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Is
the dream of KERA over?
By:
Mr. Richard Innes
A
foundational goal of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) is to develop an
educational system in which all students can learn at the highest level. But
recent policy decisions indicate that state education officials are losing faith
in KERA’s lofty ambitions.
An example is evident in the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) success in
persuading lawmakers to approve House Bill 178 (HB 178) during the 2004 General
Assembly. Passage of this bill led to the creation of a watered-down secondary
General Educational Development (GED) program for Kentucky’s public schools.
When HB 178 was introduced, legislators were told it would merely change
Kentucky’s definition of a high-school dropout to agree with the definition used
by the U.S. Department of Education. By itself, manipulating dropout statistics
with GED data is incompatible with KERA’s goal of increasing Kentucky’s
education levels.
However, the far more serious consequences of HB 178 did not become apparent
until after its passage. The legislation is being used to create a second-tier
high school credential based on passing the GED test. The consequences of HB 178
are highly problematic for the following reasons:
• Education standards are lowered.
• Dropout rates are further distorted.
• Inappropriate pressures are applied to schools and students.
• The validity of the existing GED program suffers.
• There are many unresolved legal issues.
• There are no cost estimates or funding authority for the program. What can be
done?
• Legislators can repeal HB 178.
• The current GED program can be adjusted to better capture
high school dropouts.
• Continue to hold Kentucky’s public schools accountable by requiring GED
recipients to be considered dropouts.
• Determine if Extended School Services meets class scheduling needs for
potential dropouts.
Recent policy decisions indicate that state education officials are losing faith
in KERA’s lofty ambitions.
If the goal of state educators is to benefit school administrators looking for
ways to manipulate their dismal dropout rates and test scores, then the new GED
program is the right choice. However, choosing that path represents a major
policy shift that signals a belief among the state’s education leaders and
lawmakers that KERA’s dream – that all of Kentucky’s children can achieve at a
high level – remains an elusive fantasy.
Click
here to read the full report by Bluegrass Institute education analyst
Richard Innes.
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