Sixth-graders in Mary Jo Willoughby's landscape design class are planting geraniums and spider plants.

        In Vicki Berberich's seventh-grade science class, students are experimenting to see what's a better insulator, a tin can or Styrofoam cup.

Shannon Akers (left) works with Marianne Snowden, a third-grader at Dry Ridge Elementary School. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Patricia Burton's eighth-grade social studies students are making posters for the presidential candidate of their choice.

        It's a typical Tuesday at Conner Middle School in Hebron.

        Down the road at Grant County's Dry Ridge Elementary, Angela Little's first-graders are singing “The Sentence Song” to emphasize the rules of punctuation and grammar, while guidance counselor Beth Palm's peer mediators are helping other students solve conflicts.

        “There's a commitment to excellence here,” said Leo Coco, a deputy assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Education. “There's lots of hands-on learning, and students are engaged.”

        Mr. Coco is among dozens of business leaders, education officials, state legislators and community members traveling across the state this week on the Celebration of Kentucky Schools Bus Tour. Conner Middle and Dry Ridge were two of 12 schools on the tour, a five-day trip taking riders from Paducah to Pikeville.

        Part of a celebration of the Kentucky Education Reform Act's 10-year anniversary, the bus tour is spotlighting elementary, middle and high schools that are examples of success in public education.

        For $50 a day or $150 for the whole week, about 150 people will hop on the bus for all or part of the trip. And at each stop, riders are joined by people from local education and business communities.

        At Conner Middle, students lead tours, spotlighting the Unified Arts Program, which offers students an array of courses such as foreign cultures, ancient art and music keyboarding.

        Principal Linda Viox credits her school's success to change: “You can't ever get comfortable,” she said.

        The bus tour is sponsored by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Partnership for Kentucky Schools and the Kentucky Department of Education.

        One focus is on business and parent involvement in schools, a cornerstone of KERA, and a common trait is strong community involvement.

        Dry Ridge has an extensive volunteer program that gets parents and residents into the schools. Last year, about 100 volunteers contributed more than 2,000 hours of service.

        “I have a parent in my room every day but Friday,” first-grade teacher Ms. Little said. “If parents and teachers work together, the children will be much more successful.”
       

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