Case Study

Johnson County Schools: Coaching Culture Drives Results

Bar chart showing JCS’s scale score advantage over the state on the KSA increasing from 2022–2023 to 2024–2025: reading from 2 to 6 to 11 points, and math from 4 to 8 to 14 points.

Building Capacity and a Bigger Lead Over Kentucky

From 2022–2023 to 2024–2025, JCS’s combined advantage over the state average on the Kentucky Summative Assessment (Grades 3–8) grew from six points to 25—an 11-point lead in reading and 14-point lead in math.

Overview

Helping Every Teacher Grow

Johnson County Schools was already outperforming Kentucky, but leaders saw room to grow. Through universal K–12 coaching, biweekly coherence meetings, and mentoring for every teacher, supported by a 15-year partnership with Curriculum Associates, JCS built a coaching culture grounded in trust. In two years, the district’s lead over the state grew sharply in both subjects. The Education Scorecard named JCS a 2026 “District on the Rise” in mathematics.

District:Johnson County Schools (JCS)
Subject:Mathematics, Literacy
Grade:K–8
Topic:Academic Achievement, Core Math, Implementation and Practice

Testimonials

“Leadership is about being visible in classrooms, asking questions, and authentically listening. I worked closely with our principals, our coaches, and our teachers to ensure they had the time, the tools, and the trust needed to make this work.”

— Superintendent Thom Cochran

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