"At the April 2006 Kentucky Board of Education meeting, the Board took final action on 704 KAR 3:303 which incorporates The Program of Studies for Kentucky Schools Primary-12 (2006) by regulation. The Program of Studies outlines the minimum content standards required for all students for the required credits for high school graduation and the content standards for primary, intermediate, and middle level programs that lead up to the high school graduation requirements."
The Program of Studies for Kentucky Schools Grades Primary-12 helps ensure that all students across the commonwealth are provided with common content and have opportunities to learn at a high level.
This document provides administrators, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in local districts with a basis for establishing and/or revising their curricula.
The instructional program should emphasize the development of students' abilities to acquire and apply knowledge and assure that appropriate accommodations are made for the diverse populations of students found within Kentucky schools.
The purpose of the Program of Studies is to outline the minimum content required for all students before graduating from Kentucky high schools.
This document specifies only the content for the required credits for high school graduation and primary, intermediate, and middle level programs leading up to these requirements. Schools and school districts are charged with identifying the content for elective courses and designing instructional programs for all areas.
Schools and school districts are also responsible for coordinating curricula across grade levels and among schools within districts.
A coordinated curricular approach ensures that all students have opportunities to experience success with Kentucky's learning goals and academic expectations.
It also provides for a thoughtful continuum of content and skills across grade levels while assuring coverage of all content outlined in the Program of Studies. This document contains four major sections: Introduction, Curriculum Guidelines, Required Content Areas, and Elective Programs. The minimum content for specific required credits and courses is outlined in the section titled Required Content Areas. Each subject area sub-section begins with an introduction that provides background information, followed by charts that specify the minimum content.
The content is based on Kentucky's learning goals, academic expectations, and input from professional organizations, teachers, and administrators.
Learning Goal 1 (Basic Communication and Mathematics Skills) and Goal 2 (Application of Core Concepts) and are cited most often within this document and provide the basic academic skills and content for what Kentucky high school graduates should know as they exit public schools.
However, the skills identified in the other goals are equally important. Goal 5 (Think and Solve Problems) and Goal 6 (Connect and Integrate Knowledge) provide students with strategies for life-long learning.
Academic expectations within each of these four goals (Goals 1, 2, 5, 6) are embedded throughout the content descriptions in the Program of Studies.
Although it has been decided not to assess Goal 3 (Developing Self-Sufficiency) and Goal 4 (Responsible Group Membership) on a statewide level, Kentucky Board of Education urges all educators, school boards and councils, parents, and students to give continued emphasis to the development of responsible group membership and personal self-sufficiency.