Mike Borchers
The Ludlow Independent school district has been named a Proficient District and both the elementary and high schools made significant gains during the 2012-13 school year. In addition to gains in student assessment, the district has several other initiatives in the areas of community engagement, dual credit course options, mentoring and more.
Ludlow Independent is working with Gateway Community & Technical College and Northern Kentucky University (NKU) to see that all of its students, especially during their senior year, have the opportunity to leave high school with some college credit. In addition, the district is working on removing the financial barriers that students face when enrolling in these dual credit options. Starting this month, all senior AP English students are participating in the new hybrid ENG 101 course that NKU is piloting.
The district received a $40,000 grant from the Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE) initiative to be used for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The PIE KydPreneur Program will be used to teach STEM concepts in a real-world curriculum. The initiative is the first of its kind in the state and will be used as a model for other schools to incorporate these 21st-century skills.
Because of the unique opportunity of the campus being in one large building, the district capitalizes on the fact that it is easy for high school students to mentor elementary students. During the school day, students in grades 11 and 12 can work as a Peer Tutor in elementary and junior high classrooms while earning a class credit. The Peer Tutors work directly with younger students, helping one-on-one, with small groups, or the class as a whole. The positive relationships the younger students build with their older role models is priceless.
The district believes in connecting with the Ludlow parents and community as much as possible. Staff runs a Facebook page for the district and set up a mobile app for anyone to download on a compatible device and use the district’s website to connect with the community. Once a month, the superintendent holds “Coffee with the Community” sessions at a local restaurant in town for anyone who wants to come and listen to updates on the school’s programs and projects. In addition, he welcomes any feedback and suggestions from those who attend.
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