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School Test Score Rankings Look Similar to Last Year But Show Improvement

DoDEA
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Many of the same schools rounded out the top and bottom of this year’s Kentucky Department of Education test score rankings in our region.

Murray Independent Schools was No. 1 in western Kentucky once again with a nearly 5-point lead over Marshall County Schools, placing second.

Ballard County Schools ranked fourth—up from ninth last year—and was named a distinguished school for the first time, meaning the district’s test scores were above the 90th percentile in the state.

Ballard County Schools Superintendent Casey Allen said one of the district’s biggest challenges was the elementary school, which had been in the lower third for performance. But this year Allen said the elementary school is in the 70th percentile after a change in leadership.

“There was a cultural change,” Allen said. “Vicki Gough was selected by the site-based council as the new principal. So last year was her first year as the principal, and Vicki has really approached the job with an attitude that Ballard County Elementary School is going to be a high performing school.

“They reworked their vision and mission statement, and so their mission is every person in the building is going to be ready for the next level, and that was inclusive of getting kids ready for the next level and teachers and parents too.”

The other top five performing schools include Calloway and McCracken counties.

The five lower performing districts include Webster County, Fulton County, Paducah Independent, Fulton Independent and Christian County.

 

Credit Rob Canning / WKMS
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WKMS

You can find a full, detailed list of KDE test scores here and a rundown of last year’s test scores here.

 

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.
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