\u201cWe will talk about that,\u201d Penley promises. \u201cIt\u2019s a different kind of sound.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can see the young readers emerging.<\/p>\n
The cycle of helping students learn to sound out words, read fluently, and recognize what is happening within different types of texts is a process repeated each year in every elementary school. In high-poverty schools like Jenkins, where the family income of 83 percent of students qualifies for free- or reduced-price meals, building proficient readers comes with deep challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a work in progress,\u201d said Superintendent Mike Genton. The school is focused on grade-level numeracy and literacy by the end of the third grade. \u201cIt\u2019s so important to have those children where they need to be at end of third grade, because research shows that if they\u2019re behind then, the chances of catching up go down significantly,\u201d Genton said.<\/p>\n
Each year\u2019s wave of students presents new challenges and opportunities.<\/p>\n
Jenkins was created in 1912 as a mining town, built after a railroad extended into a valley beneath a mountain ridge separating Kentucky and Virginia. Like most structures here, Jenkins Elementary is built beside Elkhorn Creek. It is a school of 200 in an independent school district comprised of 420 students.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image style=”shadow” alignment=”center” image=”10017″][vc_column_text]KINDERGARTEN TEACHER Vonda Penley, left, works with a small group of\u00a0students discussing the sounds that letters make in reading.<\/i><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Last year, Jenkins was an under-the-radar locale that emerged as a \u201cbright spot district\u201d in a statewide analysis of student test scores by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky.<\/p>\n The study, conducted in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, examined scores on state tests from 2012-17. Rather than simply ranking scores, it used local socioeconomic data to establish a predicted level of performance. The report identified 12 districts that significantly exceeded those expectations based on overall average test scores in at least one of the years studied. \u201cExemplar\u201d districts were also required to meet other requirements \u2014 less-advantaged students had to show steady progress over the span, including a better-than-expected outcome in 2017.<\/p>\n Elementary reading scores in Jenkins met the study\u2019s definition of unexpectedly high performance.\u00a0The report explained: \u201cThe Jenkins Independent School District in Letcher County and the Russell Independent School District in Greenup County performed similarly on the 2016\u201017 K\u2010PREP elementary mathematics assessment, demonstrated by 57.3 and 58.2 percent of their students scoring proficient or distinguished, respectively. Yet, once we consider student, district, and community factors, only one of these districts emerges as a \u201cbright spot\u201d \u2014 Jenkins Independent. While Russell Independent performs at a level we expect, Jenkins Independent performs much better than we expect; in fact, it performs 20 percentage points higher than we expect.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenkins earned the exemplar status based on its elementary reading performance. Exceeding expectations in other measures and at other school levels also made Jenkins one of the top districts in the state in the study’s cumulative points for beating predictions based on demographics.<\/p>\n Jenkins school leaders point to several advantages they see in their district: Its small size in a rural community promotes close connections and strong relationships; students get extra access to teachers, and the conditions of a community in economic distress underscore the importance of education in improving one\u2019s options in life.<\/p>\n There are also drawbacks, of course. Resources are limited. The pool of candidates for open teaching jobs can be small. Maybe most noticeable, a single classroom defines the work of a grade level, meaning that teacher turnover can have dramatic effects on student and district performance.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The UK report may have found Jenkins at a peak level. In recent years, retirements and moves have put the school in a rebuilding mode, much like sports teams that lose key players after a playoff run.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the hardest challenges is retaining good teachers,\u201d said Christle Carter, the district\u2019s instructional supervisor, who is concentrating on building up reading performance at the elementary school and supporting the focus on moving students in K-3 to grade-level performance. \u201cWhat\u2019s positive is that we\u2019re so small \u2014 we work together well, like a family,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The school is trying new ways of reaching out to families with communication and programs designed to build stronger relationships. It adopted the \u201cLeader in Me\u201d program to get students become more active in their own learning. The school is also adjusting its reading curriculum for a deeper emphasis on comprehension and writing. It is also pleased by the potential its two young kindergarten teachers show.<\/p>\n The UK report found previous periods of major gains at Jenkins Elementary. Principal Amanda Anderson is optimistic that elements are in place that will help the current improvement drive attain similar results. The school closely monitors student data to deliver extra help, she noted. Technology upgrades give students access to helpful learning programs, and the school has altered its use of extended school service funds to expand tutoring during the school day.<\/p>\n Anderson is also focused on building a close school community and cohesive culture among the school staff. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a couple of periods where we were really successful, and when I look back at what we were doing, it was a group effort,\u201d said the second-year principal, a former Jenkins teacher. \u201cYou can throw programs at people all day long \u2014 adults and kids \u2014 but if there\u2019s not a heart involved in it, and you don\u2019t have people involved for the outcome versus the income, it makes a huge difference. That\u2019s something we have.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Fourth- and fifth-grade reading and writing teacher Lynn Gilliam, a 17-year veteran here, said that the school is developing students\u2019 ability to dissect and use what they read.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want fluent readers, but just because they can read doesn\u2019t mean that they can tell you anything about it. It has to go deeper,\u201d Gilliam said. That means understanding cause and effect, fact and opinion, problem and solution. Jenkins readers need a strong awareness of generalizing, inferring, main ideas, theme, and more, she added. Strong reading skills give students a better understanding of content across all subjects.<\/p>\n \u201cI want them to be able to stand with their head tall and say, \u2018I know how to use that,\u2019 \u201d Gilliam said. \u201cWhat you learn in here isn\u2019t just for reading class,\u201d (For a family night in the fall, Gilliam created a handout explaining key reading skills with examples and books that use the skills. She expects several of the sheets made it to families\u2019 refrigerators, reinforcing reading concepts from home.)<\/p>\n Kiley Bevins, a fifth grader who has spent all of her school years in Jenkins, said she sees how her reading skills help in any learning situation. \u201cIn every single class, you have to do at least something with reading,\u201d she said. \u201cCause and effect was kind of hard, and so were main idea and detail, but Ms. Gilliam helped me, and now I understand it.\u201d When it comes to reading for pleasure, Kiley said she enjoys scary fiction, even trying out author Stephen King.<\/p>\n Fourth grader Haylee Thacker recommends a book she recently read that explained the background of an interesting character in the popular video game Minecraft. Haylee said she the school provides apps on laptops and other school devices that provide reading practice and help.\u201cThey go over stuff that helps you focus on reading and helps you understand better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Carter, the instructional director, said that Jenkins is striving to balance reading experiences that reach each child at their level as well as providing frequent grade-level reading experiences.<\/p>\n Jenkins is determined to find a mix of approaches and tools that ensure progress for students, Superintendent Genton added.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have students at an early age being successful in reading, that means they\u2019re more likely to be successful as they go on,\u201d he said. \u201cIt helps build pride in these young people in their work and their learning. We want them to use their education as a way to change their life for the better and be set up as a successful, responsible adult out in the real world.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image style=”shadow” alignment=”center” image=”10018″][vc_column_text]JENKINS ELEMENTARY TEACHER Amanda Kelly works with a small\u00a0group of\u00a0second graders in guided reading. At the same time, other students work individually reading books or working on software that builds reading skills. TOP PHOTO: One\u00a0of the second graders in Kelly’s class reads from a textbook.<\/i><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fdfaa6″ css=”.vc_custom_1571600588466{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n USING DATA TO FIND BRIGHT SPOTS DISTRICTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Last August, the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky examined statewide student test results and local socioeconomic factors in search of \u201cbetter than expected\u201d district-level performance.<\/p>\n The report was designed to identify school districts worthy of a closer look. Results highlighted proficiency by all students, high achievement by students who qualified for free- or reduced-price meals, and improved performance over a six-year period. The study found 12 \u201cexemplar\u201d districts<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSince school districts are likely to reflect the underlying economic conditions of their surrounding communities, the socioeconomic characteristics of Kentucky\u2019s school districts are as diverse as the state itself,\u201d the report<\/a> found. \u201cThis is evidenced by the percentages of less\u2010advantaged students in the Oldham and Owsley County School Districts, which are, respectively, 22 and 89 percent. Likewise, the average per-pupil expenditures in the top quartile of districts is one\u2010third higher than those in the bottom quartile \u2014 $13,380 compared to $10,140.\u201d<\/p>\n The report, produced in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, is \u201cbest viewed as a statistical sieve designed to narrow the list of candidate districts worthy of closer examination,\u201d it noted.<\/p>\n Several districts highlighted in the report have been profiled in this \u00a0Bright Spots blog. The blog provides a classroom-level view of promising practices and trends in student learning across Kentucky.<\/p>\n The visit to Jenkins Independent showed a district that has experienced performance that exceeds expectations, but is also working to improve teaching and learning while supporting new teachers in roles previously filled by veterans who helped deliver strong results.<\/p>\n In Jenkins, several priorities are getting attention:<\/p>\n \\\\ The district is working toward teacher training and support to deepen comprehension and writing as part of its emphasis in elementary reading. Support for new teachers is also a key.<\/p>\n \\\\ Moving all students to grade-level ability in reading and math by the end of third grade is a major focus. The school monitors student data closely and uses intervention time and personnel to address issues for students who are behind. At the same time, the school also is working to help students at or above grade level to show continued growth.<\/p>\n \\\\ At Jenkins Elementary, regular efforts to inform and communicate with parents is evident. The school also created opportunities for parents of kindergarten students to get to know one another as a way to build bonds with the school.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fafbb9″ css=”.vc_custom_1571600560552{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column_text]Each month, the BRIGHT SPOTS blog showcases impressive learning in Kentucky schools.<\/em><\/p>\n READ OTHER STORIES IN OUR SERIES ON DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED IN UK’S ‘BRIGHT SPOTS’ REPORT<\/b><\/p>\n \\\\\u00a0A RENEWED APPROACH<\/strong>\u00a0at Robertson County<\/a><\/p>\n\n
District leaders say that in a very small school, teacher turnover can have dramatic effects on student and district results.<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n
We\u2019ve<\/strong> had a couple of periods where we were really successful, and when I look back at what we were doing, it was a group effort.<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u2014<\/em>Amanda Anderson, principal<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/BrightSpotsJenkins_graphic.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ukreportbrightspots1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n