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Kentucky's Education Commissioner Calls for Public Review of Common Core

Kentucky Department of Education

Kentucky was among the first states in the nation to adopt the Common Core education standards for English and math.  Four years later, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is looking for feedback. 

In a news conference Monday at Woodford County High School, Holliday asked the public to review the standards and suggest changes.  He acknowledged that Common Core has become a polarizing term across the U.S. and asked that politics be put aside.

"The focus should be on what our children in Kentucky need to know and be able to do, so they can graduate high school ready for college, career, and life," Holliday remarked.

A 2009 law passed by the General Assembly mandated new, more rigorous academic standards.  Kentucky implemented the Common Core standards in 2010.  The state began testing on them in 2012, and since then, Holliday said ACT scores, graduation rates, and college and career readiness rates have all improved. 

The state has created a website for the public to review the standards and comment until April 30, 2015. 

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.