyers

Faun S. FishbackJoy Barr

Rick McComb

Susie Morrow, ManagerBill Davis

Michael GrayBrett Hurst

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Ph

oto

by R

ick

McC

omb

DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002

News for the Nation’s Most Innovative Educators

DECEMBER 2001 - JANUARY 2002

In this issue...

Kentucky TeacherKentucky Teacher

“National test results again support what Kentucky’s ownCommonwealth Accountability Testing System shows: Our publicschools are improving, and our students are performing at higherlevels than ever before.”

Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit, on Kentucky 8th-graders’

strong showing in science on “the nation’s report card.” See Pages 1 and 2.

PAGING THROUGH HISTORY – Fifth-grader Cydney Baker readsabout the French and Indian War during a social studies lesson atCatlettsburg Elementary in Boyd County. For more about readingin Kentucky schools, see Pages 5, 8 and 9 in this issue.

Kentucky 8th-graders shine on national science test ......................................................................... 1

Success confirms that Kentucky is on the right track ........................................................................ 2

Inspire students at science fair ‘Olympics’ ............................................................................................ 2

Elementaries can volunteer for longitudinal assessment in reading ............................................... 3

The sun shines bright at Wurtland Elementary ................................................................................... 4

Class of 2014 gets a strong start in reading ......................................................................................... 5

New to the ‘Net Lesson 2.4: How can the Web make students active inquirers? ..................................................................... 6

Summer camps pave the way for students ........................................................................................... 7

Student achievement drives reading and writing instruction at Athens Elementary ................... 8

Renowned writer and Egyptologist helps students solve the mysteries of writing .................. 10

Professional Growth Fund helps teachers boost student performance in mathematics ......... 11

Grades bring glory in Menifee County ................................................................................................ 12

. . . And other news and resources for teachers!

dec. kyt 2001pdfe-archives.ky.gov/pubs/education/decjan01kyt.pdf · tion, school safety and uses of...

Documents