KDE Releases Accountability Scores

FCPS Outperforms State Averages, Shows Progress in Key Areas

According to results released Tuesday in Kentucky’s accountability system, Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) continued to outperform state averages at the elementary and middle school levels and posted a reduction in the number of schools identified for federal and state support. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) published ratings for schools and districts based on student scores on the Kentucky Summative Assessment and other measures of student success. FCPS scored green overall at the elementary level and yellow at the middle and high school levels.

Of the 55 schools eligible for scores this year, FCPS had:

• 11 schools receive blue ratings
• 12 schools receive green ratings
• 15 schools receive yellow ratings
• 14 schools receive orange ratings
• 3 schools receive red ratings

“Although we cannot compare the color ratings assigned from year to year, we are pleased to have more schools earning yellow, green, and blue ratings and fewer schools in the red and orange levels,” said Superintendent Demetrus Liggins. According to accountability scores, the majority of schools scored very high, high, or medium.

Also noteworthy, Liggins said, are increases in the percentage of students meeting or surpassing state benchmarks in both reading and math at the elementary school level. Performance is up not only across the board but also among historically marginalized groups, including Black and Hispanic students, English language learners, and those receiving special education services.

"These gains for our younger students are building their foundation for continued success,” Liggins said. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our educators, students, families, and community partners.”

Liggins acknowledged that accountability scores are one way for the community to gauge how successfully schools are serving students, and to identify growth or highlight areas for improvement.

“Data is an important tool that helps us measure progress and evaluate the challenges that our students and schools may be facing, but it is important to remember that standardized tests are just one way to measure student success,” Liggins said. “Our students are complex individuals with unique talents and skills whose potential cannot be fully measured on a multiple-choice exam. Equally significant are the efforts of our dedicated teachers and staff, whose extensive contributions in supporting students often go beyond what a single test can capture.”

• 2023 Accountability Results Summary
• Understanding Kentucky's School Rating System

Schools in Kentucky are also evaluated against federal classification designed to not only look at school performance but also to determine whether they are meeting the diverse needs of individual students based on race, family income, English language proficiency, and identification for special education. The performance of every group of students must be above the cut scores set by the state.

In Fayette County, 21 schools were identified for Targeted Support and Intervention – also known as TSI – because the scores for individual groups of students were below the state requirements. At nine schools, that designation represents a single student classification. TSI designations decreased from 34 schools identified last year, which is a 40 percent reduction. Among marked improvements, the data showed:

• 10 schools no longer have TSI designations for African-American
• students.
• 2 schools no longer have TSI designations for English Learners.
• 3 schools no longer have TSI designations for Economically Disadvantaged students.
• 7 schools no longer have TSI designations for Students with Disabilities.

Fayette County had one school, Bryan Station Middle, designated for “Comprehensive Support and Intervention” or CSI because they have been previously identified as “Additional Targeted Support and Intervention” for three years.

“Our students are more than a score, and these results do not illustrate the important work that is being done in our classrooms each day, nor do they highlight the individual and unique strengths and talents of our students,” Liggins said.

He highlighted new supports implemented last year yielding positive impacts overall, including strategic improvement plans and instructional coaching provided for any school designated as red or orange last fall. “District support teams have been intentional, implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) at each school and providing additional resources so teachers can drill down to an individual level based on student data,” Liggins said.

District teams will collaborate with instructional leaders in each of the CSI and TSI schools to rewrite their Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) and ensure they are intentionally supporting students who have not yet reached proficiency.

"As we reflect on these encouraging results, let us remember that they are just one measure of our students’ growth and success,” Liggins said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to nurture the unique and limitless potential within each of our students regardless of their race, ZIP code, home language, or family income.”