Faculty Research at Morehead State University
 

Title

Kentucky's School Report Card and Fourth Grade Reading Scores

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-11-2001

Abstract

This study explores the variables included on Kentucky's School Report Card used to report information about individual schools to parents, legislators, educators, community leaders, and educational researchers. Data used for this exploratory, descriptive study were obtained through the Kentucky Department of Education Website. The study focused on the School Report Cards for the 10 highest scoring and 10 lowest scoring schools on the Fourth Grade Reading section of the Kentucky Core Content Tests. Examination of these report cards leads to the suggestion that the "pupil-teacher-ratio" variable be replaced by "class size." It is also suggested that teachers' years of experience be reported as median rather than mean values. There are indications in the data of relationships between fourth grade reading scores and attendance rates and the end-of-primary reading scores on the California Tests of Basic Skills/5. Sorting data by the 10 highest and 10 lowest scoring schools on the fourth grade reading tests resulted in the discovery of schools that are rich sites for qualitative follow-up studies and might not have been noted otherwise. The analysis leads to the conclusion that Kentucky's School Report is a very good reporting school that could become excellent. The School Report Card is attached.

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