Without Trumpets: Continuous Educational Improvement, Journey to Sustainability

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Empowering leaders at each level of the implementation of improvement processes is essential if public schools are to survive moving forward. The story of Kentuckys continuous improvement can be evidenced from the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, and the intensive systems work since 2009 outlined in Senate Bill 1 and amended by House Bill 176 (2010). Even with a significantly different governance and support approach outlined in Senate Bill 1 (2017) by aligning federal statute regulation and initiatives, state statute and regulation, state school board goals, local school board policies and school improvement plans, a consistent message of expectation is clarified for schools and classrooms. Key core work processes aligned behind those policies lead to systems that can be flexible and adjust to the political and economic climates that surround the work of learning without total disruption of the system. The use of transparent design and common instruction while monitoring quality tools is making a recognizable difference. Funding from the sometimes-maligned School Improvement Grant (SIG) process from the United States Department of Education and work with key partners enables the establishing of sustainable systems for continuous improvement in the areas of planning, use of data, fiscal management, student support, and teacher support owned by leaders at each level of implementation. The pertinent data and reports, the human story, the tools used, and lessons learned are a continuous improvement story into sustainability which will resonate with all who lead in education at any level reaffirming that we can do this!

Reviews

This book tells a compelling story of how Kentuckys Department of Education, in collaboration with a diverse array of partners, embraced continuous improvement approaches to support and strengthen many of the states highest needs schools. Through the voices of state, district, and teacher-leaders, Allred and Foster provide a deeply personal account of Kentuckys improvement journey and offer lessons for others seeking to adapt these approaches in their own contexts. -- Anthony S. Bryk, president, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Kentuckys journey of continuous improvement to sustainability of systems using School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds is evidence that the struggle was and is worth it. There are no easy and universal answers, but there are successes when school improvement implementation is based on proven organizational and instructional strategies while being just-in-time supported and monitored for effectiveness. -- Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, 2009-2015
With the implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state education agency leaders must model intentional leadership for local districts about effectiveness and efficiency in reaching college and career goals with all students. States can learn much from each other about how to build sustainable processes to meet those goals. Kentuckys District 180 story is one such process to be shared. -- Chris Minnich, executive director, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012-2018
Packed with practical tools, sound advice, and compelling examples this book is a remarkable case study of practical approaches to the kind of data-driven school improvement processes necessary for schools to improve student learning. -- Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president/CEO, AdvancED
From 2007 to 2015, Kentuckys education system significantly improved its national reputation for innovation and reform. We strengthened support for the lowest performing schools through District 180 and the Educational Recovery Initiative focusing on increasing the capacity of teachers and administrators in those identified schools and giving all students a chance at a quality education. -- Steve Beshear, Governor of Kentucky, 2007-2015
This book is as much for education leaders as it is for the communities that surround our schools and want to make a difference for our young people. Kelly and Susan give us reason for hope that educational excellence can be achieved anywhere if we are willing to come together, within and outside of the school house, in a spirit of shared responsibility and courageous honesty, celebrating even the smallest successes and recommitting daily to a march of continuous improvement together. -- Brigitte Blom Ramsey, executive director, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Lexington, KY
An incredible book that will inform the practice for all of us working to improve the lives of children! I want to thank Kelly Foster and Susan Allred for their contribution to the field of education. This book delves into the lessons learned around a wide range of specific topics related to school improvement. Despite all that has been learned across the nation school improvement continues to encounter many barriers that has prevented lasting and sustainable reform. Whether its external factors such as school-community relations, the political climate; or, internal factors such as teacher and principal turnover or principal and teacher capacity- at any given low performing school a myriad of challenges continue to exist. This book is an asset to the field of education as it provides real lessons learned from across many attempts at school improvement reform. In this book, education leaders can find a great deal of guidance specific to addressing existing barriers to sustainable and systemic school improvement. -- Carlas McCauley, director, Center on School Turnaround at WestEd

Author Bio

Kelly Foster is a Kentucky native whose family has lived in Kentucky for generations. She attended public schools and public universities where she earned her BA and MA from Eastern Kentucky University and MA in Administration and EdD from Morehead State University. After teaching and administrative experience in schools and districts, she is an associate commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Education. Susan Allred received a BA from UNC-Charlotte, MA from Gardner-Webb University and an EdS from Appalachian State University, all in NC. She taught in public middle and high schools for 20 years and was an administrator for 20 years at the school, district and state levels in NC,SC, and KY.