[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”20870″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1683773167644{padding-right: 10% !important;padding-left: 10% !important;}”][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n
SCOTTSVILLE \u2014 The feel of sixth-grade social studies last fall at the Allen County Intermediate Center was definitely not \u201ctextbook.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teachers introduced a new unit where local history and regional economic development took center stage for students. Their premise was that opening imaginations to the future \u2014 plus a major creative burst of cardboard art \u2014 would drive teams of 11-year-olds to suggest new enterprises that could enhance local pride and nurture community life, complete with imaginative makeshift prototypes.<\/p>\n
Academic standards usually yield generic lessons and faraway references. Teachers here reconceived the opening chunk of sixth-grade content as a set of active, team-focused, hands-on explorations closely tied to the local community and its economic challenges.<\/p>\n
The experience sparked proposals for a train depot museum, a livestock market, a shopping mall, and other ventures that would honor local culture and boost economic and social opportunities. Students proposed a drive-in theater complete with an extensive snack bar, a photo booth and a supersized abominable snowman statue. The drive-in and train depot became the themes of a pair of Christmas parade floats representing the school and pulled up South Court Street by a tractor.<\/p>\n
The plunge into more engaging and relevant student learning and incorporating skills like collaboration and communication made a strong impression.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing because we get a voice. It makes us think about that we can make a change in the county,\u201d said Ay’Den Grainger, part of the group of five students researching and creating the prototype for the drive-in theater.<\/p>\n
The drive-in was appealing because it could draw people of all ages, explained Henry Harper. He said it is also needed. The nearest drive-in screen is 25 miles away in Franklin. The closest movie theater is further \u2014 in Bowling Green.<\/p>\n
Gracie Chandler said that the unique assignment motivated her classmates in interesting ways: \u201cIt\u2019s about how to overcome challenges, identify problems, and get stuff done.\u201d She liked doing creative work in teams.<\/p>\n
Allen County teachers were among 255 across Kentucky who participated in free project-based learning training ahead of this school year. Turning academic standards into hands-on, student-driven investigations is part of a three-year state grant to promote achievement and skills for adult success through relevant, engaging student work.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”20405″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text single_style=””]FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS at\u00a0Allen County Intermediate work on a project that involved mapping, geometry and habitat content as they planned what community services would need to be restored after a natural catastrophe.\u00a0<\/i> \u201cAs we got started with this unit, I saw how this could work,\u201d Minix added. She said students became more eager to be at school, behavior issues declined, classroom conversations were more focused, and adults and students alike saw how the learning could fuel success beyond school.<\/p>\n State officials expect the number of teachers involved in the project-based learning training to grow significantly this summer. Regional sessions are planned. All eight regional education cooperatives have added staff to actively coach and support educators in active learning experiences.<\/p>\n The push toward new classroom approaches is key to the state education department\u2019s United We Learn strategic plan, drafted in 2021 following meetings with educators, students, families, and business leaders across the state. It calls for delivering more vibrant learning experiences for students, creating innovation in assessment, and establishing greater collaboration between educators and communities.<\/p>\n Pandemic shutdowns in 2020 and 2021 fueled wide reflection about the outcomes of students\u2019 learning experiences and the need to produce results beyond a narrow focus on multiple-choice and short-answer state tests, educators said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a growing feeling that it\u2019s time to move toward the systems kids need to have to be prepared for life,\u201d said Robb Smith, now the statewide director of deeper learning for the Kentucky Association of Educational Cooperatives and a retired superintendent. The co-ops combined to win a $24.5 million three-year grant to support deeper learning experiences. Of 171 Kentucky school districts, 167 joined the effort.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to build stronger partnerships with business people, families, and citizens \u2014 we have a responsibility to meet the needs of our communities,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n More engaging and relevant learning experiences have been expanding steadily.<\/p>\n In 2010, district-level and community involvement to engage all students in more active learning led the University of Kentucky College of Education to start its Next Generation Leadership Academy for school teams seeking new approaches. In the 12 years since, the academies have involved about 1,200 educators from 75 districts.<\/p>\n Lawmakers in 2012 enacted innovation provisions allowing districts and schools to implement programs to improve student learning and achievement. The state education department created an innovation division to work with interested districts and expand personalized learning.<\/p>\n In the fall of 2021, the state education department launched its Local Laboratories of Learning to collaborate with school districts in a network of community projects to redefine essential student outcomes, overhaul teaching and learning, and explore assessment and accountability alternatives.<\/p>\n Seven districts joined the first year. (Allen, Jefferson, Fleming, Shelby, Logan, and Johnson counties, along with the Frankfort independent district.) Six more joined in the spring of 2022. (Boone, Bullitt, Lawrence, and Greenup counties, as well as Berea and Corbin.) Five more districts joined last fall. (Carter, Floyd, Washington, Rowan, and LaRue counties.)<\/p>\n More broadly, 43 Kentucky districts have become part of the state\u2019s Innovative Learning Network, a professional learning outreach effort to offer technical assistance and support on deeper learning efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe demand is there from communities \u2014 they recognize the importance of skills for lifelong learning well beyond education,\u201d said Sarah Snipes, innovative strategies manager at the state education department. \u201cIn schools and in communities, people know that we need something different for students.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]The state\u2019s assistance is designed to combine community understanding with education system changes to assure wide and lasting input and support. Snipes said that deeper learning changes mark a big shift for schools.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes the work of last two years look different is seeing community collaboration mobilize and take hold differently,\u201d Snipes said. \u201cEducators and community representatives see themselves making something together and see that come alive in classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaking sure everyone is at the table has been really powerful,\u201d added Travis Hamby, superintendent of the Allen County district, part of the first cohort involved in the Local Laboratories of Learning program. Wide community input helped Allen County\u2019s educators define larger goals for students \u2014 expectations that spelled out the need for all students to become resilient learners, creative problem solvers, accountable collaborators and more. \u201cWe got what the community said they want,\u201d Hamby said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt comes back to why we all got into education to begin with \u2014 to make a difference with students and create engaging activities. Learning is about curiosity and asking questions,\u201d Hamby said. \u201cTo go down this path, we recognize that we had lost some of that. But when you start talking about the possibilities of engaging with kids in the learning process, and building up everyone\u2019s skills and passions, that resonates with people.\u201d<\/p>\n SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AWAIT<\/span><\/p>\n As interested administrators and a team of deeper learning coaches nurture growing interest in schools, educators who have been at the forefront of such programs point to the need for policy changes and new approaches.<\/p>\n Some challenging areas where educators say new approaches will be vital:<\/p>\n > Redefining assessment and accountability.<\/strong> State tests focus on multiple-choice and short-answer questions in single content areas. Meanwhile, an accountability system that classifies schools based on that narrow snapshot reinforces test-driven teaching and learning. Can state leaders find measures and a system that will not only permit \u2014 but measure and recognize \u2014 well-rounded students who can produce and explain meaningful work?<\/p>\n > Addressing professional preparation.<\/strong> Rigid certification and training rules classify teachers as subject- and grade-level specialists, with teacher prep programs necessarily following that mold. How can current and prospective teachers become strong designers of powerful learning experiences? How do preparation programs train teachers to cover teamwork, presentation skills, and interdisciplinary content?<\/p>\n > Coordinating succession and team building.<\/strong> Dynamic school environments are often the product of maverick or charismatic individual leaders. How can schools and districts develop teams of skilled educators and administrators prepared to build upon stronger learning experiences and innovation successes?<\/p>\n > Garnering solid legislative support.<\/strong> The budding emphasis on developing durable skills and student engagement clearly connects to labor market and economic development needs. How does the education system work with legislative champions to assure statutory and regulatory support for significant changes in student learning and testing?<\/p>\n > Sharpening outreach and communication.<\/strong> Public schools are deeply wrapped in tradition. How do schools, districts and the larger system coordinate and succeed in reframing needs and solutions to win public support and involve citizens, family members, business leaders, and others as advocates?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will be needed is an attractive alternative that\u2019s easily understood by educators and the community,\u201d said Justin Bathon, associate professor and chair of the educational leadership studies department at UK.<\/p>\n Bathon has faced the challenges of moving beyond the status quo as a co-founder of the STEAM Academy high school in Lexington, a designer of UK\u2019s deeper learning academy, a developer of school leaders, and a public school parent.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last 25 years, we\u2019ve told everyone that education means a deeply measurable, simplified thing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to ask a system under pressure and that doesn\u2019t have resources make this kind of major shift.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]His experience with the STEAM Academy, a partnership with the Fayette County school district, involved a mix of challenges. \u201cIt can be hard to hold the ground you have achieved,\u201d Bathon said. \u201cWe almost need to define a new type of school as living in a different category for district and board choices to be different. Right now, there is no category for schools that have broken the mold where we\u2019ve provided long-term supports to be sustainably different.\u201d<\/p>\n Carmen Coleman, director of deeper learning for the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative in Shelbyville, said that the growing interest in what students need to be successful as adults opens big possibilities. \u201cWe\u2019ve got an opportunity with forces coming together that we haven\u2019t had, so it\u2019s a really important moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n Coleman was previously chief academic officer of the state\u2019s largest school district, implementing Jefferson County\u2019s Backpack of Success Skills program beginning in 2018. She also worked with Bathon at UK and was superintendent of one of the state\u2019s original Districts of Innovation.<\/p>\n Achieving a more meaningful school experience will require changing the power of test scores in the public\u2019s mind and in educators\u2019 careers, Coleman said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe districts that we are working with all want to do something differently \u2014 they see the need for change and a different kind of student experience for successful futures. There\u2019s no argument about the need,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As local schools move toward more rigorous and relevant learning, the requirements and routines of the education system are due for a makeover, Coleman said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are getting what the system is designed to produce, and we need drastic changes on that front,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cTeaching is so focused on individual standards. People lose jobs over state test scores. And the teachers most inexperienced are just trying to survive. People are understandably nervous about doing anything away from the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n While standardized tests or course-taking indicate how many students are \u201cproficient\u201d or \u201cready\u201d by graduation day, the data fail to register how students fare in actual settings. After a decade of deeper learning efforts, however, many recent graduates are eager to reflect on the impact of school experiences.<\/p>\n As a senior at Fern Creek High School in Louisville in the spring of 2019, Keilen Frazier was in the first group of Jefferson County students to make a presentation explaining how high school learning and achievements equipped him to move forward.<\/p>\n Learning defenses, where students present to a panel of teachers and community members, are a component of district\u2019s Backpack of Success Skills program as students leave elementary, middle and high school.<\/p>\n Frazier was an early fan the district\u2019s move to provide students challenging experiences, reflect on their work, and practice skills beyond academic recall.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of seniors, I think, aren\u2019t ready to graduate,\u201d Frazier explained in a 2019 interview. \u201cIn their head, they think they are, but deep down inside they know they aren\u2019t. They just want to get out even though they don\u2019t know what they\u2019re getting out into. I feel like the Backpack really does help us center ourselves to figure out what we\u2019re going to do next \u2014 that next chapter. I wish we had something like this our freshman year.\u201d<\/p>\n Weeks before graduating, Frazier said many students see standardized tests as a poor measure of what matters for success. \u201cThe Backpack gives you more opportunity to show what you do than standardized testing. I struggled academically my freshman year,\u201d he explained. \u201cI do better when I can actually do things. I\u2019ve learned more outside the building than I have inside.”[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”20633″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text single_style=””]IN A 2019 PHOTO, FERN CREEK HIGH senior Keilen Frazier was among the first\u00a0group\u00a0of Jefferson\u00a0County\u00a0high school\u00a0students to make a\u00a0presentation about how classwork and experiences demonstrated command of skills like critical thinking, collaboration and leadership. Now a\u00a0photojournalism major at Western Kentucky\u00a0University, he said the\u00a0experience in Jefferson County\u00a0was good preparation for college and\u00a0succeeding in internships<\/i><\/span>.<\/i>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]Now a photojournalism major at Western Kentucky University, Frazier said he still appreciates the changes he saw in his final years in Jefferson County. The emphasis on presentations defending one\u2019s work turned out to be common in many college assignments. He also liked that students could gain recognition for acquiring skills beyond their classwork through extracurricular activities and team competitions. In college, he has focused on landing a series of internships to gain a professional edge beyond college.<\/p>\n \u201cLeadership can translate to any organization,\u201d Frazier said in a recent interview. \u201cUnderstanding how to work together, knowing what\u2019s expected, and how to move things forward \u2014 that\u2019s how things work in classes, in student organizations, in teams, and on the job. You\u2019ve got to know how to solve problems and get to the end zone, which is what the Backpack program is about.\u201d<\/p>\n Frazier said schools need to build students\u2019 opportunities and abilities to work together, solve problems, and communicate.<\/p>\n Jaley Adkins, preparing for early graduation after her third year at the University of Louisville, said that the opportunity to do original research and be involved in hands-on projects at Belfry High School in Pike County were enormous advantages in college and as she focuses on postgraduate programs.<\/p>\n During her senior year of high school, Adkins and a classmate earned a spot at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in California.<\/p>\n In short, their project examined whether extracts of natural products \u2014 including kudzu flowers picked from vines growing on a hill beside the school parking lot \u2014 could capture gold or silver nanoparticles from an acid compound and possibly replace commonly used chemical solutions in medicine. (Gold and silver nanoparticles are adept at bonding with cancer cells, making them a tool for locating cancer cells in MRIs, for example, or delivering highly targeted treatments.)[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”20406″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text single_style=””]IN A 2020 PHOTO, BELFRY HIGH seniors\u00a0<\/i><\/span>Jaley Adkins, left, Madison Slone, and teacher Haridas Chandran discussed the students’ research testing whether kudzu extract can capture gold or silver nanoparticles potentially useful in cancer diagnosis. Adkins, now a student at the University of Louisville, said her in-depth high school learning experience inspired ongoing interest in medical research.<\/i>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]The experience connected Adkins with U of L. Her research has continued there, leading to plans for graduate school and a doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry and engineering.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on my experience at Belfry, teachers and schools trying to make learning more engaging is easily one of the most beneficial things that can be done for students,\u201d Adkins said in a recent interview. \u201cWithout teachers like Doc, I would not be where I am today. Making learning more engaging truly brings students into it and makes them feel like they are playing an active part in their learning.\u201d<\/p>\n Haridas “Doc” Chandran, the Belfry High science and engineering teacher and leader of the school\u2019s STEAM lab, said in a 2020 interview that one of his first discoveries as a teacher was that schoolwork was deeply disconnected from adult life and local realities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe education the kids received was not related to the workforce and the economy we have, which was going down. I thought I should motivate these kids to go beyond what they might normally know \u2014 the 21st century workforce is not the thing they had 30 years ago.\u201d Drones, 3-D printers, and investigations into medicine, construction and energy became focal points.<\/p>\n \u201cI just mentor \u2014 give them directions,\u201d Chandran said. \u201cThey take that initiative and do it by themselves. If something happens, they come and ask me. It\u2019s research, understand, and complete the work. That\u2019s the learning process.\u201d<\/p>\n Adkins said that engaging challenges are essential to producing motivated students.<\/p>\n \u201cI think schools should step up to help students find their passions sooner,\u201d Adkins said. \u201cToo often now, schools are focused on teaching for exams, not teaching for love. That is what happens when there is applied learning. Like me, students can find what they love through these applied experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n TOP PHOTO: Sixth grade students at Allen County Intermediate Center add details to a cardboard model of their proposed drive-in theater, complete with cotton to suggest an all-season entertainment destination.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fdfaa6″ css=”.vc_custom_1673437777931{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;background-color: #fdfaa6 !important;}”][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n A FOUR-PART 4. MAKING STRONGER OUTCOMES MAINSTREAM<\/strong><\/p>\n Rethinking the system \u00a0<\/strong> The state education department’s interest in learning experiences and assessment innovation is about more than a new approach for some classrooms. A quick look at the planning and issues involved:<\/p>\n United We Learn\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 The state\u2019s strategic plan priorities are now in the hands of a 68-member United We Learn Council, looking at recommendations and next steps in each of the three priorities. The main web page about its plan<\/a>\u00a0includes explanation, information about the new council which met for the first time in November, and various ways the state is focusing on skills, learning experiences, and more meaningful outcomes.<\/p>\n Commissioner’s take<\/strong>\u00a0 Education Commissioner Jason Glass co-authored a blog post<\/a> in September about assessment and accountability changes, noting the state\u2019s resources to study new approaches under a grant from the federal education department. \u201cA compelling argument can be made that what is currently measured on a machine-scored standardized test gives us a reductive view of student capabilities,\u201d Glass writes with Doannie Tran, a consultant who is also a facilitator for the United We Learn project. Views from Glass on deeper learning were also the subject of a Kentucky Teacher article<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n Accountability evolution\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 Kentucky is not alone in emerging from the pandemic with an appetite to rethink student learning. KnowledgeWorks, a Cincinnati-based group focused on personalized learning reports that \u201cthe massive disruption to instruction fueled a new urgency to rethink the potential of assessments to drive better teaching and learning.\u201d The group and partners published a summary of discussions around new approaches to state assessment and accountability<\/a>. The piece explains issues and offers updates on several examples. KnowledgeWorks is one of the partner organizations involved in Kentucky\u2019s United We Learn efforts.<\/p>\n Meaningful college diplomas\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 K-12 school systems are not alone in pursing stronger outcomes. Kentucky\u2019s Council on Postsecondary Education also launched a Graduate Profile effort<\/a> that recognized 10 key workforce skills. CPE pulled together representatives from the state\u2019s four-year public colleges and four of the KCTCS campuses to analyze learning outcomes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Training blitz\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Free\u00a0PBL 101 Summer Regional Conferences<\/a> for K-12 public school educators will be held starting in June in all of the state’s regions and online through partnerships with school districts and educational cooperatives. Beyond speakers and teacher presentations, the conferences offer an intensive three-day PBL 101 Workshop from PBLWorks. Use the link above for dates and details.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fafbb9″ css=”.vc_custom_1673438254176{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;background-color: #fafbb9 !important;}”][vc_column_text single_style=””]This special report on durable skills and deeper learning showcases emerging issues and school efforts to better connect school work and adult success.<\/em><\/p>\n ABOUT THE SERIES<\/p>\n 1. RETHINKING NECESSARY SKILLS & ENGAGING EXPERIENCES<\/a> <\/strong>to better prepare students for challenges to learn, work, and thrive beyond high school.<\/p>\n 2. UPDATING OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with local graduate profiles, greater student voice, and new connections to employers and communities.<\/p>\n 3. RENEWING PROFESSIONAL POSSIBILITIES<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>as educators explore creative options for learning experiences and personalized connections that spark student interest.<\/p>\n THIS STORY:\u00a0<\/strong> 4. MAKING STRONGER PERFORMANCE MAINSTREAM<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0by expanding engaging and effective learning environments to replace outdated approaches and preparation.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#f9f9ea” css=”.vc_custom_1673438279441{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;background-color: #f9f9ea !important;}”][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n SCHOOLS FEATURED IN THIS STORY\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n ALLEN COUNTY INTERMEDIATE<\/strong> FERN CREEK HIGH\u00a0<\/strong> BELFRY HIGH\u00a0<\/strong> ONE MORE THING<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n THE DISCUSSION CONTINUES<\/strong><\/p>\n Kentucky\u2019s work toward a more meaningful diploma was recently the focus of a podcast about deeper learning and stronger student outcomes hosted by a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a retired school administrator from Canada.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text single_style=””]Veteran sixth-grade teacher Amanda Minix joined the training based on enthusiasm from district and school leaders. \u201cI was really skeptical when they told us about the training,\u201d she recalled. \u201cAfter 22 years, I know that we tend to jump on bandwagons, so I thought this was something else that would come and go.\u201d Putting the approach into action made her an enthusiast.<\/p>\nSTATE GRANT AIMS TO SPREAD ‘VIBRANT’ LEARNING<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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The demand is there from communities \u2014 they recognize the importance of skills for lifelong learning well beyond education. … People know that we need something different for students.<\/h2>\n
\u2014 Sarah Snipes, Kentucky Department of Education<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n
Over the last 25 years, we’ve told everyone that education means a deeply measurable, simplified thing. It’s difficult to make a system under pressure and that doesn’t have resources make this kind of major shift.<\/h2>\n
\u2014 Justin Bathon, University of Kentucky College of Education<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
STUDENT OUTCOMES, VOICES ILLUMINATE NEEDS<\/h3>\n
M A Y \u00a0 2 0 2 3<\/h6>\n
\nSPECIAL REPORT<\/span><\/p>\n
\nENROLLMENT: 700 in 4-6
\nKEY DEMOGRAPHICS
\n64% eligible for free\/reduced price meals
\n11% minority<\/p>\n
\nJefferson County
\nENROLLMENT: 1,725 in 9-12
\nKEY DEMOGRAPHICS
\n68% eligible for free\/reduced price meals
\n66% minority<\/p>\n
\nPike County
\nENROLLMENT: 520 in 9-12
\nKEY DEMOGRAPHICS
\n55% eligible for free\/reduced price meals
\n8% minority[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fafbb9″ css=”.vc_custom_1673438254176{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;background-color: #fafbb9 !important;}”][vc_column_text single_style=””]<\/p>\n