2023 Kentucky School Report Cards

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Education released new data on public school learning results. While there has been valuable growth since last year, it is clear we have major work ahead to not only regain 2019 achievements but to lift Kentucky to higher levels. 
 
The Prichard Committee recognizes the efforts of Kentucky students, families and educators on the hard work reflected in the updated data and urges the entire commonwealth to unite to support improvements in future outcomes. It will take all of us working together to make that a reality.
 
The good news in today’s reporting includes improvement across five of the seven measures that we track the most closely. Compared to 2022, the statewide 2023 school report card shows:

• A 2% increase in the kindergarten readiness of students entering school last fall
• A 1% increase in grade 3 students scoring proficient or above in reading
• A 5% increase in grade 3 mathematics proficiency
• A 1% increase in the four-year high school graduation rate
• A 7% increase in postsecondary readiness

The tough news is that two middle school measures showed no improvement, with statewide results showing:

• An 0% increase in grade 8 reading proficiency
• An 0% increase in grade 8 mathematics proficiency

Additionally, even these improvements remain far from Kentucky’s long-term goals. Only 46% of 2023 third-grade students were proficient. If we continue improving at a pace of 1% each year, it could take 56 years to get all Kentucky students to the proficient level.
 
These aren’t the only indicators of how a school is serving students. Now is the time for school and district leaders to clearly communicate and engage with families and their communities around strategies to serve students holistically and support academic growth. Ownership of what school communities are doing well and areas for laser-like focus in the year ahead will support continued confidence in Kentucky’s public schools.
 
We urge Kentuckians in every community to come together to review these data and unite around new efforts to make sure all learners receive the full opportunities and support they need to flourish. We are dedicated to being a partner in that work with you. 
 
As a commonwealth, we need to invest in education to increase our pace of improvement so Kentucky learners are on track to compete in a rapidly changing economy. By investing in our education today, we are laying down the foundation for a brighter, more prosperous Kentucky tomorrow.