Ky. Study Reveals Public Resistance to School Change

By Lonnie Harp

Kentucky policymakers and education advocates have a long way to go in convincing the public, especially teachers and students, of the central premise that all children can learn, according to opinions expressed in focus groups brought together by a state reform group.

The opinions were contained in a report released this month by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a citizens'-advocacy group that has been an outspoken supporter of Kentucky's three-year-old school-reform law.

The participants generally agreed that different students will perform at different levels, the study found. When confronted with the need for change, participants were more likely to assign blame...