Education
Quality education affects the lives of youth and positively influences their successful contributions to society. The common thread of Kentucky Youth Advocates’s education work is to promote policies that give all Kentucky children the best preparation possible for a bright future.
Recent Work
Graduation
Leaders across the nation are realizing the importance of increasing graduation rates. Rather than just a problem for individuals who drop out, a growing body of evidence shows that failing to graduate has long-term negative consequences for society as well.
In addition to raising the compulsory age, Kentucky Youth Advocates recommends two other proven strategies to raise graduation rates. Read our issue brief: Increasing the High School Graduation Rate.
Alternative Schools
Kentucky Youth Advocates completed a study of alternative schools and programs statewide and presented recommendations to the State Board of Education in October 2007. Read the report: Mulch, Hoops & Homemade Pie.
Bullying
Bullying is a serious issue both nationally and in Kentucky. The importance of the issue has sadly been affirmed in the wake of recent school shootings. Kentucky Youth Advocates recently conducted a comprehensive analysis of how the state addresses bullying in the school system. Read our issue brief Bullying: A Schoolhouse Reality for Kentucky Students and see other state laws on bullying at www.bullypolice.org.
Early Childhood
An issue brief released in December 2010 by Kentucky Youth Advocates addresses the accessibility of early childhood programs in Kentucky for children in immigrant families. Through qualitative interviews with practitioners in Kentucky, and a review of the current literature on the topic, we identify barriers preventing greater participation in early childhood programs and make recommendations for improvements. Read the issue brief, Ensuring Access to Quality Early Childhood Programs for Immigrant Children.
A Kentucky Youth Advocates report, Building the Foundation for Family Success: Creating Opportunities for Kentucky Families through Child Care Subsidies, identifies specific policy solutions to improve Kentucky’s child care subsidy administration through the voices of families, child care providers, and caseworkers involved with child care subsidies on a regular basis.
Schools as Agents of Wellness
As schools across the Commonwealth, and the country, wrestle to improve test scores and other accountability measures, there is a growing awareness about the impact that factors such as children’s health and wellness have on school performance. Many districts in Kentucky have recognized this in recent years and intervened by providing school health services to meet students’ health needs at school.
In March 2011, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the University of Louisville released the findings of a study on districts’ school health services during the 2008-2009 school year. A Picture of Health: A Report on Kentucky School Districts' Health Services, provides a comprehensive view of the range of school health services and highlights promising practices to address the health needs of the Commonwealth's public-school children.
Learn More
Find out more about education issues in Kentucky: