Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Publications

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"Acorns in a Mountain Pool: The Role of Litigation, Law and Lawyers in Kentucky Education Reform," by Ronald G. Dove Jr., Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (1991).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Annual Report, the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, available for 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 (734 KB, pdf).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

An Assessment of Postsecondary Education Reform in Kentucky (52 KB, pdf), by Aims McGuinness, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, prepared for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (October 15, 2002).

"Beyond the Classroom," an address to the Lexington Rotary Club, by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (May 22, 1997).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

"Building Family-Friendly Communities: Observations and Lessons from Two Years of Kentucky School Reform," by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Equity and Choice, vol. 9, no. 2 (Winter 1993).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

The Case for CATS (Commonwealth Accountability Testing System) Summary document

Changes in Our Schools, column by Robert F. Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee:

"March Madness" by Robert F. Sexton, March 22, 2005
September 2003:"Education Reform Needs Honest Leaders," by guest columnist Representative Jon Draud (11 KB, rtf)
August 2003: "Really Good Ideas Prevail," by guest columnist Dr. Thomas D. Clark (9 KB, pdf)
February 2003: "It's Time for Leadership" (19 KB, pdf)
November 2002: "Crisis ahead for school funding" (12 KB, pdf)
June 2002: "A Great Kentuckian Passes On: Justice Robert Stephens, 1927-2002" (7 KB, pdf)
March 2002: "Making a Down Payment on Quality Teaching" (8 KB, pdf)
November 2001: "Public Schools' Most Important Job" (8 KB, pdf)
June 2001: "Closing the minority achievement gap: Learn from examples" (9 KB, pdf)
March 2001: "Coming Up: Teacher Salaries" (9 KB, pdf)
December 2000: "Teacher recruitment in Kentucky: balancing need and quality" (396 KB, pdf)
July 2000: "Good teaching makes the difference" (9 KB, pdf)
June 2000: "High teacher standards: tough it out" (9 KB, pdf)
April 2000: "More ground to cover" (10 KB, pdf)
January 2000: "Whose poor scores are they?" (9 KB, pdf)
November 1999: "Schools that work" (12 KB, pdf)
September 1999: "Fighting illiteracy in Kentucky" (13 KB, pdf)
July 1999: "Court decision marks start of a new era in Kentucky education" (13 KB, pdf)
May 1999: "When parents get involved in schools" (13 KB, pdf)
April 1999: "Why can't all schools do it?" (13 KB, pdf)
March 1999: "Kentucky needs to learn from its reading scores" (13 KB, pdf)
February 1999: "Schools capitalize on decisions at the local level" (12 KB, pdf)
January 1999: "By the company we keep" (12 KB, pdf)

Citizen and Parent Support for School Reform (57 KB, pdf), by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. From All Children Can Learn: Lessons from the Kentucky Reform Experience, ed. Roger S. Pankratz and Joseph M. Petrosko, Jossey-Bass (2001).

"Citizen Reformers: The Prichard Committee Experience," by Robert F. Sexton, Exploring Topics in Education, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (December 1994). Address delivered on November 1, 1994 to the Charles A. Dana Symposium at the New School for Social Research in New York.
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Conway Middle School Student-Led Conferences (166 KB, pdf), Jefferson County Public Schools in cooperation with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and Conway Middle School (2001). A different kind of parent teacher conference.

Creating Successful Schools: A Continuous Commitment (22 KB, pdf), by Jane David, prepared for the Partnership for Kentucky Schools and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (September 25, 1999).

Each & Every Child: Your Guide to Testing and School Accountability in Kentucky, by Susan Perkins Weston, for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (1999).
Order Each & Every Child

"Education reform and higher education: making connections," by Robert F. Sexton, Exploring Topics in Education, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. An edited version of this report was published in the Kentucky Journal and in Issues in Kentucky Higher Education, ed. A. D. Albright (October 1993).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

"Education reform model for health care system," by Robert F. Sexton, Exploring Topics in Education, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Article also appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal (June 10, 1993).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

"Engaging Parents, Communities Will Make Better Kentucky Schools," by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, The Kentucky City (August 1997).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Every Child Counts: Citizens Tackle School District's Achievement Gap (17 KB, pdf), by Anne Henderson and Beverly Raimondo, Middle Ground (February 2002).

Every Child Counts: Raising Student Achievement in the Middle Grades (1.6 MB, pdf), a new report from the Community Accountability Team, a group of Jefferson County parents and citizens. CAT members went into five Jefferson County Middle Schools and interviewed principals, teachers, parents, and students. The team found common challenges to high academic achievement and made recommendations for improving the middle schools. Also read the press release and report highlights (22 KB, pdf).

Family and Community Engagement Ideas, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and the Partnership for Kentucky Schools. Eighty-two ways parents and family members can be involved in education (November 1997).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

First Thoughts on Reading (55 KB, pdf), Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (October 8, 1999). From Gaining Ground: Hard Work and High Expectations for Kentucky Schools, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (November 1999).

"Following the progress of Kentucky school reform," by Robert F. Sexton, Exploring Topics in Education, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Article originally presented in May 1994, to the Seminar on School Finance Reform at the Howard Samuels State Management and Policy Center of the City University of New York.
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Gaining Ground: Hard Work and High Expectations for Kentucky Schools (1 MB, pdf), Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (November 1999).

Appendix:

Analysis of Kentucky Test Data (86 KB, pdf), by Susan Perkins Weston, Kentucky Association of School Councils (June 1999).
Analysis of National Test Data (140 KB, pdf), by Susan Perkins Weston, Kentucky Association of School Councils (March 1999).
Making It To Graduation: A Cohort Survival Analysis of Kentucky Public High Schools, by Thomas G. Mortenson (August 1999).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)
Prichard Committee Report on Reading (55 KB, pdf), Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (October 1999).
Teaching for Kentucky's Future (87 KB, pdf), a report from the Task Force on Teaching for Kentucky's Future, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (October 1999).

Glossary of Kentucky Education Terms (114 KB, pdf), Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (July 2004).

Good Teaching Makes the Difference (19 KB, pdf), commencement speech by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, to Eastern Kentucky University graduates (May 2001).

In Pursuit of Excellence: The Report of Prichard Committee on Higher Education in Kentucky's Future, Council on Higher Education (October 1981). OUT OF PRINT

Keepin' On: Five Years Down the Road to Better Schools, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (December 1995).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Kentuckians' Expectations of Children's Learning: The Significance for Reform (62 KB, pdf), by Roberts and Kay, Inc., a report prepared for the Prichard Committee and the Partnership for Kentucky Schools (September 1993).

Kentucky Education Association Rally (10 KB, pdf), remarks by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (February 12, 2003).

Kentucky School Updates: A Parent/Citizen Guide for 2006-08 by Cindy Heine, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, December 2006. Downloaded copies may be reproduced as needed.

            Chapter 1:     Assessment and School Accountability
            Chapter 2:     Early Childhood Programs
            Chapter 3:     Primary School
            Chapter 4:   Reading Programs
            Chapter 5:     Extended School Services
            Chapter 6:     High Schools
            Chapter 7:     Career and Technical Education
            Chapter 8:     Students with Special Needs
            Chapter 9:     Equal Opportunities in Education
            Chapter 10:   School-Based Decision Making
            Chapter 11:   Family Resource/Youth Services Centers
            Chapter 12:   School Safety and School Health
            Chapter 13:   Technology and Education
            Chapter 14:   Professional Development
            Chapter 15:   Teacher Preparation and the Education Professional Standards Board
            Chapter 16:   School Finance
            Chapter 17:   Governance
            Chapter 18:   Alternative School Schedules and Calendars
            Chapter 19:   Parent Involvement

Kentucky's education reforms proving their worth, by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader (August 11, 2003).

Literacy Summit Keynote (19 KB, pdf), speech by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, from the June 13, 2001 Governor's Literacy Summit.

"Making School Reform Work," by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal (June 14, 1992).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

A Matter of Time, report of the Prichard Committee Task Force on Restructuring Time and Learning (July 1995).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Overview of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (1990).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Parent Leader, the Commonwealth Institute newsletter:

Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring 2001 (322 KB, pdf)
Vol. 2, No. 2, December 2000 (258 KB, pdf)
Vol. 2, No. 1, September 2000 (337 KB, pdf)
Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2000 (286 KB, pdf)
Vol. 1, No. 3, February 2000 (141 KB, pdf)
Vol. 1, No. 2, November 1999 (212 KB, pdf)
Vol. 1, No. 1 (293 KB, pdf)

A Parent's Rights and Responsibilities in Kentucky (22 KB, pdf), Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (July 1998). Print copies are available for $1.00 each; call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111.
Versión en español (22 KB, pdf)

The Path to a Larger Life: Creating Kentucky's Educational Future, second edition, a report by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, University Press of Kentucky (1990).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Perspectives, the Prichard Committee's newsletter:

Vol. 17, No. 4, Winter 2006
Vol. 17, No. 3, Fall 2006
Vol. 17, No. 2, Summer 2006
Vol. 17, No. 1, Spring 2006
Vol. 16, No. 4, Winter 2005 (580KB, pdf)
Vol. 16, No. 3, Fall 2005 (580KB, pdf)
Vol. 16, No. 2, Summer 2005 (1.5MB, pdf)
Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2005 (910 KB, pdf)
Vol. 15, No. 4, Winter 2004 (2 MB, pdf)
Vol. 15, No. 3, Fall 2004 (1.84 MB, pdf)
Vol. 15, No. 2, Summer 2004 (1.54 MB, pdf)
Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 2004 (458 KB, pdf)
Vol. 14, No. 4, Winter 2003 (646 KB, pdf)
Vol. 14, No. 3, Fall 2003 (1,055 KB, pdf)
Vol. 14, No. 2, Summer 2003 (303 KB, pdf)
Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2003 (156 KB, pdf)
Vol. 13, No. 3, Fall 2002 (184 KB, pdf)
Vol. 13, No. 2, Summer 2002 (732 KB, pdf)
Vol. 13, No. 1, Spring 2002 (794 KB, pdf)
Vol. 12, No. 4, Winter 2001 (1.5 MB, pdf)
Vol. 12, No. 3, Fall 2001 (349 KB, pdf)
Vol. 12, No. 2, Summer 2001 (270 KB, pdf)
- Corrections
Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 2001 (168 KB, pdf)
- Donor List from Spring 2001 issue (274 KB, pdf)
Vol. 11, No. 3, Winter 2000 (1.8 MB, pdf)
- Photos of the Celebration of Kentucky Schools Bus Tour from Winter 2000 issue (1 MB, pdf)
Vol. 11, No. 2, Fall 2000 (448 KB, pdf)
- Please take a moment to complete our 60-second reader survey on the fall 2000 issue
- 2000 Annual Meeting Scrapbook, color insert in Fall 2000 issue (628 KB, pdf)
Vol. 11, No. 1, Summer 2000 (906 KB, pdf)
Vol. 10, No. 2, Summer 1999 (45 KB, pdf)

The Power of Parent Partnership, by Anne T. Henderson, Karen Jones, and Beverly Raimondo, Our Children: The National PTA Magazine (April 1999).

Preparation for Building Partnerships with Families (102 KB, pdf), released by the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. Strong majorities of teachers and administrators at all grade levels in Kentucky say they have received insufficient training to work with families to improve student achievement, but most educators would welcome more assistance. (The questionnaires used in the study are available by calling 1-800-928-2111.)

"The Prichard Committee and Kentucky School Reform," by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. From Strategies for School Equity: Creating Productive Schools in a Just Society, ed. Marilyn J. Gittell, Yale University Press (1998).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Promise, Progress and Pride (654 KB, pdf) released by the Partners for Kentucky's Future on October 1

The Primary School: A Resource Guide for Parents (1 MB, pdf), by Bette Burruss and Nawanna Fairchild, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and the Partnership for Kentucky Schools (April 1993).

You may also view Primary School by chapters:

Chapter 1: What Will Children Experience in Primary School?
(8 pages, 25 KB, pdf)
Chapter 2: How Do Young Children Learn? How Will Instruction Be Different? (364 KB, pdf)
Chapter 3: How is the Primary Classroom Different? (488 KB, pdf)
Chapter 4: What Do We Expect Students to Know and Do? How Do We Know They've Succeeded? (30 KB, pdf)
Chapter 5: How Can Parents Participate in their Child's Education? (28 KB, pdf)
Chapter 6: Reading with Children (48 KB, pdf)
Chapter 7: Frequently Asked Questions About Primary Schools (30 KB, pdf)

Primary School, School-Based Decision Making, Family Resource/Youth Services Center, first-year reports to the Prichard Committee by James Raths, Lilian Kantz, John Fanning, Jane L. David, and Phillip W. Roeder (July 1992).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Primary School, School-Based Decision Making, Family Resource/Youth Services Center, second-year reports to the Prichard Committee by James Raths, John Fanning, Jane L. David, and Phillip W. Roeder (September 1993).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Promise, Progress and Pride: Investing in Kentucky's Education (654 KB, pdf), The Partners for Kentucky's Future (October 1, 2003).

Quality Teaching: Making a Down Payment on a Long-Term Commitment (355 KB, pdf), a brochure by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (Spring 2002).

Remarks at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Prichard Comittee (29 KB, pdf), by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (June 7, 2003).

The School Answer Book: Citizens Guide to Kentucky School Law, by Cindy Heine, Prichard Committee, second edition. Comprehensive handbook on Kentucky school law (1992). OUT OF PRINT

School-Based Decision Making: A Guide for School Council Members and Others, second edition, Susan Perkins Weston, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (August 1983). OUT OF PRINT

A School Budget Primer: Citizen's Guide to School Finance, Susan Perkins Weston, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (July 1992). OUT OF PRINT

"School Reform Is Not a Spectator Sport," by Robert F. Sexton, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, appeared in Education Week, vol. 12, no. 8 (October 28, 1992).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Setting the Stage for Success: Bringing Parents into Education Reform as Advocates for Higher Student Achievement (78 KB, pdf), by Janet Kroll, Robert F. Sexton, Beverly N. Raimondo, H. Dickson Corbett, and Bruce Wilson, for The Pew Charitable Trusts (November 2001). A report on the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership.

Teaching for Kentucky's Future: A Report from the Task Force on Teaching for Kentucky's Future, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (October 18, 1999).
(Call the Prichard Committee at 800-928-2111 for a copy)

Trends and Issues Affecting Primary and Secondary Education (50 KB, pdf), by Robert F. Sexton and Stephen K. Clements, Exploring the Frontier of the Future, the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center (December 1996).

Unlocking Parent Potential, by Beverly N. Raimondo and Anne Henderson, Principal Leadership (September 2001). Features Kentucky parents and schools.