Public education in Kentucky schools was fundamentally changed in 1990 with the passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). This educational reform--mandated by the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that funding for Kentucky public school districts was neither adequate nor equitably distributed--established a platform on which standards-based…

Describes efforts to reform K-4 mathematics instruction in Kentucky. Discusses the establishment of collaborative groups within Kentucky's mathematics education community, the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, and reform efforts in the areas of assessment, curriculum, professional development for teachers, preservice teacher education, and…

While school reform has already dramatically altered the culture of education in Kentucky, the future holds daunting challenges. This chapter examines a few of the most difficult changes being implemented as a result of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), as well as conditions external to schools that markedly influence educational success.…

Reviews the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and explores its effects on higher education. The law, largely silent about higher education, does mandate a professional standards board for teacher certification, and there are implications for teacher education. Efforts at the University of Louisville to meet KERA challenges…

From 1990 to 2000, a qualitative study of the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) was conducted in four small rural school districts in Kentucky. KERA reflects key components of what would later be termed "systemic reform": a unifying set of goals that all students must attain, a coherent system of instructional…