(Harlan, Ky.) – Harlan High School students have consistently outperformed both the region and the state on academic assessments, and the newly released 2025 Kentucky Summative Assessment results show they’ve done it again. Driven by strong ACT performance and top scores in nearly every tested area, Harlan High School earned a green performance rating, placing the school in the top 22% of all Kentucky high Schools. The noted high achievement comes in the areas of ACT and Combined Writing Scores. Harlan Independent School District had the 7th Highest ACT District Score out of 168 School Districts, which is in the top 4% in the state. The Combined Writing score found Harlan High School in the #1 spot in all of Kentucky High Schools.
Superintendent Jennifer Parsons commended her district, staff, and students, “For any school to consistently perform at such a high level requires a dedicated team that remains intensely focused on improving student achievement year after year. I am proud of our students, staff, and entire school community for these results—especially at Harlan High School, where we are once again have top rankings among the top-performing schools in the state. Despite our small size, our district has a strong history of producing impressive results, showing what can be achieved when students learn within a culture built on encouragement and high standards.“
Parsons noted that for a school to achieve at high levels, they must perform well across every area of the assessment. Harlan High exceeded state averages in all areas (English, Reading, Math, and Science) of the ACT and had the 1st highest composite average in the Southeast South-Central region and the 15th highest scores across all of Kentucky High Schools placing them among the top 8% of Kentucky High Schools.
In addition to high ACT scores, students at Harlan High were among the highest in multiple areas including Reading (7th Composite ACT and 1st in SESC region), Social Studies (14th in all Kentucky High Schools), Science (16th in all Kentucky High Schools) as well as having the top score of all Kentucky High Schools in Writing.
Harlan High School Principal Mike Bolton noted that the results point to a strong school culture of high expectations with a clear focus on supporting students to achieve at the highest level. “Harlan High School has long been recognized for delivering a high-quality education to students and families year after year. The dedication of both teachers and support staff, our students have consistently thrived—showing little variation in strong outcomes over the past decade. In reality, the entire district—from Sunshine Preschool all the way through Harlan High School—plays a vital role in producing the remarkable achievements we see as our students graduate. We will continue to hold students to high standards, meet them at their individual starting points, guide them toward excellence, and celebrate their accomplishments throughout the journey. I am so proud of our school.”
Overall Index Score at Harlan Elementary saw a slight decline from the 2024 assessment year but remained on the upper end of the Green rating range achieving an index score of 75.8 for 2025. Students outperformed the state averages in both third and fourth grades in Reading and Science. The Elementary School scored blue ratings in both the Quality School Climate and Safety Survey and in Science/Social Studies/Writing. A continuing positive trend at the elementary level is the strong Science scores for 4th-grade students. Five percent of students performed at the Novice level while 60% of students scored Proficient or Distinguished. Another bright spot is Reading in the elementary with an index of 83.3. In grades 3 and 4 combined, sixty-five percent of students were Proficient or Distinguished.
Principal Tara Posey noted that the results were a combination of the efforts from families, students and teachers by commenting, “These scores reflect the hard work and dedication happening every day in our classrooms. Our students rose to the challenge, demonstrating strong progress across multiple subject areas, and our teachers continued to provide excellent instruction grounded in high expectations and meaningful support.”
Overall Index scores at Harlan Middle School were 58.1, keeping them in the yellow rating. Students exceeded the state average index score in all assessment areas (Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Combined Writing) while having Green ratings in Reading and math combined as well as in the Quality of School Climate and Safety Survey.
Principal Andrew Williams noted, “While test scores are only one measure of success, they affirm that our school is moving in the right direction. We will continue to build on this momentum by fostering a positive learning environment where every child feels encouraged, capable, and ready to achieve. I am grateful for the partnership of our families and community, and I look forward to celebrating and students who achieved high marks and future success together.”
Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Senate Bill 158 (2020), Kentucky schools are held accountable for student assessment results in all core subjects (reading, mathematics, science, social studies, and writing), improving the English language proficiency of English learners, the quality of school climate and safety, and postsecondary readiness and graduation rate at high schools. Beginning in 2022, Kentucky’s School Report Card featured the state’s new color-coded accountability system, which was previously a 5-star system. Moving forward, the accountability system provides a color-coded rating for all schools at each level (elementary, middle, and high) ranging from red (lowest) to blue (highest).
On Wednesday, November 19, the Kentucky Department of Education publicly released Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) results from the Spring 2025 assessment for all Kentucky public schools.
Superintendent Parsons closed by stating, “We will proudly recognize these student accomplishments and use every opportunity to remind our students and families just how meaningful it is for a small school like ours to sustain success. Our team will continue to dedicate our efforts for our students, striving to have even better results this year. I also want to applaud our Board of Education for their ongoing support in ensuring that all students have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.”
The state data sets and data for each school district can be accessed on the Kentucky Department of Education’s website in the School Report Card Suite Dashboards. https://reportcard.kyschools.us/
