Education Policy Matters Blog – Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., PhD

New Academic Standards Roll Out in Kentucky: An Opportunity to Address Instructional Inequity

April 23, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Kentucky recently adopted new academic standards in reading and mathematics. Academic standards are, very simply, what teachers teach and what students are expected to learn, by subject area and by

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Robots, Automation, and the Implications for American Public Schools in the 21st Century

April 21, 2019April 22, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

In measuring the success of American public schools, a diverse array of indicators has been used. The high school graduation rate has long been one of the indicators of school

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Kentucky’s New High School Graduation Requirements: Better Aligning the Diploma with Readiness

April 20, 2019April 20, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Last week, Kentucky’s minimum high school graduation requirements changed pretty substantively for the first time in more than ten years. These changes go into effect for the high school graduating

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Reflecting on 2018 and Looking Ahead

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 0

As 2018 comes to a close and I reflect on the events of the year, I am thankful for the incredible efforts of educators, school staff, and leaders across our

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Setting the Stage for Educator Preparation in Kentucky

May 26, 2018May 27, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 0

This week I had the opportunity to sit on a panel with friends and colleagues at the Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation (KEEP) Conference. We participated in a pretty wide-ranging

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It’s Time to Focus on Children

May 21, 2018May 27, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 5

I have now had the privilege of serving as Kentucky’s interim education commissioner for a little over a month. Understandably, I have been asked lots of questions. Most of the

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Kentucky’s Dirty Little High School Graduation Secret

May 25, 2017May 29, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

I have always loved this time of year. Commencement exercises are our opportunity to give public recognition and affirmation of the academic accomplishments of scholars. These rites of passage are significant, not

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Performance Accountability for All Kentucky Public Schools, or Just Charter Schools?

April 6, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Over the last year as Kentucky lawmakers, educators, and educational leaders have debated the merits of adopting charter school legislation, demands for accountability for charter schools from the traditional public

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All Parents Like School Choice, For Their Own Children

February 20, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

I haven’t had the opportunity as of yet to meet a parent who would would prefer to not have school options available for their children. To be clear, I run

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Accountability and Choice are Central to Improving Education Outcomes in Kentucky

February 19, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Since the early 1990s Kentucky has continued to make strides in education reform. The state of education in the Commonwealth in 2017 is completely different from what it was 25 years ago.