The Kentucky Department of Education is hosting town hall meetings as the state begins developing a new accountability system. Congress recently reauthorized the Every Student Succeeds Act, which shifts much of the responsibility for schools from the federal government to the state.
Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt says the new system will be less performance-based. "We're not gonna do away with testing, we're not gonna do away with testing and accountability. But I also want to look at the school practice. So, it's not okay for us do drop the arts. It's not okay for us to not have access to career tech ed programs or science and social studies. What we want to do is build a system that's looking at inputs as well as outputs," Pruitt says.
Pruitt says he wants an accountability system that's fair, reliable and easier to understand. "There will be things that are in the current one that I think have been done well. You know, we've actually got some national accolades for our current system. But I would also say that the playbook is open here," he says.
The next public meeting is Tuesday night in Campbellsville. Meetings are planned this month and next in Owensboro, Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green, and Murray.
