The 2017-2018 standardized testing scores for Kentucky schools, including those in Fayette county, were released on September 26. Many state educational leaders were not pleased with the results, which showed that most Kentucky public schools (elementary, middle, and high) have made no improvements in the last 5 years. K-prep, taken by elementary and middle school students, and the ACT, taken by all Juniors in Kentucky, both showed a decline in scores. Specifically, Kentucky schools seem to have a weakness in mathematics.

To try and solve this issue, the state has designated low performance schools to receive “Comprehensive Support and Intervention”. State staff and superintendents will replace school councils as the authority of  these CSI designated schools, where aggressive efforts will be made to improve the low scores. This includes changing the way things are run in the schools, but also bettering living conditions in the students’ neighborhoods. The hope is that the change in leadership will be a fresh start and a step in the right direction to higher test scores.

While there are no CSI schools in Fayette county, all high schools except for Lafayette High School are being targeted for potential state intervention. Lafayette High School is still among the top 20 highest performing high schools in Kentucky. This means that Lafayette will not currently receive direct help from the state, and will continue to be independent until improvement is halted or test scores worsen.