Call to Order and Roll Call
The 1st meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education was held on Monday, June 13, 2016, at<MeetTime> 1:00 PM, at the iLead Academy in Carrollton, Kentucky. Representative Derrick Graham, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Mike Wilson, Co-Chair; Representative Derrick Graham, Co-Chair; Senators Danny Carroll, Alice Forgy Kerr, Reginald Thomas, and Max Wise; Representatives Linda Belcher, George Brown Jr., John Carney, Jim DeCesare, Jeffery Donohue, David Hale, James Kay, Tom Riner, Sal Santoro, Rita Smart, Jim Stewart III, Wilson Stone, Addia Wuchner, and Jill York; and interim guest member Representative Arnold Simpson.
Guests: Representative Rick Rand; Leon Mooneyhan, Chief Executive Officer, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative; Alicia J. Sells, Director of Innovation, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative; Tim Abrams, Superintendent, Henry County; Rob Stafford, Superintendent, Owen County; Larrissa McKinney, instructor, iLead Academy; Oscar Garcia, student, iLead Academy; Ethan Searcy, student, iLead Academy; Grace Chilton, student, iLead Academy; Michaela Strethen, student, iLead Academy; Lori Porter, student, iLead Academy; Laura Arnold, Associate Commissioner, Office of Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Education; Leslie Slaughter, Policy Advisor, Office of Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Education; and Melissa Aguilar, Executive Director, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board.
LRC Staff: Jo Carole Ellis, Janet Stevens, Avery Young, and Maurya Allen.
Representative Rick Rand welcomed members of the committee to his district and spoke briefly regarding the funding for iLead Academy that had been approved in the biennium budget. He also informed members that a new campus for Jefferson Community and Technical College was being built in the area and invited members to observe its progress.
Presentation: iLead Academy
Leon Mooneyhan, Chief Executive Officer, Ohio Valley Education Cooperative, welcomed members to the iLead Academy and introduced Alicia J. Sells, Director of Innovation, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative. Ms. Sells spoke briefly on the cooperation among the five school districts which send students to iLead Academy; Henry County, Carroll County, Gallatin County, Trimble County, and Owen County. She gave an overview of the curriculum used at iLead, Project Lead the Way, which is an expensive program and requires teachers to receive special instruction in order to teach it to the students at iLead. It was only through sharing resources that these schools could access the curriculum and build this model of education. The students here are intensely motivated to go into a specific career pathway and everything at iLead is workforce development training. The students enter as high school freshmen and when they graduate they are prepared to enter a high skilled, high paying job or go on to career and technical school.
Another unique aspect of iLead Academy is that all instruction is self-paced and instructors serve more as mentors than teachers. The material is all provided to students online and they participate in group projects at the Academy. Students take benchmarking tests upon completion of their online coursework to certify proficiency. Additionally, they will enroll at the new Jefferson Community and Technical School in their junior year so they will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. Many field trips also make up the curriculum and allow students to visit colleges as well as job opportunities throughout the state. Ms. Sells also noted that it was the combined monetary support of each district, contributing $75,000 each, and a $250,000 planning grant, which made it possible to furnish the building and curriculum for this pilot class.
Tim Abrams, Superintendent, Henry County, spoke briefly about how the project came out of the districts’ desire to provide another educational opportunity for their students who are not well served in a traditional classroom environment. Rob Stafford, Superintendent, Owen County, added that it was not an “elitist” model as students at iLead are reflective of a wide range of GPAs. They apply and are accepted based on their ability to self-motivate and work collaboratively as well as an interest in the engineering and informatics career pathways. He spoke highly of the pioneer class and their courage to go into an untried program.
Chairman Graham asked what specific process was used to determine which students would be accepted. Ms. Sells answered that in the first year, superintendents met in assembly with their middle school students and informed them about the opportunity. Interested students then applied through their local school districts with a plan to accept six students from each district. After initial applications, however, the decision was made to accept nine students from each district for a total class size of 45. This represented almost every student who applied. Those whose math scores were very low were the only ones turned away, as that would indicate a challenge in an engineering academy. This year, following the application essays, the school instructors, Ms. Larrissa McKinney and Ms. Jenna Gray, were asked to interview the families as well because it is a very different and challenging learning environment, which includes a great deal of work at home.
Chairman Graham followed up asking if laptops or tablets were issued to students to facilitate their study. Mr. Abrams answered that all students have a laptop and if a family does not have internet access, as many rural families in the area do not, they are also issued a MiFi card to provide access at home.
Representative Smart asked how student success was measured at iLead Academy versus the testing performed in a traditional school. Ms. Sells said that they use the same assessment that all Kentucky students use. The online learning platform used in the Academy allows for a pre-test before each course and final course exams, as well as the Kentucky end-of-year exams. They additionally take the end-of-year assessment from Project Lead the Way, on which this cohort of students did exceptionally well. Their performance was so exceptional that it has prompted administrators from Project Lead the Way to inquire about the environment at iLead Academy and how these students performed so well in order to use it to assist other Project Lead the Way schools. Ms. Sells attributed it to the students’ hands-on learning opportunities.
Regarding the SEEK money for each student, Representative Stone asked if it remains in the student’s local district or if it is pooled as well. Ms. Sells answered it remained in the district. Representative Stone followed up with a question regarding transportation of students to the Academy. Mr. Abrams replied that all five districts already had bus service for students attending the area technology center that now additionally brings these students to iLead. Representative Stone concluded asking if these students still participated in extracurricular activities. Mr. Abrams answered that many of the students participate in extracurricular sports and other activities, and it has been an intentional effort by the school districts to keep these students engaged with the social networks of their home districts, including bussing them back for pep rallies if they desire to participate.
Senator Carroll asked about the nature of the partnership between iLead Academy and the local business community. Ms. Sells stated that Carroll County has several structured organizations of their business community which brings together many of their manufacturing entities, and she has ties to business communities in Louisville. These organizations have provided job shadowing opportunities as well as providing insight into the skill sets required for specific industry jobs.
Senator Wilson commented that iLead Academy presented an exciting opportunity, and he hoped it would become a model for other areas in the state. Chairman Graham agreed and stated that this was an excellent example of a community coming together and designing a way to address local needs for jobs and education.
Representative Carney asked if there was a minimum number of school districts that would be needed to construct an academy such as this. Mr. Abrams answered that depending on the size of the districts, it could be possible with two districts, but three would be better. Ms. Sells added that the concentration of businesses would also be a factor. Following up, Representative Carney asked about the job shadowing and internship opportunities provided to students. Ms. Sells indicated that they hope to adopt the TRACK program to provide apprenticeships for students in their last semester before graduation. Representative Carney closed by commenting that this represented, for him, the future of instruction. It has to be personalized, and the students have to have a personal investment in their own learning to keep them engaged in school.
Senator Kerr asked about the leadership staff at iLead Academy and their credentials. Ms. Sells said there is a director, Ms. Larrissa McKinney, and a lead teacher on Project Lead the Way. A second teacher will be joining the staff this fall. They are all in the building every day. Ms. Sells is the project manager at Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative. All the teachers are fully certified through the state of Kentucky. Senator Kerr closed asking if there were any barriers that the legislators could address to help the Academy. Ms. Sells said that a lot of what has been put in place legislatively over the last few years has made this possible. Going forward, their primary need is going to be monetary resources.
Representative Wuchner commented that the collaboration among the districts to try something different was inspiring and perhaps another option from the legislature would be ways to incentivize the business communities’ involvement in schools such as iLead Academy.
Representative York asked about the maximum number of students for the Academy. Ms. Sells commented that space will be tight in the fall to accommodate all the new students. However, based on the previous year, at the beginning of the year they expect to have a few students choose to return to traditional school because they desire the structure. A couple of students may also be lost over the year because of poor academic performance or disciplinary issues. Mr. Abrams stated that they have narrowed the focus to students interested solely in engineering pathways. But, in the future they would like to expand to accept students in medical and biomedical pathways because there are many students who would prefer that pathway.
Chairman Graham closed by asking how the various boards of education of the five districts reacted to the iLead Academy program. Mr. Stafford stated that he received a lot of support from his board of education in thinking differently about education. Mr. Abrams echoed that and said that the students and parents have been vocal and supportive which has bolstered his board of education. Ms. Sells said that the iLead Academy was formed through an interlocal agreement approved by all five districts, the Commissioner of Education, and the Attorney General which established it as a legal entity. Mr. Mooneyhan shared that the boards are the governing body, but that they contracted with Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative to run the facility.
Following questions, Ms. McKinney and several students came forward to speak about their projects and what they felt was valuable about iLead Academy to them personally. Oscar Garcia, Ethan Searcy, and Grace Chilton all spoke regarding Exhibition Nights where members of the community and prospective students were brought in to visit the facility and see the projects worked on by students. Michaela Strethen spoke about the Jefferson Community and Technical Center and students’ participation in the programs there. Lori Porter spoke about the online instruction portal the students use to take classes and turn in assignments as well as some of the interdisciplinary projects they do at iLead Academy to demonstrate their knowledge. She also spoke regarding their participation in statewide competitions such as the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP).
Senator Thomas asked if the move away from rigid grades to self-paced curriculum was a viable model for traditional schools. Ms. McKinney answered that it is a challenge not just to keep students on track, but to keep them from going too fast. Some highly motivated students are too caught up in completing courses quickly and do not go into the material deeply enough. It takes a balance and could be a struggle for a teacher in a traditional classroom with students at many different levels on many different tracks.
Senator Wilson asked how many students had enrolled versus how many remained at the end of the year. Ms. Sells stated that 45 had enrolled, and 39 finished the year. Two had been dismissed for disciplinary issues, two returned to their home districts because they voluntarily wanted more structure, and two were dismissed at midterm for low academic performance.
Chairman Graham asked about the demographics of the school. Ms. McKinney answered that they were fairly evenly split male/female. Roughly 10 percent are on free or reduced lunch and 10 percent are bilingual Hispanic. There are currently no students of color. Ms. Sells stated that the demographics are a fairly accurate representation of the five districts which comprise iLead Academy.
Presentation: Career & Technical Education: New Skills for Youth Initiative
Laura Arnold, Associate Commissioner, Office of Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) came forward and gave a brief introduction to the New Skills for Youth Initiative. Leslie Slaughter, Policy Advisor, Office of Career and Technical Education, KDE, gave an overview of the enrollment data for career and technical education in Kentucky. There are approximately 132,000 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in career and technical education (CTE) programs. Students in 165 districts are impacted by CTE, and of the remaining eight, five are K-8 districts and do not participate in exploratory opportunities in middle school levels. Ms. Slaughter then showed the national CTE Career Clusters model that forms the basis of CTE program development in Kentucky. She concluded by stating that 69.3 percent of Kentucky high school students are enrolled in a CTE program, and 98 percent of Kentucky’s preparatory CTE seniors graduated from high school in 2015.
Ms. Arnold then spoke about the current structure of CTE program distribution and what could be changed to facilitate more programs like the iLead Academy. There are 42 locally-operated career and technical centers and 53 state-operated centers. Additionally, the department receives approximately $17 million in Carl D. Perkins grant funds, 85 percent of which is distributed to schools and districts, 5 percent remains for administration, and 10 percent is used toward state leadership training. In December, the Every Student Succeeds Act was put into effect at the federal level which allows time for the assessment and allocation of funding, as well as the accountability system throughout the state. This could be a pathway to incentivize counties to participate in or create programs such as iLead Academy. Much of the state funding goes to support the 53 state centers and includes a SEEK line item of approximately $22 million. Ms. Arnold also showed the relationship of Kentucky’s spending on CTE compared to the spending of surrounding states.
Earlier in 2016, the KDE applied for a New Skills for Youth (NSFY) Initiative grant using funds from J.P. Morgan Chase grants. This is a two-phase grant, and the department has already received funds through phase one totaling $100,000. This will go toward a six-month planning and design phase. Then the department will apply for phase two monies, which can be up to $2 million yearly for three years to reshape CTE in the state. The four large visions for this grant are to create CTE that: 1) is employer-led through regional workforce areas ensuring cross-institutional involvement; 2) encompasses career pathways that have seamless transitions from secondary to postsecondary education; 3) involves shared resources and funding among all partners; and 4) provides valuable industry certifications and credentials that are recognized by business and industry. Grant partners include the Cabinet for Economic Development, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Council on Postsecondary Education, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS), Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), Kentucky Department of Education, and the Kentucky Labor Cabinet. Ms. Arnold emphasized that this project was not just a KDE project but involved many interested partners throughout the state.
Melissa Aguilar, Executive Director, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, gave an overview of the state sector data being used to inform the decision making during the phase one planning process. Kentucky’s top employment sectors are business and technical services, construction, health care, manufacturing, and transportation. Initial findings indicate that Kentucky will see the most growth in these five sectors with over 280,000 job openings in the next five years. These are highest in healthcare and business and technical services. Top demand is in high skill/high wage, but jobs representing low skill/low wage will also be needed and the CTE programs will need to address these needs as well. According to the timeline for phase one, the board will present the study to state-wide organizations seeking validation at all levels before moving forward.
Ms. Arnold closed by referencing the phase two goals to develop a plan to regionalize the delivery of CTE based on labor data. Application for the phase two money will be in November with a focus on the existing locally-operated and state-operated CTE centers, and developing a system of governance that is employer-led and requires collaboration between districts. Going forward, the Office of Career and Technical Education will look to the committee for guidance and input on what the future of funding for CTE needs to look like to ensure all students have access to high quality, high wage career pathways.
There being no questions, Chairman Graham announced that the next meeting of the committee would be July 18, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. in Frankfort, Kentucky. Senator Wilson will preside as chair. The meeting adjourned at 3:19 p.m.