KENTUCKY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
School Counts!
Information
For Parents
For Students
For Businesses
Documents
Student Application
Employer Registration
Newsletter
Distribution of Funds
Appeals Process
Donors & Levels of Giving
Case for Support
Abstract
Fact Sheet
Committees
Supporting Businesses

Information for Parents

In recent meetings, a number of community leaders gathered to discuss the need of providing a college education for all high school graduates in Hopkins County who meet certain criteria. During the past year, the local communities have defined as one of their priorities the need to increase the educational level of all residents. In various meetings between educational groups and community leaders, a collective theme has come about which defines the "dream" for Hopkins County. That dream is to have the ability to offer support for up to $1000 per semester for four semesters to every graduating high school student who meets the School Counts criteria each of the four years of high school. This support would be used in combination with available scholarships, financial aid, and KEES money to ensure that the majority of the tuition costs are covered.

Why is School Counts! important?

The issues Hopkins County is facing are serious. Employers want employees who have basic employability skills. School Counts directly addresses the regional view of more skilled workers with basic skills (reading, writing, and math) and workplace readiness skills such as teamwork, punctuality, and reliability. School Counts provides an answer to the question asked by every student at one time or another: "Why are we leaning this?"

How does School Counts! work?

One of the most difficult tasks facing employers in Hopkins County is determining the level of workplace readiness and educational preparedness in job applicants. The high school transcript does not tell an employer that the student has basic workforce skills. As an alternative source of information, the School Counts program awards student certificates, which are a workplace readiness indicator that can easily be understood by a potential employer.

The criteria a student must meet before earning a School Counts certificate are as follows:

Certificates are awarded at the end of each academic year. The certificates are a handy way of alerting an employer that the job candidate sitting before them has developed strong workforce readiness skills in the areas of Quality, Attendance, Persistence, and Rigor.

Beginning with the class of 2008, all of the students in Hopkins County who graduate from high school and earn four consecutive School Counts program certificates will receive up to $1000 per semester for four semesters for tuition to Madisonville Community College. This support will be for students who do not qualify for other types of scholarships or financial aid. It will be used in combination with available KEES money.