2012 Kentucky Revised Statutes CHAPTER 158 CONDUCT OF SCHOOLS -- SPECIAL PROGRAMS 158.840 General Assembly findings and intent -- Importance of students' reading and mathematics skills in achieving scholastic goals -- Roles of statewide entities in improving student achievement.
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158.840 General Assembly findings and intent -- Importance of students' reading
and mathematics skills in achieving scholastic goals -- Roles of statewide
entities in improving student achievement.
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The General Assembly hereby finds that reading and mathematics proficiency are
gateway skills necessary for all Kentucky students to achieve the academic goals
established in KRS 158.6451. It is the General Assembly's intent that:
(a) All students in the primary program having difficulty in reading and
mathematics receive early diagnosis and intervention services from highly
trained teachers;
(b) All students demonstrate proficiency in reading and mathematics as they
progress through the relevant curricula and complete each assessment level
required by the Kentucky Board of Education for the state assessment program
established under KRS 158.6453 and in compliance with the requirements of
the federal "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 20 U.S.C. sec. 6301 et seq.;
and
(c) Students who are struggling in reading and mathematics or are not at the
proficient level on statewide assessments be provided research-based and
developmentally appropriate diagnostic and intervention services, and
instructional modifications necessary to learn.
The General Assembly, the Kentucky Board of Education, the Kentucky
Department of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Education, colleges and
universities, local boards of education, school administrators, school councils,
teachers, parents, and other educational entities, such as the Education Professional
Standards Board, P-16 councils, the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development,
and the Center for Middle School Achievement must collaborate if the intentions
specified in this subsection are to be met. Intensive focus on student achievement in
reading and mathematics does not negate the responsibility of any entity to help
students obtain proficiency in other core curriculum content areas.
The General Assembly's role is to set policies that address the achievement levels of
all students and provide resources for the professional growth of teachers and
administrators, assessing students' academic achievement, including diagnostic
assessment and instructional interventions, technology innovations, targeted reading
and mathematics statewide initiatives, research and the distribution of research
findings, services for students beyond the regular school day, and other services
needed to help struggling learners.
The Kentucky Board of Education shall regularly review and modify, when
appropriate, its statewide assessment policies and practices to enable local school
districts and schools to carry out the provisions of the statewide assessment and
accountability system, required under KRS 158.6453 to improve student
achievement in mathematics and reading.
The Kentucky Department of Education shall:
(a) Provide assistance to schools and teachers, including publicizing professional
development opportunities, methods of measuring effective professional
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development, the availability of high quality instructional materials, and
developmentally appropriate screening and diagnostic assessments of student
competency in mathematics and reading. The department shall provide access
to samples of units of study, annotated student work, diagnostic instruments,
and research findings, and give guidance on parental engagement;
(b) Work with state and national educators and subject-matter experts to identify
student reading skills in each subject area that align with the state content
standards adopted under KRS 158.6453 and identify teaching strategies in
each subject area that can be used explicitly to develop the identified reading
skills under this paragraph;
(c) Encourage the development of comprehensive middle and high school
adolescent reading plans to be incorporated into the curricula of each subject
area to improve the reading comprehension of all students;
(d) Conduct an annual review of the state grant programs it manages and make
recommendations, when needed, to the Interim Joint Committee on Education
for changes to statutory requirements that are necessary to gain a greater return
on investment; and
(e) Provide administrative support and oversight to programs to train classroom
coaches and mentors to help teachers with reading and mathematics
instruction.
The Council on Postsecondary Education, in cooperation with the Education
Professional Standards Board, shall exercise its duties and functions under KRS
164.020 to ensure that teacher education programs are fulfilling the needs of
Kentucky for highly skilled teachers. The council shall coordinate the federal and
state grant programs it administers with other statewide initiatives relating to
improving student achievement in reading and mathematics to avoid duplication of
effort and to make efficient use of resources.
The Education Professional Standards Board shall exercise its duties and
responsibilities under KRS 161.030 and 161.048 to ensure highly qualified teachers.
Colleges and universities shall:
(a) Utilize institution-wide resources to work with elementary and secondary
educators and other entities to align curriculum content to ensure that students
who achieve proficiency on standards established at the prekindergarten
through secondary levels will require no remediation to successfully enter a
postsecondary education program;
(b) Provide quality undergraduate teacher preparation programs to ensure that
those preparing to teach reading or mathematics at all grade levels have the
necessary content knowledge, assessment and diagnostic skills, and teaching
methodologies and that teachers in all subject areas have the requisite skills
for helping students at all grade levels develop critical strategies and skills for
reading and comprehending subject matter;
(c) Deliver appropriate continuing education for teachers in reading and
mathematics through institutes, graduate level courses, and other professional
development activities that support a statewide agenda for improving student
achievement in reading and mathematics;
(d) Conduct or assist with research on best practices in assessment, intervention
strategies, teaching methodologies, costs and effectiveness of instructional
models, and other factors as appropriate to reading and mathematics;
(e) Provide staff to consult and provide technical assistance to teachers, staff, and
administrators at elementary, middle, and secondary school sites;
(f) Assume active roles in the statewide initiatives referenced in KRS 156.553
and 158.842; and
(g) Develop written procedures for measuring the effectiveness of activities
outlined in paragraphs (a) to (e) of this subsection.
(8) School councils at all school levels are encouraged to identify and allocate resources
to qualified teachers to become coaches or mentors in mathematics or coaches or
mentors in reading with a focus on improving student achievement in their
respective schools.
(9) Local school boards and superintendents shall provide local resources, whenever
possible, to supplement or match state and federal resources to support teachers,
school administrators, and school councils in helping students achieve proficiency
in reading and mathematics.
(10) Local school superintendents shall provide leadership and resources to the
principals of all schools to facilitate curriculum alignment, communications, and
technical support among schools to ensure that students are academically prepared
to move to the next level of schooling.
Effective: July 15, 2010
History: Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 42, sec. 2, effective July 15, 2010. -- Created
2005 Ky. Acts ch. 164, sec. 1, effective March 18, 2005.
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