State News Roundup

A pair of programs meant to bring Kentucky high schools onto that state's reform bandwagon won approval this month from the state board of education, which approved grant funds to encourage at least 50 high schools to begin making changes.

A mini-grant program will award $2,000 each to 40 schools interested in developing one component of high school restructuring, such as curriculum redesign, professional development, expanded technology, or new uses of time. Participants in the program also will receive support from state experts.

An additional 10 high schools will be awarded $7,900 development grants in an effort to weave together all of the restructuring components at once. The schools must either be governed by a school council or in the process of implementing one to win the grants. Officials said the programs were launched in part to offer practical advice to the rest of the state's schools as they come on board as well as to show the need...