Henderson County Schools
Media Release
Henderson County Schools Ranks Well Under New State Accountability System
October 1, 2019
Henderson County Schools has ranked well under the new state accountability system. The Kentucky Department of Education implemented a new accountability system in 2019 of identifying schools with an overall rating and number of stars from 1 (the lowest) to 5 (the highest). All Henderson County Schools earned 3 or 4 stars. Every school in HCS received a rating of medium to very high in the proficiency indicator, which is the performance of students in reading and math.
Another area of strength is the improvement in writing scores at every elementary school and HCHS. Additionally, there are strengths that can be found in the assessment data throughout each of our schools. For example, South Middle School scored the 5th highest in the state among middle schools in percentage of students scoring proficient and distinguished in mathematics.
Star ratings may be lowered if a school has 4 or 5 stars and an achievement gap. For example, Henderson County has two schools (HCHS and South Middle) that earned 4 stars and were lowered to 3 due to the achievement gap for English Learners at HCHS and students with disabilities at South Middle.
In addition, Henderson County Schools has no schools with federal classifications of CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) or TSI (Targeted Support and Improvement). CSI schools are in the bottom 5% of all schools across the state, and TSI schools have specific groups of students performing in the bottom 5% of all schools.
In 2018, Henderson County had five TSI schools (Bend Gate, East Heights, North Middle, South Middle, and HCHS). All of these schools made necessary improvements and exited that status for 2019.
Superintendent Marganna Stanley notes, “As a new component of the accountability system, the star ratings oversimplify the complexity of school and student progress. The star ratings should not be compared to the idea of ranking restaurants and hotels online. It is important for our families and community to look further into each indicator of student success. The state sets the cut marks after our students’ test scores are released and the state accountability system can change on an annual basis; therefore, it can be a challenge. We have many areas of strength to celebrate. We also have areas for growth and improvement. At the district and school levels data have been analyzed for strengths to celebrate and areas for growth and improvement. We champion our students and staff as they work diligently every day toward excellence.”
Please contact Kim White, Director of Assessment and Accountability, at 270-831-5000 or kimberly.white@henderson.kyschools.us, for further information if needed.
Contact Henderson County Schools
Email: megan.mortis@henderson.kyschools.us
Website: www.henderson.kyschools.us
Location: 1805 2nd Street, Henderson, KY, USA
Phone: 270-831-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hendersoncountyschools/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @HendersonSchool