HCHS ranks #2 in region, top 20 in state for KSA Scores

Mary Beth Sallee

Managing Editor

Hart Co. News-Herald

 

The Hart County School District is celebrating after the recent release of the 2024–2025 Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) results, with Hart County High School ranking second in the region and in the top 20 overall in the state.

Superintendent Bo Chenoweth said the achievement reflects the dedication of students, educators, staff, and families throughout the district.

“Knowing how hard our staff and students have worked toward this achievement, I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments,” Chenoweth said. “This achievement is a powerful affirmation of the overall commitment to excellence shared across our entire district – from our dedicated classroom teachers to our staff, administrators, and supportive families.”

Chenoweth stated that the ranking represents more than just test scores.

“Seeing Hart County High School ranked #2 in the region and #20 statewide is not just about the numbers. It reflects the visible impact of focused effort on student growth and college/career readiness,” Chenoweth said. “We are incredibly proud of our students and teachers and see this accomplishment as a clear indicator of the potential for even greater success moving forward.”

Hart County High School earned an overall Blue rating, the highest designation in Kentucky’s five-color accountability system. The system consists of five colors from low to high: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

According to Chenoweth, the color rating is determined by a school’s performance and whether it declined, maintained, or improved from the previous school year.

Results from the 2024–2025 school year showed growth in every indicator area at Hart County High School, including Reading/Math, Science/Social Studies/Writing, Climate & Safety, Postsecondary Readiness, and Graduation.

“The scores listed above are overall indicator scores which come from the formula: current year status + change from prior year = overall indicator scores,” Chenoweth said. “HCHS had a status score of high or very high for EVERY indicator and a change score of Increase or Significant Increase in each area.”

At the high school level, proficiency rates exceeded state averages in all tested subject areas. Reading proficiency reached 59 percent, which is 13 percentage points higher than the state average. Math proficiency was 49 percent, nine points above the state average. Science proficiency reached 27 percent, six points above the state average. Social studies proficiency was 44 percent, six points above the state average, while writing proficiency reached 48 percent, five points above the state average.

Districtwide results also showed improvement at every instructional level. Hart County’s elementary schools increased proficiency rates in reading, math, and social studies while maintaining writing performance. Middle schools increased proficiency in writing and social studies while maintaining reading and math results. At the high school level, students increased proficiency in reading, math, science and social studies while maintaining writing performance.

Chenoweth credited the district’s academic growth to targeted investments in instructional resources and professional development.

“Our district has invested in high quality instructional resources at all grade levels and for each core content area (reading, math, science, and social studies),” he explained. “The use of these resources, along with professional development in how to use these resources as well as literacy across the curriculum, has helped us to improve outcomes for our students.  I appreciate how our teachers and staff have embraced these resources and use them daily to meet the needs of our students.”

Chenoweth also noted collaboration among educators as a key component of the district’s success.

“Our principals and district instructional leaders meet regularly with teachers in professional learning communities to analyze data, provide support with the curriculum resources, and set goals and expectations for their schools,” Chenoweth said.

In addition to academic gains, Hart County schools earned top scores in climate and safety. Students in grades 3rd-8th and 10th-11th completed the Quality of Climate and Safety Survey, which is one of the state indicators in Kentucky’s accountability system.

“Each of our schools scored high or very high in this area,” Chenoweth said.

Overall, Chenoweth expressed that the KSA results are a reflection of a shared commitment across the entire Hart County community.

“What I want our parents and community stakeholders to understand most is that all of our KSA achievements are a direct reflection of a comprehensive, shared investment and commitment to the success of our students,” he said. “…All of our test score successes prove what we already knew: our students are capable of achieving at the highest levels. Our job now is to keep challenging them and removing any barriers so they can fulfill their incredible potential.”

Chenoweth expressed gratitude to those who support Hart County’s students and educators.

“I want to thank every parent, community member, and business partner who believes in our schools,” Chenoweth said. “This achievement is a collective victory for the entire county, and we will continue to work together to ensure excellence for every student.”