By Emily Zuccaro, with Kathryn Whitmore

Kentucky received notable recognition in a report issued by the Executive Office of the President, Giving Every Child a
Fair Shot. The report outlines successes seen lately in education across the US,
such as the highest rate of graduation and lowest dropout rates seen so far. The
report praised Kentucky for being the first state to adopt college and career
ready standards, and creating state-led reforms that addressed the needs of the
students in the state more effectively after receiving relief from the NCLB
guidelines. The report uses Kentucky as an example to illustrate that more
flexible laws are more likely to spread progress while still maintaining
guardrails and protection for the student groups that are most vulnerable.