By Mark Tallman

Weskan USD 242 is located near the Colorado border and with around 100 students, it is one of the smallest districts in the state. 

It also ranks at the high end of academic achievement. On the 2022 state reading and math assessments, 72 percent of Weskan’s students scored at Level 2 or higher, and 44.4 percent scored at Level 3 or higher. They averaged 13 points above predictions considering the district’s size, percent of students from low income families, and number of students with disabilities. 

From 2017 to 2022, Level 2 scores increased 11.7 percent and Level 3increased 7.2. They had a 100 percent graduation rate in 2022, the same as  five years before. 

I visited Weskan to ask school leaders what they are doing to get these results. They first credited the community and district culture. This includes dedicated teachers with long ties to the district, involved parents, a supportive community, and welcoming students who support each other. 

They also talked about specific changes within the last five to seven years that they believe have impacted results. They say the changes were encouraged by the State Board of Education’s Kansas Educational System Accreditation (KESA) process and made possible by increased funding. 

“First, we began implementing the use of small groups, or tiering, to focus on students who are struggling with or falling behind on certain skills,” said Fifth Grade and Head Teacher Jo Ann Mote. Their efforts were based on the Kansas State Department of Education’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model. The idea is to provide additional support for students who are having difficulty and provide intensive help to the highest need students. 

Weskan started the process with reading in the lower grades, expanded to math, and then implemented the concept in the upper grades. Weskan educators say it helps to identify students who are falling behind and provide assistance faster as well as giving other students a chance to move ahead, improving results in both cases. 

Weskan educators say that as additional funding became available they were able to acquire new reading and math materials that more closely match state standards and align with state tests. They are also consistent with current approaches like science of reading that is promoted by both the State Board of Education and Kansas Legislature. 

“When we looked at curriculum, we had a team that dove deep into lots of choices and did a lot of research on what was best practices,” said First Grade Teacher Laura Sexson. “Another thing that became available was for us to get more training as teachers,” said Mote. The accreditation process highlighted a need for professional development. “We've had lots of opportunities that we did not have before, and teachers were willing to take outside time to learn,” said Sexson. 

Weskan says they are facing students with greater challenges to learning including mental health concerns, trauma, and family issues. They have been able to get help in this area. Weskan has participated in Project EVERS (Ending Violence and its Effects on Rural Systems) through the Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center in Oakley. The program was developed to meet the needs of rural northwest Kansas students who have been affected by trauma or violence in their homes and communities. Sexson explained how the program has helped her as a teacher. “It finally started answering some questions for me about why I might be trying all sorts of things but find a kid is still not learning. I started to understand there were other things going on that I could not address in the classroom just academically and learned new ways to deal with it.” 

Superintendent John Cox says like all schools, they have issues with mental health. “But for Weskan, we don't have the resources that a lot of the other districts have.” He said that since school staff lacked the necessary training, they added a counselor.  “She is able to talk with the kids the teachers identify with issues right here, not in a therapeutic setting but just as a sounding board for students, the parents, and teachers.” 

Weskan offers a part-time preschool program for both three and four-year-olds, which Cox says compliments a Head Start program in Sharon Springs, the county’s larger community to the east. 

One challenge for a very small rural district is having enough teachers to support a range of programs. Weskan had to drop its Career Technical Education pathways because of staffing. They do however support concurrent enrollment programs with Northwest Kansas Technical College and Colby Community College. Leaders say those institutions have worked to expand opportunities which they believe help sustain the 100 percent graduation and postsecondary success. 

In the end, though, Weskan leaders said the key to their success is the district’s culture. “Everyone is looking out for each other,” said Cox. “They don’t want to let their fellow students down.” He says everyone is working to support all students. “From each of their peers, to the teachers, to the families wanting those kids, their kids, to be successful.”