Reading, Writing and Results
barren county school system, education, glasgow independent, glasgow-barren county, schools district,
Glasgow and Barren County school districts are getting top marks for innovative education strategies – and measurable results.
In both school systems, high school students are taking college courses through Western Kentucky University in Glasgow. Many Glasgow High School students are graduating with 12 hours of college credit, says Kathy Goff, superintendent of Glasgow Independent Schools.
And more than 200 juniors and seniors at Barren County High School are taking dual-credit courses.
“In our strategic plan, we have an aggressive goal to establish an early college at the high school and have students graduate with an associate’s degree,” says Dr. Jerry Ralston, superintendent of the Barren County School System. “We are in the second year of this six-year plan.”
High school-level courses, including Latin and algebra, are being taught in the elementary and middle schools to help foster this program.
The Trojan Academy, established for ninth graders, serves as a transition for students making the move from middle school to high school.
“By housing freshmen in one particular facility, we’re seeing more success for those students, and we can meet their needs better,” Ralston says. “Research has suggested that if we make them successful as freshmen, they will be more likely to go on and graduate.”
The Glasgow Independent Schools District is a member of the elite Kentucky High Performing Districts Alliance – an honor extended to districts that rank in the top 15 of the 174 districts on the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System.
“Being a member of the alliance is by invitation only,” Goff says. “We not only have to achieve it, but we also have to maintain it. Our district is considered an exemplary growth district, and we have met all our goals in reaching this.”
Sixteen percent of the system’s teachers are National Board Certified.
SAT scores are above the state average in all areas, Goff says. And all schools are well on their way to meeting 100 percent in standards measuring academic areas as well as attendance, retention rates and drop-out rates.
The community’s high level of parental involvement and committed school staff has been crucial to the success of the schools, Goff says. Technology is another big factor.
“We’re using technology on a daily basis, and that’s key in the way these kids learn and excel,” she says.
The Caverna Independent Schools District educates students in the Cave City area and boasts a 91 percent graduation rate.
Glasgow Christian Academy is the area’s largest private Christian school.
Story by Betsy Williams
Photo by J. Kyle Keener
