Education

The U. S. Department of Education has renewed funding for Murray State University’s Upward Bound Math and Science program with $525,000 in grants. Upward Bound strengthens students’ math and science skills and helps them pursue careers in those fields.

Marshall County Schools has eliminated letter grades at all six of its public elementary schools. The system is applying a standards-based grading system for the current school year. Instructional supervisor Abby Griffy tells The Paducah Sun all the county's elementary schools will assess student performance by describing levels of comprehension on what is being taught instead of assigning letters based on averaged grades.

The Murray State University office of regional outreach has allocated $158,000 to regional projects. The advisory council selected 10 projects in its 18-county service region, including grants for science, technology engineering and mathematics education and early childhood learning.

It’s been 49 years since Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream Speech,” yet a top civil rights official says he’s amazed at some of the discrimination and harassment that continues across the country.  Thomas Perez, head of the Civil Rights Division at the US. Department of Justice spoke to high school freshmen in Lexington Wednesday about bullying.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday merging the state’s two high school career and technical education systems. Previously, the Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment operated 53 Area Technology Centers across the state, while 34 schools districts oversaw their own career and technical centers.