Kentucky Education Department Discovers Several Academic and Communication Issues at Bryan Station Middle School
Lexington’s Bryan Station Middle School drew a critical evaluation from a state diagnostic team from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) recently. This diagnostic team found that the school’s students were not held to sufficiently high academic expectations. The deficiencies were noted during a planning meeting held by the Fayette County school board on February 12th when the board decided to enlist the assistance of the KDE to transform the school, which was spotlighted by the state for requiring comprehensive improvement.
Lagging Academic Performance
The findings in the diagnostic review, which were released on the KDE’s website on February 14th, traced a disappointing trend. The data demonstrated that at Bryan Station Middle School, the percentage of students achieving proficiency or distinction on the Kentucky Summative Assessment was lower in all subject areas—including reading, mathematics, science, and social studies—compared to the statewide student performance in the 2022-23 school year. This issue was particularly notable amongst students learning English as a second language, and emphasized the need for comprehensive support.
Observations from the Review Process
The diligent review process, conducted between January 8th and 11th, threw several concerns into sharp relief:
- Students had minimal exposure to demanding coursework.
- Highly engaging activities necessitating active learning were infrequently assigned to students.
- Consistent enforcement of rigorous academic expectations was lacking.
- A good number of staff members were unsure about the reasons behind the implementation of some school initiatives.
- Consistent and clear communication was not evident.
- Parents who took part in group interviews pointed out that communication between the school and parents was inadequate.
Despite these concerns, the review team expressed confidence in the school’s principal’s ability to spearhead a meaningful turnaround.
The School’s Response
There is reason for optimism, however, in the school’s response to the review. The team from Bryan Station Middle School, which consists of teachers, administrators, and support staff, were commended in the review for creating a welcoming, safe, and positive learning environment shored up by strong relationships among the staff and pupils. Official representatives of the KDE made it clear that Bryan Station Middle School was the only school in Fayette County identified as needing comprehensive support. Other schools across the state bearing this distinction were located in Knott County, Warren County, and Jefferson County.
Bryan Station Middle School acknowledges the identified challenges but also recognizes strides they’ve made towards improvement. Bill Bradford, Chief School Leadership Officer for Middle Schools in the Fayette County district, asserts that they have seen positive changes in student behavior and organization over the past year, and that interactions between the students and the adult staff members are respectful and amicable. Bradford believes that the “administration, faculty, and district support personnel are prepared and equipped to implement revised systems and data-centered processes in order to increase student achievement and address academic gaps between student subgroup populations.”
Conclusion
The detailed findings of the diagnostic review, coupled with feedback from engaged stakeholders, will serve as an important guide in developing and implementing a successful turnaround strategy. The fallouts from such a review can often be challenging. However, this can also be viewed as an opportunity for Bryan Station Middle School to re-calibrate and surge ahead, with the welfare of its students being the prime objective.
