Forty-seven schools have been named Bright Spots in Kentucky Education, recognition for schools in which students performed better than expected on measures of educational achievement.

Schools must meet two conditions to qualify as a Bright Spot. All students are evaluated on an outcome measure for better-than-expected performance at least once from 2011 to 2019. With a focus on low-income students or students with a disability, analysts determine whether the school showed significant improvement relative to expectations.

Most schools exceeded expectations only one or two years in that period, but Virgie School in Pike County did so during six years by one measure and five years by another.

The designation is made through research by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence in partnership with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research. Schools are analyzed on 35 outcome-based variables from school years 2011-2012 through 2018-2019.

The full Bright Spots report can be read on the Pritchard Committee’s website.

Twenty-eight elementary schools, four middle schools and 15 high schools have been named Bright Spots, with some qualifying through more than one measure. The schools are scattered across 30 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, both urban and rural.

The Bright Spot schools and the categories in which they exceeded expectations are:

  • Atherton High School (Jefferson County): ACT reading, ACT comp
  • Black Mountain Elementary School (Harlan County): multigrade reading
  • Bowen Elementary School (Powell County): multigrade reading
  • Boyd County High School: ACT math
  • Buckhorn School (Perry County): college attendance in or out of state
  • Campbellsville Elementary School (Campbellsville Independent): 3rd grade math
  • Cold Hill Elementary School (Laurel County): 3rd grade math
  • Cumberland Trace Elementary School (Warren County): 3rd grade reading
  • East Carter County High School: college attendance in or out of state
  • East Valley Elementary School (Morgan County): multigrade reading
  • Elliott County High School: in-state college attendance
  • Farristown Middle School (Madison County): 8th grade math
  • Frederick Fraize High School (Cloverport Independent): in-state college attendance
  • R. Hampton Elementary School (Knox County): multigrade reading
  • Glenn O. Swing Elementary School (Covington Independent): 3rd grade reading
  • Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School (Jefferson County): 3rd grade math
  • Hazel Green Elementary School (Laurel County): multigrade reading
  • Howevalley Elementary School (Hardin County): multigrade math
  • James A. Cawood Elementary School (Harlan County): multigrade reading
  • John Hardin High School (Hardin County): ACT comp
  • Johnson Central High School (Johnson County): college attendance in or out of state
  • Junction City Elementary School (Boyle County): multigrade math
  • Keavy Elementary School (Laurel County): multigrade reading
  • Kenwood Elementary School (Jefferson County): multigrade math
  • Knox County Middle School: multigrade reading, 8th grade reading, multigrade math
  • Kyrock Elementary School (Edmonson County): multigrade reading
  • Laukhuf Elementary School (Jefferson County): multigrade reading
  • McKee Elementary School (Jackson County): 3rd grade math, multigrade math, multigrade reading
  • Menifee County High School: college attendance in or out of state
  • Millard School (Pike County): multigrade math, 8th grade math
  • Nicholas County High School: ACT reading
  • North Bullitt High School (Bullitt County): college attendance in or out of state
  • Oakview Elementary School (Ashland Independent): 3rd grade reading
  • Perryville Elementary School (Boyle County): 3rd grade math, multigrade math
  • Phelps Elementary School (Pike County): 3rd grade reading, multigrade math, multigrade reading
  • Plano Elementary School (Warren County): 3rd grade math
  • Pride Elementary School (Hopkins County): 3rd grade math
  • Rowan County Senior High School: college attendance in or out of state
  • Russellville Junior/Senior High School (Russellville Independent): ACT reading, ACT math, ACT comp
  • Salyersville Grade School (Magoffin County): multigrade math
  • Shelby Valley High School (Pike County): college attendance in or out of state
  • South Heights Elementary School (Henderson County): 3rd grade math
  • South Laurel High School (Laurel County): ACT reading, ACT comp
  • Sublimity Elementary School (Laurel County): multigrade math
  • Virgie School (Pike County): multigrade math, multigrade reading
  • White’s Tower Elementary School (Kenton County): 3rd grade math
  • Wurtland Elementary School (Greenup County): 3rd grade reading