AUTHOR Davis, Mimi Mitchell; And Others TITLE A Preliminary Analysis of the Kentucky Distinguished Education Initiative: A New Approach to Educational Change.

The goal of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 was that all schools would be successful as measured by the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The Kentucky Distinguished Educator Program was created to promote the goal. The program sought to create a pool of distinguished educators who would serve in School Transformation and Assistance and Renewal (STAR) schools. The distinguished educator's role was to coordinate efforts to transform STAR schools and to create guidance and support for the school change process. This publication presents findings of a study that examined the effectiveness of the distinguished educator program. Data were gathered through surveys of: (1) teachers who served as component managers in STAR schools; (2) principals who served in STAR schools; (3) superintendents who had STAR schools in their districts; and (4) all distinguished educators who served in STAR schools. Preliminary findings showed that the respondents (80 percent) rated th