Welcome, Mary Lassiter, Acting State Budget Director
Chair, Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center Board of Directors
 

A Look Back Over the Last Eight Years, Governor Paul E. Patton
 

At the Crossroads: Prospects for Kentucky's Educational Future
KET Panel Discussion with Bill Goodman.
Confirmed panelists include: Senator Lindy Casebier (Chair, Senate Education Committee and KLTPRC Board Member), Billy Harper (Owner, Harper Industries), Dr. Marlene Helm (Secretary, Education, Arts and Humanities Cabinet), Dr. Cheryl King (Commissioner, Department of Adult Education and Literacy), Dr. Tom Layzell (President, Council on Postsecondary Education), Representative Frank Rasche (Chair, House Education Committee), Representative Jody Richards (Speaker of the House, Kentucky General Assembly), Dr. Kim Townley (Acting Division Director, Division of Early Childhood Development, Kentucky Department of Education), Dr. Gene Wilhoit (Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education), and Senator David L. Williams (President of the Senate, Kentucky General Assembly).
 

Lunch, United States Senator Mitch McConnell (invited)
Presentation of the 2003 Hellard Award
 

Concurrent Sessions (5 sessions will be held during this time)

KIDS NOW = Current Investment for Future Success ― Four years ago the Office of Early Childhood Development launched a multifaceted effort to reach the 2020 vision that "all young children in Kentucky are healthy and safe, possess the foundation that will enable school and personal success, and live in strong families that are supported and strengthened within their communities." With 90 percent of the architecture of the brain built in the first three years of life, the "P" in Kentucky’s system of P-16 education represents the foundation upon which the success of the entire system is dependent. This panel will discuss ongoing efforts and future prospects of the KIDS NOW initiative.
Moderator:  Dr. Kim Townley, Acting Division Director, Division of Early Childhood Development, Kentucky Department of Education
Panelists: Michael Cheek, Director of the Division of Child Care, Dept. for Community Based Services, Cabinet for Families and Children; Germaine O'Connell, Child Development Section, Maternal and Child Health.

Assessment and Accountability: Melding the Old with the New ― The federal attempt to overhaul elementary and secondary education through the No Child Left Behind Act is causing Kentucky’s policymakers and educators to grapple with how to meld it with the state’s current system of assessment and accountability. This panel will discuss the No Child Left Behind Act, how Kentucky is dealing with it, and the future prospects for assessment and accountability.
Moderator:  Dr. Paul B. Cook, KLTPRC Board Member and Vice Chair
Panelists:  Jana Beth Francis, Director of Assessment, Research, and Curriculum Development, Daviess County Public Schools; Kevin M. Noland, Deputy Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education; Robyn Oatley, Principal, Millcreek Elementary School, Lexington, KY.

The Cost of Quality: How Much? ― Three different studies in the past year have concluded that Kentucky’s publicly-funded elementary and secondary school system requires significant additional funding in order to provide all children with an equitable and adequate education. These proposed annual funding increases range from $565 million to $2.3 billion. However, some question whether additional funding will result in higher student achievement. This panel will consider the issue of additional funding and whether it will produce better results.
Moderator:  Dr. Penny Miller, KLTPRC Board Member
Panelists: Blake Haselton, Superintendent, Oldham County Schools; Dr. Phillip W. Roeder, Professor of Political Science, University of Kentucky.

Roadblocks to Higher Education: Funding, Preparation, & Access ― In Kentucky and throughout the nation, many factors limit student access to higher education. This panel of national experts will present their varied perspectives on the impact these obstacles present to policymakers as they attempt to increase access to higher education.
Moderator: Dr. Mel Letteer, Economist, KHEAA
Panelists:  Dr. Brian Fitzgerald, Director, Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance; Dennis Jones, President, National Center for Higher Education Management System; Dr. Thomas D. Layzell, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education;  Jonathan Miller, Kentucky State Treasurer.

Mapping the Future of Higher Education: Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act ― A panel of distinguished financial aid professionals will discuss the status of Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Faced with budget constraints and the current economic climate, these professionals will discuss the efforts of Congress to expand access to higher education and the next steps available to positively impact families and students through the Reauthorization process.
Moderator:  Maryln McAdam, Consultant, McA Enterprises, Inc.
Panelists:  John Dean, Partner, Dean, Glakey & Moskowitz; Dr. Dallas Martin, President, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators; Dr. Thomas Wolanin, Senior Associate, Institute for Higher Education Policy.
 

Concurrent Sessions (5 sessions will be held during this time)

A New Route for KEES? Findings of the Legislative Research Commission Study ― During its 2003 session, the General Assembly commissioned a study of the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship program to be conducted by the Legislative Research Commission. This panel will discuss the study’s findings and policy options.
Moderator:  Dr. Gary Cox, President, Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges & Universities
Panelists:  Senator Lindy Casebier, Chair, Senate Education Committee, Kentucky General Assembly; KLTPRC Board Member; Representative Mary Lou Marzian, Member, House Education Committee, Kentucky General Assembly; Representative Frank Rasche, Chair, House Education Committee, Kentucky General Assembly; Senator Jack Westwood, Vice Chair, Senate Education Committee, Kentucky General Assembly.

Improving Mileage: Stretching College Dollars to Cover Increasing Costs and Decreasing Budgets ― This session will focus on the efforts of public and private institutions to minimize the impact of rising higher education costs on families and students. Panelists will also discuss the continued availability of state-funded financial aid programs and the ability of families and students to meet the rising financial burden of attending postsecondary institutions.
Moderator:  Dr. David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Panelists:  Dr. Bill Crouch, President, Georgetown College; Representative Harry Moberly, Chair, House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Kentucky General Assembly; Dr. James Ramsey, President, University of Louisville.

Rerouting the Road to Nowhere: Addressing Cultural Barriers to Education ― Public and private entities have expended significant resources on outreach activities to encourage Kentuckians to enter college and obtain degrees. This panel will include professionals who work directly with high school students making the decision to enter college. The session will explore the effectiveness of existing outreach programs in light of the fact that Kentucky’s college-going rates have consistently remained at the 50 percent mark.
Moderator:  Dr. Lucian Yates III, Chair, Division of Education and Human Services, Kentucky State University
Panelists: Marcia K. Carpenter, Chair, KHEAA/KHESLC Board of Directors; Guidance Counselor, Daviess County; Anna Leasure, Director, Educational Talent Search, Madisonville Community College; Kate Williams, Director, NOVA Program, Eastern Kentucky University.

Collective Progress Is Not Enough, Dealing with the Achievement Gap ― Recent legislation at both the federal and state levels has created a renewed impetus to identify and narrow differences in academic achievement levels among various student subgroups: black, Asian, Hispanic, low-income, non-native English speakers, and the disabled. Panelists will define and describe the achievement gap, its consequences, strategies for bridging it, and future prospects.
Moderator:  Dr. Betty Griffin, KLTPRC Board Member
Panelists:  Dr. Roger Cleveland, Director, Division of Education Equity, Kentucky Department of Education; Ms. Vickie Maley, Director of Educational Programs, Paducah Public Schools; Ms. Maryln McAdam, Consultant, McA Enterprises, Inc.; Susan Perkins Weston, Executive Director, Kentucky Association of School Councils.

Adult Education and Literacy: Ensuring That No Adult Is Left Behind ― Progress continues toward improving the educational attainment of adult Kentuckians who lack a high school diploma, function at low literacy levels, or speak English as a second language. How do we build on our progress toward a more literate Kentucky in a time of constrained resources?
Moderator:  Dr. Cheryl King, Vice President of Adult Education, CPSE
Panelists:  Judge Reid Haire, Daviess County Judge/Executive; Ms. Julie Scoskie, Director, Jefferson County Public School Adult and Continuing Education Program; Dr. Barbara Veazey, President, West Kentucky Community and Technical College; Senator David Williams, President of the Senate, Kentucky General Assembly.