The Christian County Chamber of Commerce hosted a meeting Monday for the Partners in Education program, and heard a presentation about the state of education in Kentucky from the Prichard Committee.
Director of Workforce and Education Angie Major says the Partners in Education program is designed to help students succeed by offering them pathways into the workforce, or simply providing services they made need, such as providing school supplies.
Brigitte Ramsey is the Executive Director of the Prichard Committee of Academic Excellence and says that while Kentucky has certainly improved in many rankings since their mission began in 2008 to reach the top 20 in the nation, there’s very much still work to be done.
When comparing Christian County to the state, 38 percent of students in the third grade were proficient in reading, as opposed to the 52 percent state average. 33 percent of 8th graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 46 percent, according to date provided by the Prichard Committee. However, Christian County had a high school graduation rate of 91 percent, one percent high than the state graduation rate of 90 percent. Ramsey says that shows that while graduation is still important, schools need to make sure students are ready for what comes after.
Ramsey says there are many things that can be done to help make sure students succeed—from making sure the teachers are just as diverse as the student population to tracking the amount living in poverty or near poverty. For more information about the state of education in Kentucky or how to become a Partner in Education in Christian County, contact Angie Major with the Chamber of Commerce.