Kentucky's assessment and accountability systems provide information about how districts, schools, and the state are meeting the needs of Kentucky's diverse student population. 

The Kentucky Department of Education has released the annual Kentucky School Report Card for the 2022-2023 academic year. This includes accountability measures as well as student assessments in all core subjects.

For the second year, the overall accountability system provides a color-coded rating for all schools, ranging from red (lowest) to blue (highest). “Status” and “change” combine to provide the performance rating for each state indicator. These indicators include the following: state assessment results in reading, math, science, social studies, and writing; English learning progress, and quality of school climate and safety. High schools are also measured on postsecondary readiness and graduation rate. Student achievement is still reported in terms of Novice, Apprentice, Proficient, or Distinguished levels.

“This is one piece of data that we use to gauge student performance,” said Hopkins County Schools Superintendent Amy Smith. “We also continue to use MAP assessment and our classroom assessment. I never want a student to think they are just a test score. We educate the whole child and we do our best to use a variety of resources. 

“We’re resource rich, including not just the teachers who pour so much into our students, but our Family Resource Center coordinators, support staff in the buildings, bus drivers, and our cafeteria staff who prepare hot meals for them every day,” Smith said. “You can’t learn unless your  basic needs are met. It’s truly a team effort. We will celebrate the successes that come with this assessment result, we’ll analyze the data, and we will look at it as one piece of the puzzle that contributes to our instruction.”

Highlights

Hopkins County Schools’ students showed remarkable progress in several key areas, demonstrating their hard work and commitment to academic excellence, said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Andy Belcher. We celebrate the achievements of our students, whose determination and dedication have contributed to these positive outcomes.

However, as with any educational journey, there are challenges that we must address, he said. The test scores also reveal areas where improvement is needed. Hopkins County Schools is committed to providing the necessary support and resources to help our students overcome these challenges. We recognize that every child is unique, and we are dedicated to ensuring that each student receives the individualized attention and assistance they need to succeed.

Progress was noted in the following areas:

• HCS elementary schools exceeded the state average in every subject area.
• Elementary, middle and high school all equaled or topped the state average in reading.
• Our schools exceeded state scores in every category on the Quality School Climate & Safety survey.
• South Hopkins Middle School exited Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), and Browning Springs Middle is no longer identified as TSI for African-American students. The TSI designation is for schools with a subgroup of students that scored in the bottom 5 percent. 
• English Learner scores increased by 17.2 points.
• Grapevine and Southside Elementary, James Madison Middle, and Hopkins County Central had significant increases in all sub groups in combined reading and math performance.
• BSMS and Southside had significant increases in all sub groups in combined science, social studies, and writing.

School Results

KDE reported the following performance ratings for district schools:

Blue (Very High) - Pride Elementary (86.1), Southside Elementary (83.7)

Green (High) - Hanson Elementary (81.0), Grapevine Elementary (79.5), West Broadway Elementary (72.7), Jesse Stuart Elementary (70.5), James Madison Middle (68.3)

Yellow (Medium) - Earlington Elementary (69.2), Hopkins County Central High (65.2),  South Hopkins Middle (62.7), Madisonville North Hopkins High (61.9). West Hopkins Elementary (57.8), Browning Springs Middle (55.0)

Orange (Low) - West Hopkins Middle (46.1)

Red (Very Low) - None

District-wide, the elementary, middle, and high school levels are all classified as Yellow. Two schools, Browning Springs and Madisonville North Hopkins, are identified as TSI, both for the subgroup of students with disabilities. 

The district has already started addressing needs by continuing to implement initiatives from the Team Hopkins Teach Together professional development, holding Instructional Improvement meetings, and scheduling Deeper Learning walk-throughs to target instruction.

Belcher expressed gratitude for the efforts of the entire school community, saying, "We are immensely proud of the accomplishments of our students and educators. Their hard work and resilience are evident in these results. While we celebrate our successes, we also acknowledge the areas where we can do better. We are unwavering in our commitment to providing a high-quality education for every student in our district. Together, we will continue to strive for excellence and support each other in our educational journey."

 Additional information is available online at School Report Cards

Information Released November 3, 2023