Wednesday is the first day of school for thousands of Lexington area students. It’s also the first day of school for the superintendent of the state’s second largest school district.
Incoming school superintendent Manny Caulk says it’s a family of educators, bus drivers, food service workers, and all staff that can make a difference in the lives of students. Caulk comes to Lexington from Portland, Maine where classes traditionally begin after Labor Day.
The new school district head recognizes that the date of the start of school is a debated issue in Kentucky. Caulk believes the length of instruction time is a more pressing matter. “We can look at with our students who are reaching toward proficiency, who may not be entering kindergarten with the same level or readiness and preparedness,” said Caulk. “Giving them the same number of instructional minutes and instructional days may not get them to that finish line faster.”
Caulk believes it is important to strive for more instructional time in the classroom. The school superintendent says school facilities across Lexington are prepared for the 41,000 students who will fill them this week.
One of the ongoing school related issues debated in Kentucky is student testing. Caulk says the timing of the test is just one point of discussion. “I think it’s not so much as when the test is administered, but what type of test are we administering and what are we hoping to do with the data,” he said. “For me, it’s important to have an adaptive test for students that pinpoints what they know, instead of looking at what they may or may not know.”
Caulk favors a test with performance tasks attached to it that aligns more with instruction. The new superintendent says turning around data in real time so teachers can use the information to drive instruction is important. ?
