The color green is traditionally synonymous with growth, and that’s exactly what Crittenden County High School showed on last year’s state testing performance. 9-12 Supervisor of Instruction Rhonda Callaway and CCHS Principal Josh Cook shared news of the school’s two-level gain with staff on Wednesday afternoon and students on Thursday morning. The high school went from an orange rank with an overall index score of 51.7 in 2023 to a green rank with an overall index score of 74.4 in 2024. Increasing in all five indicators (reading and math; social studies, science, and combined writing; post-secondary readiness; quality of safety and climate survey; and graduation rate), this places Crittenden County High School as one of only 55 high schools among the state’s 228 to secure the green distinction.
Callaway said the sizable increase is a testimony to the value of hard work and dedication. “Everyone rolled up their sleeves and got to work,” said Callaway.
High school principal Josh Cook echoed Callaway’s sentiments. “The perseverance and sheer determination shown by both our staff and students is just remarkable, said Cook. “We look forward to using this momentum to further our growth and achievement this school year and beyond.”
Since the 2021-2022 school year, the state has used a color-coded overall performance rating for each school, district, and the state by level, ranging from red (lowest) to orange, yellow, green, and blue (highest). The overall performance rating color is based on a score that is determined by combining data from all available indicators, including state assessment results in the five tested subjects; English language learner progress; quality of school climate and safety; and post-secondary readiness and graduation rate data at the high school level.
Crittenden County Middle School also secured an outstanding performance rating for the second consecutive year with its green distinction. Out of 319 middle schools in the state, CCMS is one of only 91 to earn the prestigious classification.Their overall index score is 68.2. With an overall rating of 52.2, Crittenden County Elementary School earned an orange ranking. Principal Sarah Riley said that while there are areas for improvement, she is proud of the school’s marked improvement in both its school climate survey, where an increase of five points was observed (79 percent in 2023 to 84.3 percent in 2024) and in its safety rating, which earned an eight point gain, increasing from 71.7 percent in 2023 to 79.7 percent in 2024.
“We also reduced our novice numbers in science,” added. Riley. “We know we have opportunities for improvement, and we are confident that we are on the right track to achieving our goals. As we near the first quarter of the new school year, we will begin looking at preliminary benchmark testing and develop plans to ensure our students meet and exceed expectations.”
K-8 Supervisor of Instruction Jenni Gilkey reiterated Riley’s remarks, noting that student growth is always at the heart of instruction. “Obviously, we take state testing very seriously and value the data it provides us, so that we can customize our approach to instruction and assessment,” said Gilkey, “but test scores alone do not define our students or their capabilities. One of our district core values is excellence, which we define as being better tomorrow than we are today. That’s exactly what we are working toward,” she continued.
The public can view a detailed report of state assessment data for all three schools by visiting the Kentucky Department of Education’s website at education.ky.gov.