(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – At its regular meeting Wednesday and Thursday, the Kentucky Board of Education heard presentations, had in-depth discussions and made decisions on a number of items.
The board gave final approval to 703 KAR 5:020, the state regulation governing public school accountability. The revised regulation includes a requirement for the administration of the ACT exam to all public school 11th-graders in the spring of 2008.
The board interviewed firms that responded to a request for proposals to manage the search for a new commissioner of education. After deliberation, the board agreed to contract with Ray and Associates, Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since 1975, the organization has specialized in school executive leadership searches and is recognized by The School Administrator as a top search firm in the country.
The board approved its 2007 legislative agenda, which includes items on principal selection, nonresident student contracts, prevailing wage and the state school funding formula. The board also agreed to include items relating to school facilities in the legislative agenda.
Other items approved included:
- facility plan for Bowling Green Independent
- facility plan amendment for Shelby County
- local district working budgets
- local district tax rates levied for Boone, Breathitt, Bullitt, Clay, Knox, Madison, Martin, Perry, Pike and Todd Counties and Frankfort Independent
- a request for exemption from the requirements of school-based decision making from Prater Borders Elementary in Magoffin County
The board heard presentations and had discussions on:
- dropout prevention and graduation
- joint efforts between the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
- an upcoming data release from the Kentucky Center for School Safety
- the annual report from the Kentucky High School Athletics Association
- alternative education initiatives
- the Interagency Task Force on Dual Credit
- mathematics initiatives
- the use of local funds to reduce unmet technology needs
The next meeting of the board will be January 10 in Frankfort. More information about the board is available here.
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