In Press Release

Knox County Middle School achievement provides roadmap for schools throughout Kentucky on learning recovery

By

June 7, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Brigitte Blom, President and CEO
(office) 859-233-9849
(cell) 859-322-8999
brigitte@prichardcommittee.org

Frank Shelton
Knox County Public Schools
(606) 546-3157 ext. 2446
frank.shelton@knox.kyschools.us

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BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — Knox County Middle School beat the odds. Of more than 400 middle schools statewide, only 4 emerged as “Bright Spot” schools. Knox Middle was one of those schools. Though its accomplishments came pre-COVID, schools across Kentucky can use it as a roadmap for learning recovery from COVID.

“This 425-student school where 86 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged adopted a no-excuses mentality to eliminate failure and outperform expectations,” said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee.

New opportunities to try again dramatically reduced the number of students falling behind, local educators said.

“By becoming able to teach in different ways until students got it, we basically eliminated the possibility of failing,” teacher Bethany Miracle said.

Here’s what Knox Middle accomplished, according to a 2020 report from UK’s Center for Business and Economic Research:

  • It made the list for reading results, math results and multi-year achievement. In each category, the school showed statistically significant overperformance by the entire student population, as well as by students from low-income families and by students with disabilities.
  • Overall student population beat expectations by 20 percentage points.
  • The school more than doubled proficiency rates in math from 2011-12 to 2018-19.

Here’s how it worked:

  • The school started re-teaching concepts to students when they couldn’t score better than 70 percent on quizzes or activities to gauge what they had learned.
  • Teachers restructured the school day and assessment strategies, built stronger relationships with students so that re-teaching was not seen as a punishment but a way to deliver something students needed, and conducted similar outreach to build parent confidence in the move to a dedicated, 55-minute class period daily.
  • Students were assigned to the class day-by-day, as needed. What became known as “Panther Time,” named for the school’s mascot, was billed as something every student should expect at some point each year.

“By becoming able to teach in different ways until students got it, we basically eliminated the possibility of failing,” Miracle said. The school worked to remove the stigma for trying again for both students and teachers by emphasizing improved performance. “We showed that we do whatever it takes to get them where they need to be,” she said

And it hasn’t stopped there. Knox Middle continues to refine academic support. The district launched a new effort to adopt common curriculum pacing plans at its seven elementary schools — adding definition to when and for how long academic concepts will be covered.

Panels of teachers created the plans for this school year and will revise them over the summer. The clearer structure should not only set a foundation for meeting academic goals with younger students, but also better serve students who change schools within the district. The framework for covering academic content also aims to help a growing number of teachers pursuing an alternate pathway to certification. Beyond a detailed plan, the district is providing feedback from regular classroom visits at each school about how standards are covered and met in classrooms

The focus districtwide promotes intentional teaching and learning, monitoring outcomes, and building buy-in. Underlying all of those goals has been recognizing the strengths and needs of students and maintaining solid connections with families.

“When you take a new approach with kids who might have fallen through the cracks, it’s amazing what you can move them to accomplish,” said Superintendent Jeremy Ledford, a Knox County native. “They will run through a wall if you believe in them.”

Visit https://prichard-backup.com/July/bright-spots-knox/ for more information about Knox Middle’s transformation.

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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary 

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