RUSSELL COUNTY, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Education and the Kentucky Department of Education have released the 2025–2026 assessment and accountability scores, giving families and local educators a detailed look at school performance across Russell County.  
Under Kentucky’s color-coded accountability system—which measures both current performance ("Status") and year-over-year improvement ("Change") across six key indicators—Russell County Schools maintained a solid standing overall, with zero schools falling into federal intervention categories (such as CSI, TSI, or ATSI).
Key District Highlights
Russell County High School (Yellow): RCHS earned an overall state score of 60.8 (Yellow). Highlights included strong performance in Graduation Rate, which received a Green rating at 95.6%. On the junior SAT administration, 46% of students met college readiness benchmarks in Reading & Writing (above the state average of 470.9), while 22% met the benchmark in Math.
Russell County Middle School (Green): RCMS posted strong results across the board, earning an overall score of 68.1 (Green). Middle school students outperformed state averages in combined Proficient and Distinguished percentages across all tested content areas—reading, math, science, social studies, and writing.
Elementary Schools:
Jamestown Elementary (Green - 70.7): Showed consistent growth across indicators, with high status levels in science, social studies, and writing.
Russell Springs Elementary (Yellow - 68.3): Earned a notable Blue rating (96.5) for English Learner Progress—a significant 24.1-point increase from the prior year—along with strong marks in science and climate.
Salem Elementary (Yellow - 59.5): Scored Green in reading and math (69.0), though offset by lower scores in science, social studies, and writing (45.5 - Orange).
School Climate and Kindergarten Readiness
Across the district, students reported strong relationships with staff on the Quality of School Climate and Safety Survey. Ratings ranged from Green at RCMS and all three elementary schools to Yellow at RCHS. High percentages of students agreed that teachers expect their best effort (97% at RCMS, 91% at RCHS) and that adults in the school listen to them.
District screener data showed that 44% of incoming kindergarteners were classified as kindergarten-ready, closely mirroring the statewide average of 45%.
Looking Ahead: Changes Coming in 2026–2027
District leaders emphasized that standardized test scores are only one piece of a broader picture used to guide student success.
Additionally, significant changes are on the horizon for Kentucky’s accountability framework following the passage of House Bill 257. Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year:  
Standalone assessments for on-demand writing and editing/mechanics will be eliminated.  
The system will shift to heavily focus on individual student growth in reading and math.
Student attendance will replace the school climate survey as an official accountability metric.
Local school districts will have the flexibility to develop complementary local measures highlighting hands-on and real-world learning.
?ull district and school-level data from the 2025–2026 report card are available online via the Kentucky Department of Education’s School Report Card dashboard.