“When we first started this process and I was looking at our classrooms, they just weren’t robust, they were not rigorous, we weren’t getting kids engaged in their passions or committed to their own learning. So we knew that committing to this experience was going to take a total mind shift,” said Dr. Houston Barber, Superintendent of Frankfort Independent Schools in Frankfort, Kentucky, of his district’s shift to Summit Learning.
Dr. Barber and Joe Rogers, Summit Learning Instructional Coach, Frankfort High School hosted a Summit Learning’s Facebook Live event on Thursday, May 6, for a discussion about their dramatic results in student achievement after they shifted to focusing on strong student-teacher relationships, diversity in curriculum, and community and family engagement.
The graduation rate increased to 98 percent, and Frankfort High performed in the top 10 percent of all high schools in Kentucky on the state accountability tests. In addition, enrollment increased significantly for Frankfort High (close to 300 students at the high school), and faculty noticed a dramatic change in culture for students, teachers, parents, and the community.