A book study is like a book club, in that a group of people gather to discuss a book.  But there are a number of differences too.  For example, a book study is generally in a more formal setting, like work or a classroom.  In addition, book studies generally focus on one book, and take it slowly over a specified period of time.  In the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the Office of Teaching and Learning's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,…

Near the end of 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General described the tremendous impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children and adolescents, often exacerbating the mental health challenges they experienced prior to the pandemic’s onset. This blog introduces the second topical brief in a series developed by the Region 5 Comprehensive Center (R5CC). The latest topical brief highlights the needs and strategies used to strengthen social and emotional…

Much like nearly the entirety of the nation’s K-12 education systems, career and technical education (CTE) at the secondary school level was severely disrupted by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. As school buildings closed and districts scrambled to transfer instruction to online and hybrid models, CTE classrooms were particularly impacted due to the hands-on nature of many CTE courses, which often require the use of…

"I made pizza deliveries [to homes] where I used to make house calls." (Lou Ortenzio, former trusted West Virginia physician) Beginning in the 1980s, well-meaning physicians across the country overprescribed opioid painkillers. They believed they were doing the right thing. They believed they were helping to relieve their patients from the pain of a tooth extraction, recovery from surgery, an aching overworked back, a sports injury, terminal…

The Region 5 Comprehensive Center along with state leaders in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia has been working to develop and implement Networked Improvement Communities (NICs) to inform improvement initiatives with an organized approach. This blog provides an overview of Step 8 in the 8-step NIC process, sustaining a continuous improvement culture. You may also access ready-made facilitator resources on the NIC website.  …