Homeland security

Kentucky universities will receive the following grants for homeland-security...

Kentucky centers will fight terrorism

Standards proposed for college readiness: Goal is reducing remedial work

Kentucky School of Craft

Homeland security

The universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System will establish a virtual laboratory. Linked electronically, they will work on projects such as developing a high-tech surveillance and face-recognition system. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved $4 million in funding for 11 initial projects.

"To harness the intellectual firepower that exists in Kentucky and the other states I think is one of the big challenges" in meeting the threat of terrorism, Rogers said. "We're thrilled that Kentucky is coming together as it is in harnessing that firepower."

Tom Ridge, secretary of the Depart-ment of Homeland Security, attended the announcement with Rogers and commended the consortium as an example of the collaboration and integration of capabilities needed to protect the country.

"Our homeland security strategy is not a federal strategy; it is a national strategy. And this nation's strength is in the ideas, energy and determination of all its citizens," Ridge said.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who said during his campaign he wanted to bring a federal lab to Kentucky to boost economic development, said establishing the consortium gives the state the advantages of such a lab in "the most cost-efficient and innovative way possible." He said he would keep working on getting a bricks-and-mortar facility to the state.

The occasion for announcing the project was the opening of a conference at the Center for Rural Development on linking homeland security and economic development. Several hundred people attended.

Rogers said he hoped the projects the schools work on will create jobs in Kentucky by moving from the lab to the factory floor -- something University of Kentucky President Lee Todd said holds real promise.

Rogers also announced creation of the National Institute for Hometown Security, located at the rural-development center and headed by Ewell Balltrip, a native of Harlan County who previously headed the Kentucky Appalachian Commission.

Rogers said the institute will work on developing technology to protect infrastructure such as bridges and water systems, focusing on small cities and rural areas. The technology to do that is limited now, Rogers said.

"We're focusing on hometown security because the needs of a Somerset, Ky., are different from those of a Washington, D.C.," Rogers said.

Distribution of the billions of dollars for homeland security projects in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been a source of contention on Capitol Hill and around the country. Urban areas have complained they've been shortchanged by a funding formula that awards a good chunk of homeland-security money evenly among states, without considering the potential threat of a terrorist attack.

James Jay Carafano, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., wrote earlier this year that California, "clearly a target-rich environment" for terrorists, received $5.03 per person in homeland-security general grants, while Wyoming, largely rural and with few potential targets, got $37.94 per person.

The 9/11 Commission also criticized the funding formula, saying "Congress should not use this money as a pork barrel."

Rogers has been at the center of that debate because he is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. He has been able to direct millions in homeland-security spending to Kentucky.

Rogers acknowledged the concerns of cities, though he noted that most money has gone to urban areas and that small towns and rural areas also think they haven't gotten enough.

Rogers said Ridge and members of Congress "are trying to move the debate to the point" where all money to prepare for terrorist attacks would be distributed based on the risk of an attack. He said he thought the change will be made soon.

However, Rogers said it makes sense to give rural areas homeland-security money because an attack could happen anywhere, and every community needs to be able to respond.

"You can't write off the rural areas," he said.

Lexington Herald-Leader
November 5, 2004

Kentucky universities will receive the following grants for homeland-security...

Kentucky universities will receive the following grants for homeland-security research:

• $894,923 to the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University and Murray State University to develop a testing and tracking system for beef cattle that will provide early warnings of disease.

• $654,668 for UK, Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville to develop a high-tech surveillance and face-recognition system.

• $835,556 to Murray State University, Morehead State University and UK to simulate catastrophic events related to dam breaches and evaluate the damage and ability of emergency responders to react.

• $500,000 for EKU and Northern Kentucky University to assess and demonstrate the capability to monitor and manage an emerging statewide public health incident.

• $380,200 to U of L, the Kentucky Community and Technical System College, Hazard Community College and Murray to create and test the effectiveness of portable detection devices to be used in response to an attack with weapons of mass destruction.

• $318,048 to UK and WKU to develop portable command systems for use in emergency situations.

• $250,000 to UK and EKU to develop a community risk and vulnerability assessment tool.

• $285,085 to UK to demonstrate a 3-D simulation and training system for disaster scenarios.

• $135,780 to U of L to develop high-tech systems for predicting disasters and providing first responders with the best routes to quickly reach disaster locations.

• $150,000 for EKU to conduct an assessment of the private security industry.

• $95,751 to UK to determine the best way to manage and disseminate information in situations in which time is critical.

Courier-Journal
November 5, 2004

Kentucky centers will fight terrorism

The National Institute for Hometown Security, based at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, will focus primarily on how best to protect small cities and rural areas against terrorist attacks and other emergency situations, said Rogers, R-5th District.

The Kentucky Homeland Security University Consortium will link the state's colleges and universities for research and development projects, he said.

Rogers, who is chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, said creation of the centers is part of a debate over whether rural areas needed homeland security funding.

"It's one of the toughest problems we've had to face," Rogers said during a news conference at a two-day summit in Somerset on rural security issues. "New York and Washington, D.C., think they've been inadequately funded, but so does Albany, Ky."

Joining Rogers at the summit was U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who said the projects were funded with the "unique notion that the homeland is not secure until the hometown is secure."

"That's the unpredictable nature of terrorism," Ridge said. "That means a soft target or a target anywhere could be subject to an attack by a terrorist."

But Keith Ashdown, a spokesman for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog organization in Washington, said in a telephone interview he was skeptical of the new initiatives.

"It is ludicrous to make the assumption that small towns across the country are at risk like New York was," Ashdown said. "We don't need to make this into the latest money pit for special interests."

Ridge conceded most threat information is geared toward urban areas. "But we still want to build up the basic capacity to respond to an event" in rural America, he said.

Ridge said the nation would avoid another terrorist attack by being "lucky, good, and with a little help from the Almighty."

"We don't have the luxury of knowing where it might happen," Ridge said. "Every community has a role."

Also at the summit was Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who agreed that homeland security is not just a concern of the nation's largest cities.

"We'd be very remiss as a nation if we put all our resources in some areas," Fletcher said. "That would send a message to terrorists that we're vulnerable throughout rural areas."

The National Institute for Hometown Security will be governed by a 13-member board of directors. Funding and the number of employees for the institute have not been determined, said Ewell Balltrip, executive director of the institute and former head of the Kentucky Appalachian Commission.

The Kentucky Homeland Security University Consortium will have 11 initial projects costing $4 million.

Attending the announcement were the presidents of seven of the state's eight public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and the head of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, which represents 19 private colleges.

The largest of the grants is nearly $900,000 to Eastern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky and Murray State University to develop a testing and tracking system for beef cattle that will provide early warnings of disease.

Rogers said the state's colleges and universities can compete with America's best schools, including Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles, by pooling resources and expertise.

"We'll have a nerve center on our campuses. We've invested huge grants in these great institutions in the hope that smaller colleges can also play a role and maximize potential if clustered," Rogers said.

The consortium will be similar to one created earlier this year in Tennessee, which includes six of that state's universities and the Oak Ridge Department of Energy lab.

Fletcher said the consortium represents an opportunity to "all pull together ... and use these funds in the most cost-efficient way possible."

In fiscal 2003, Kentucky ranked 20th among the states and the District of Columbia in per capita expenditures by the Department of Homeland Security, receiving $126.4 million, according to the Census Bureau.

Courier-Journal
November 5, 2004

Standards proposed for college readiness: Goal is reducing remedial work

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Can you add, subtract and multiply integers, fractions and decimals?

Are you able to write an analytical essay that develops a thesis, is well organized and offers a coherent conclusion?

High school students stumped by those questions may need remedial math and English classes in college before they can take credit courses, which state officials said yesterday wastes their money and time and hampers their education.

But nearly 44 percent of full-time, first-time Kentucky university and community college students needed remedial math in 2002-03, and more than 25 percent had to take remedial English, according to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

That's more than in 1998-99. And it is more than the national average of 28 percent who needed remedial English or math, according to a study by the American Diploma Project, which urges tougher high school graduation requirements.

"There are a lot of students who have a misconception of what it means to be college ready," said Jim Applegate, the postsecondary council's vice president for academic affairs. "Even if you go to the workplace to get a job you need these skills."

Yesterday, the postsecondary council began reviewing what would be the first statewide college-readiness standards in math and English. The goal is to cut the number of students in remedial classes.

The council, which sets higher education policy in Kentucky, is scheduled to vote on the new standards Monday.

Defining success

The proposal would guarantee students placement in a credit-bearing English course without the need for remedial classes if they score an 18 on the English subsection of the ACT college-placement test.

Students scoring 19 on the math portion would qualify for placement in a credit-bearing math course, 22 would qualify a student for college algebra, and 27 would qualify a student for calculus, which is required for such majors as math, physics, chemistry and computer science.

Such guarantees aren't in place now, and every school has a different threshold for remediation, Applegate said.

The standards amount to a detailed list of information and skills the postsecondary council says high school graduates should have. If approved, the standards and the placement policy would go into effect next fall.

Some high school students and counselors said they're glad state universities are defining expectations in math and English.

"A lot of students are not really aware of what's going to be expected of them once they step out of high school," said Sydawn Hines-Henderson, 18, a senior at Central High School in Louisville.

Tim Darling, a guidance counselor at Bullitt East High School in Mount Washington, said the standards would complement the school's curriculum.

"It's always a good thing to remind students that they have to be successful in those areas," Darling said "You can't reinforce that enough."

More rigorous math needed

The standards are based on those developed by the $2.4million American Diploma Project, a collaboration of three national education groups urging more rigor in high school so that graduation standards meet college and workplace expectations. The diploma project studied five states, including Kentucky and Indiana, and concluded in a report issued in February that a high school diploma has become little more than a certificate of attendance.

The report called on all public high school students to complete more rigorous English and math studies, including essay and analytical writing and advanced math.

State officials are using the study as a springboard to rethink the high school curriculum.

Applegate said while that's under way, the state's universities thought it was important to establish math and English standards for basic college course work.

Lisa Gross, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, said department officials are supportive of the statewide math and English standards for colleges. But they are wary because not all of the standards match up with the state's high school math and English curriculum.

"We're trying to make a seamless transition all the way from kindergarten to grade 16, so it's important to make sure (students) are not getting mixed messages," Gross said.

The postsecondary council now requires students to take geometry and Algebra I and II to enter college, but the state Board of Education requires geometry, Algebra I and a math elective for high school graduation.

Dianne Bazell, assistant vice president for academic affairs at the postsecondary council, said that disconnect is one reason that students who take Algebra I and II in high school may not be ready for college-level math. She said not all Algebra II courses are as rigorous as they should be in Kentucky high schools.

Christopher Schroeder, a math professor at Morehead State University who helped develop the math standards, also said, however, that colleges haven't clearly told students, parents and teachers what will be expected of students.

"I don't know if we've ever been as clear as we'd like to lay it out and say this is what you need to know to be successful in our universities," Schroeder said.

Students: We're ready

Some students said they believe their high school work will allow them to meet the standards under consideration by the postsecondary council.

For example, Hines-Henderson and Brittany Wright, 18, a senior at Central High in Louisville, said they already meet the English standard calling for them to edit their own and others' writing for grammar, style, purpose and context.

"I criticize and proofread my papers before I take it to a teacher, so I'm used to doing that," Hines-Henderson said.

And Molly Cecil, 17, a senior at Bullitt East taking pre-calculus math, said she's familiar with some of the advanced skills cited by the standards — understanding geometric axioms or the binomial theorem and its connections to Pascal's Triangle — as necessary for college calculus.

"If you're taking it now and learn it now it will be more beneficial to you when you get to college," she said.

Kentucky River News
October 29, 2004

Kentucky School of Craft

It was a long-awaited day of great celebration for the official dedication ceremonies on Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Kentucky School of Craft, a school that will become a national and international model for arts design.

The school’s founding dean, Tim Glotzbach, conveyed his passion, knowledge, and commitment to the school which is now offering classes in jewelry and wood and will later offer classes in ceramics and soon to follow will be blacksmithing, with fibers to be added thereafter.

“This occasion marks the beginning of much more than the opening of a building and a new education program,” noted Becky Anderson of the National Advisory Council. “It offers a legacy, a legacy of our rich cultural tradition of craft, a legacy of a new frontier of economic development; a legacy of the historic spirit of a community, and a legacy devoted to enabling a new tradition of leaderships—a new style of civic giving and involvement that was begun in this process.

“I’m very proud of this facility,” noted former Gov. Paul Patton, who was in the audience. During comments after the program, he expressed his pride in what has been accomplished since the early days of his administration, when the school was being discussed as a way to boost the economy of the region.

Dr. Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), said “The opening of the Kentucky School of Craft in this historic school house provides access to all who love to create, to experience, to preserve the artisan skills of the Appalachian heritage.

“It is a place where the rich talents and traditions of our forefathers is preserved, created anew for the 21st century, and offered to the world market. The opening of this school is important not only in maintaining traditions but in creating new opportunities and new challenges. There are a million reasons why a vibrant art and craft community is important to an area such as Knott County. The dedication of this building is the first step in building such a community. Art attracts business, and make a town like Hindman a most interesting place to live.

“When I look at this community and this facility and think about the future I begin to visualize art communities in states such as New York, New Mexico, and Arizona—places where people come from all parts of the world to work, to observe, and to buy art. These art communities started small, and as they grew in quality, they grew in reputation.

“I see the role of the Kentucky School of Craft as two-fold. First, the school will be in the business of training people to become artisans who create high quality works based on the regional traditions of design and workmanship. The second role of the Kentucky School of Craft is to train the artisan in the business of art. The growth and success of any artist depends upon audience appreciation. This can only happen when skills are developed in the business side of artistic practice. This school will provide information and resources to help artists promote their work, write proposals, handle business affairs, and protect their health and safety. Here students will learn about the financial responsibilities of both the artist and the collector. The student will study pricing, taxes, and accounting.

Hazard Community and Technical College President Jay K. Box said the Kentucky School of Craft is truly an impressive facility that through its programming will help transform Hindman and Eastern Kentucky into an arts and crafts mecca.

“Using the School of Craft in Hindman as the foundation, Hazard Community & Technical College plans on adding a professional music program in Hyden that will feature Bluegrass music, a visual arts and graphic arts program in Jackson at our Lees College Campus, and an interpretive arts program in Hazard that will feature traditional story telling and restore the college’s drama program.

“Out students will become craftsmen. Our craftsmen will become businessmen and women in our communities. Our communities will grow and thrive. And the Community Development Initiative’s vision of using our heritage to build tomorrow’s community will become a reality,” Dr. Box said.

Bill Weinberg, past chair of the Knott County Community Development Initiative, spoke passionately about the community’s plan for an artisan/business incubator.

The event was also highlighted by remarks from Fred Brashear, Chair of the HCTC Board of Directors; Janice Jarrell, City of Hindman mayor; Debbie Moore, Knott County Judge-Executive Representative; Senator Johnny Ray Turner. The national anthem was sung by KCTCS Board of Regents Student Representative Cynthia Osborne, who is also a student at HCTC. Also attending were some of the 13 people who say they were honored to serve as the National Advisory Council.

The money allocated from the state for the Kentucky School of Craft was $4.1 million for the College to purchase the property, to renovate, and build a parking lot. Of that amount $2.877 million went for renovation of the old Hindman High School for the school.