Kentucky Department of Education

In this issue:

*Draud outlines Kentucky's progress in P-12 education

*Fall testing moratorium
*Getting the most out of parent-teacher conferences

*When is it time for your student to stop studying?

*Planning for asthmatic children

Draud outlines Kentucky's progress in P-12 education
Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud says that, although Kentucky faces many obstacles in the struggle to raise academic achievement for its public school students, the state has made remarkable progress in the nearly 20 years since the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) was passed.
See press release for more information.

 

Fall testing moratorium
The fall testing moratorium is right around the corner as EXPLORE, PLAN and 12^th-grade on-demand writing tests will be given, starting on Sept. 15. The moratorium ends Sept. 26.

EXPLORE is given to all 8th graders, while 10th graders take the PLAN assessment.

For more about the EXPLORE and PLAN assessments, click here.

 

Getting the most out of parent-teacher conferences

Now that the 2008-09 school year is in full swing, teachers are getting to know their students and should have a good grasp on their learning and behavior. It won’t be long before you’ll get to meet with them in parent-teacher conferences. Familyeducation.com has some important tips for you to think about prior to showing up to talk to your child’s teacher. Among the Web site’s advice:

·        Review what you want to talk about beforehand with a spouse or anyone else who will be attending the conference.

·        Write down all important questions you want to get in, so you don’t leave wondering why you didn’t ask something.

·        Think about what the teacher should know about your child's performance. What has remained consistent from year to year? What might be different this year?

·        Make sure you look at the graded assignments your child brings home so that you can help the teacher see exactly where your child has difficulty.

·        Make sure the teacher doesn't solely focus on the report card grades. You really want to find out about your child's overall development at all levels, emotional, social and cognitive. An academic problem is never just an academic problem - it's always a larger issue.

·        Be on time or call and reschedule. Conferences are generally scheduled every 20 minutes, and every minute counts - don't shortchange your opportunity to hear about your child.

·        Do not bring babies or small children to the conference. Because time is so short, no time should be spent chasing after a younger child or tending to a baby.

·        Have a positive attitude. The teacher may tell you something that is disappointing. Try not to get defensive. Use the time as an opportunity to make a plan for improvement.

·        Tell the teacher what the child talks about at home - if the teacher knows what is successful with your child, she can do more of the same.

·        If you want specific, involved, information about the curriculum, put your question in writing and let the teacher respond later.

·        If there is stress in the home, let the teacher know just that (not the details), so that she can better understand the change in your child's attitude or performance.

·        Take a minute to write a short thank-you note to the teacher. The teacher will know you are serious about the parent-teacher conference and that you are appreciative of his or her efforts.

 

When is it time for your student to stop studying?

Do you know your children’s study habits? Do they prefer studying at a desk, the kitchen table or in front of a computer? Are they easily distracted by the television or telephone? Do they when it’s time to stop?

The Parent Institute suggests asking each of them if they know when it’s time to stop studying. The answer to that should teach your child an important study strategy. Self-testing is the key, the Parent Institute said. Acing a self-test will tell your child he or she has covered the necessary material, and that it’s OK to stop.

You may need to help administer a quiz to your children if they don’t prefer to record the answers on their own. This strategy should work with any subject your child is studying.

 

Planning for asthmatic children

The American Lung Association (ALA) is urging parents to make sure they have a plan in place as asthmatic children head back to school and into a daily routine there.

ALA says asthma is the leading cause of school days missed for chronic illness, but taking preventative measures ahead of time will help keep students with asthma in school.

Nearly 6.8 million children nationally have asthma, including 713,000 in the midland region of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Annually, students with asthma miss almost 13 million days in the classroom.

The American Lung Association has three tips for a high-quality action plan:

·        Get input from your doctor. Work with the doctor to make the switch to a HFA inhaler, then write up a plan that you know is based on sound medical advice.

·        Include your child’s current medications, emergency contact numbers and steps to take in an asthma emergency in the plan.

·        Share the plan with your child’s school, and go over it with all of your child’s teachers. Take a copy for file purposes in the school office.

 

Links in this issue:

Kentucky's progress in P-12 education

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/HomePageRepository/News
+Room/Current+Press+Releases+and+Advisories/08-066.htm

 

Fall testing moratorium

http://education.ky.gov/KDE/Administrative+Resources/Testing
+and+Reporting+/District+Support/ACT+Inc+Assessments