The Kentucky Department of Education has released data from the 2024-2025 Kentucky Summative Assessments including an overall color-coded rating for each school, and district ranging from red (lowest) to blue (highest).
Bowling Green Independent School District is rated green (high) at the middle and high school levels and yellow (medium) at the elementary level. School overall data classifies schools in the district from orange to green. Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green Junior High School, Potter Gray Elementary and W. R. McNeill Elementary are all rated as green (high), T. C. Cherry Elementary is rated as yellow (medium), and Dishman McGinnis and Parker-Bennett-Curry are rated orange (low).
Schoolwide data is compiled from the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) which is given in grades 3 through 8, 10 and 11 to Kentucky public school students during the last 15 days of the school year. Kentucky's annual summative assessment is designed to measure student proficiency and progress on the Kentucky Academic Standards.
KSA provides content area assessments, including reading and mathematics (grades 3 through 8 and 10), science (grades 4, 7, 11), on-demand writing and editing and mechanics (grades 5, 8, 11), and social studies (grades 5, 8, 11).
The 2025 KSA was given online with only a small percentage of students testing on paper. It included multiple choice as well as extended response questions where students demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to construct responses.
Accountability scores are then weighted to calculate the school’s overall score. Federal law requires the greatest emphasis on reading and mathematics and English language progress at elementary and middle schools. At high school, federal law requires emphasis on reading and mathematics and graduation rate. While both federal and state indicator scores use the same foundational components, the federal score includes a calculation of change by averaging the current and two prior years scores to show a school’s measure of improvement over three years. The state’s overall score is used to determine the color ratings.
Superintendent Gary Fields notes that progress is evident across the district. He says, “Our teachers and students are working incredibly hard and I’m proud of the learning opportunities for students in all of our schools. To highlight a few areas in the assessment and accountability results:
Bowling Green High School improved in all five content areas, and
T. C. Cherry Elementary achieved its highest-ever scores in reading and math.
We also saw improvement in science, social studies, and writing at Bowling Green Junior High, W.R. McNeill, and Potter Gray.
Across the district, English Language Learners are making steady progress, with approximately 100 students achieving proficiency each year.
And, our overall school climate and safety results are strong district-wide, which provides the foundation for learning for all students.”
He continues, “Specifically, Parker-Bennett-Curry and Dishman McGinnis Elementary Schools have the highest school climate and safety survey responses in the district. Students feel safe, loved, and are having their needs met. However, with significant challenges of poverty, language acquisition and issues like high student transiency, we must continue our focus on teaching and learning.”
Assessments provide only one measure of student learning. When combined with grades, classroom activities, student projects, personalized learning opportunities, and school and district-level measures and processes, the end-of-year assessments can help provide a more complete picture of student abilities over the course of the school year.
To view the performance and participation of our district and schools, visit the www.kyschoolreportcard.com.