By Stu Johnson
Lexington, KY – College presidents in Kentucky signed a commitment Wednesday, promising their schools will do a better job of preparing students for higher education. For too long, the president of the State Council on Postsecondary Education says they've not coordinated their efforts.
"We have seen the evolution of an education structure, not just here in Kentucky but across the country that has been out of any kind of reasonable alignment," said Bob King.
King was among several speakers who added Kentucky's educators have improved their communications to unprecedented levels.
For example, in Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky University President Doug Whitlock says EKU is already working with Morehead State University.
"It's kind of based upon the premise that the job to be done is bigger than any one of us can do and put together we think we can move the bar," said Whitlock.
The EKU President says they're doing a better job of helping students earlier. That means working with them while they're still in elementary, middle and high schools.
"One of the things I think you will see as a common thread is the recognition that interventions are a lot more powerful than remediation," said Whitlock.
University of Kentucky President Lee Todd says his school tracks students who struggle with subjects like math, science and literature. With that information, Todd says U-K has kept more students in college longer.
State Education commissioner Terry Holliday says all educators must work together on preparing students for post high-school degrees.
"While we are graduating 80 to 85 percent of our kids I imagine our numbers at the end of September we're gonna report on college readiness for the first time, we're probably less than 20 percent of our graduates are actually ready for college," said Holliday.
Holliday says tougher, clearer expectations are needed. Then, teachers in every grade will know what's expected of them and their students. Then, college administrators hope, fewer incoming freshmen will need classes in subjects they should have learned in high school.
Among those students in Wednesday's signing ceremony was Benjamin Whitlock, who's no relation to the EKU president. The Greenburg senior says it's come down to expectations.
"We can overcome the barriers that we face by raising those expectations for Kentucky's students. We can do hard things and we want to do hard things," said Whitlock.
Among the other college initiatives mentioned was the creation of more dual credit courses where students can work on a high school diploma and simultaneously earn college credit.