Kentucky

Kentucky has been a part of the States Network since 2002 through various initiatives, including a statewide International Education Summit convened by the Kentucky Department of Education in 2003. Since early 2009, the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) has been working with the Kentucky Department of Education to mobilize its 3,000 members to bring about a collaborative approach in preparing school administrators to lead schools and districts in an interconnected world.

The Kentucky Department of Education joined with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governor’s Association to develop a set of academic standards that will increase rigor and relevance and prepare all students for success after high school. The standards include internationally benchmarking standards so that students are prepared to succeed in the global economy and society.

Recent activities and Initiatives:

• KASA’s international summit, which included keynote speakers from the United States, Iraq, Great Britain, and South Africa.
• Leadership development opportunities for school administrators including conferences in 2008 and 2009 with presentations from internationally known education leaders and authors.
• Out-of-School Alliance Network, KASA, and the state department of education partnership to develop new global competence and literacy initiatives.
• Panel discussion at the KASA Summer Conference on education for the global age addressing international benchmarking; equity, excellence, and global competence; investing in leaders’ and teachers’ capacity to teach the international dimensions of their subjects; building strength in world languages; expanding programs to engage US students and teachers with the world; producing an internationally competent workforce and informed citizenry.
• Working to develop task force to bring about shared vision among all stakeholders.
  
• Collaboration between the Kentucky Department of Education and the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana to host groups of school administrators and teachers from around the world.
• Western Kentucky University’s grant funded Chinese Flagship Pilot program which creates an intensive 4-year undergraduate program leading to an Honors degree and certified proficiency in Chinese.