All Children Can Learn: Lessons from the Kentucky Reform Experience. The Jossey-Bass Education Series

Now educators, school board members, and policymakers can refer to a single volume for key lessons from the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running school reform model. Written by a nationally prominent group of educators, researchers, and policy analysts, All Children Can Learn presents important research findings from the Kentucky reforms, examines major program elements, and analyzes initiatives that worked or didn't work. Throughout the book, the authors explore the challenges of implementing statewide school change initiatives, offer sound advice for overcoming reform hurdles, and share valuable recommendations for future policy and practice. Reform-minded educators from every type of community will find valuable insights as they contemplate similar changes.

When the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the state's public school system was unconstitutional, it set in motion forces that altered the nature and quality of education, not only in Kentucky but in the entire country. Here is a fascinating story of a critical episode-a determined legislature, skilled education leadership, and sometimes just plain luck-that everyone interested in education should read.

-Frank Newman, visiting professor of public policy and sociology, Brown University, and Julius and Rosa Sachs Lecturer, Teachers College, Columbia University

The comprehensive and far-reaching reforms in Kentucky have been watched more than those in any other state. This book contains contributions from some of the most knowledgeable watchers-key researchers who have been following the state's progress and judging its reform results. It's an important book for everyone interested in state education policy and its effects on practice.

-Susan H. Fuhrman, dean, Penn Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

As a comprehensive look at Kentucky's systemic education reform,

All Children Can Learn is crucial reading for everyone engaged in trying to make public school reform work, as well as for anyone who doesn't think reform can work. This book thoughtfully examines Kentucky's dramatic initiatives to change schools statewide, providing guideposts for the next school district or state brave enough to undertake large-scale education change.

-Pascal D. Forgione, superintendent, Austin Independent School District

In 1990, Kentucky passed the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), a landmark statute emerging from a Supreme Court decision that declared the state's K-12 education system to be inadequate, inequitable, and inefficient. The law established a new department of education, mandated statewide learning goals and performance assessments, and provided local schools with new authority over curriculum, instructional practice, and scheduling. In addition, this law equalized funding across school districts, provided direct assistance to schools with declining test scores, and created a new system of school governance that involved principals, teachers, and parents.

Now educators, school board members, and policymakers can refer to a single volume for key lessons from the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running school reform model. Written by a nationally prominent group of educators, researchers, and policy analysts, All Children Can Learn presents important research findings from the Kentucky reforms, examines major program elements, and analyzes initiatives that worked or didn't work. Throughout the book, the authors explore the challenges of implementing statewide school change initiatives, offer sound advice for overcoming reform hurdles, and share valuable recommendations for future policy and practice. Reform-minded educators from every type of community will find valuable insights as they contemplate similar changes. From professional development to parent/community outreach, All Children Can Learn shows that America can indeed create better public schools.

The Editors

Roger S. Pankratz is professor and former associate dean in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Western Kentucky University and director of the Renaissance Group Institution's Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality. During the design of KERA, he served as executive director of the Governor's Council for School Performance Standards, and later as executive director of the Kentucky Institute for Education Research, an independent nonprofit agency created to study and evaluate Kentucky's school reform initiatives.

Joseph Petrosko is professor of education at the University of Louisville, codirector of the University of Louisville Nystrand Center of Excellence in Education, and codirector of the Kentucky Institute for Education Research.

Booknews

Describes the goals, experiences, and results of the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running statewide school reform initiative. Details the foundation for Kentucky's reform law, and outlines its impact on teaching and learning in the state during the past decade. Looks at three major initiatives of the law designed to build the capacity of educators, and at three initiatives designed to bring new players into school governance and support. For teachers, policy makers, and administrators. Pankratz is professor of teacher education at Western Kentucky University; Petrosko is professor of education at the University of Louisville. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

All Children Can Learn......Page 1 Contents......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 The Editors......Page 14 The Contributors......Page 16 Introduction: An Ambitious Plan for Improving Schools......Page 22 PART ONE The Groundwork for Statewide Reform......Page 30 1. The Legal and Legislative Battles......Page 32 2. Resource Equity and Educational Adequacy......Page 50 3. A New Vision for Public Schooling......Page 67 4. A Legislator’s Viewpoint—“A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity”......Page 89 PART TWO Improving Student Learning......Page 94 5. Statewide Performance Assessment and School Accountability......Page 96 6. Linking Curriculum and Instruction to Performance Standards......Page 119 7. Challenges in Implementing Kentucky’s Primary School Program......Page 137 8. A Student’s Viewpoint—“You’ve Got to Learn to Work with People Above You and Below You”......Page 155 PART THREE Strengthening the Capacity of Educators......Page 160 9. Promoting the Professional Development of Teachers......Page 162 10. Improving Schools and School Leaders......Page 180 11. Setting Standards for Teachers and Teacher Education......Page 198 12. A Teacher’s Viewpoint—“We Don’t Have Any Answers”......Page 216 13. A School Leader’s Viewpoint—“I Didn’t Realize How Far-Reaching This One Would Be”......Page 221 PART FOUR Developing New Forms of Governance......Page 226 14. Educators and Parents as Partners in School Governance......Page 228 15. A New Mission for the Department of Education......Page 246 16. Engaging Parents and Citizens in School Reform......Page 265 17. A Parent’s Viewpoint—“It’s Going to Take a Whole Lot of People to Do It”......Page 284 Conclusion: Insights from a Decade of School Reform......Page 289 Index......Page 304 The groundwork for statewide reform. The legal and legislative battles / Roger S. Pankratz Resource equity and educational adequacy / Jacob E. Adams Jr. A new vision for public schooling / Jack D. Foster A legislator's viewpoint : "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" / Holly Holland. Improving student learning. Statewide performance assessment and school accountability / John P. Poggio Linking curriculum and instruction to performance standards / Stephen K. Clements Challenges in implementing Kentucky's primary school program / James Raths A student's viewpoint : "you've got to learn to work with people above you and below you" / Holly Holland. Strengthening the capacity of educators. Promoting the professional development of teachers / G. Williamson McDiarmid, Tom Corcoran Improving schools and school leaders / Patricia J. Kannapel, Pam Coe Setting standards for teachers and teacher education / Roger S. Pankratz, Bonnie J. Banker A teacher's viewpoint : "we don't have any answers" / Holly Holland A school leader's viewpoint : "I didn't realize how far-reaching this one would be" / Holly Holland. Developing new forms of governance. Educators and parents as partners in school governance / Jane L. David A new mission for the Department of Education / Susan Follett Lusi, Patricia Davis Goldberg Engaging parents and citizens in school reform / Robert F. Sexton A parent's viewpoint : "it's going to take a whole lot of people to do it" / Holly Holland Conclusion : insights from a decade of school reform / Roger S. Pankratz, Joseph M. Petrosko. This book describes the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running statewide school-reform initiative: the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). Focusing on the broad picture, the book is a compilation of 17 articles by education experts who were asked to examine the intended and unintended consequences of Kentucky's reform law. The book was written for education practitioners and policymakers and is also meant to help teachers and administrators understand how their work fits into the broader realm of school reform. The text is divided into four parts. Part 1 describes the foundation for Kentucky's reform law by looking at the judicial, legislative, and executive actions that led to reform. Part 2 describes KERA's impact on teaching and learning in the state during the past decade, with articles on assessment and accountability, content standards, results of the primary-school program, and impact on teachers. The next section discusses the three major initiatives of KERA to build the capacity of educators: professional development, professional standards, and professional challenges. The last part features initiatives of KERA that were designed to bring new players into school governance and support. Included in this section are discussions of democratic site-based councils, the reorganization of the department of education, and citizen activism. (Contains an index.) (RJM) This text reveals the secrets behind the success of the Kentucky model of education reform, one of the America's most ambitious efforts to restructure and improve public schooling.