By Mark Tallman

“I think the best way to promote success is to lead by example. That's kind of what we promote here inside of the high school. People really feed off watching other people have so much success and what they're doing there.” - Labette County High School Student Body President Alice Carnahan.

Labette County USD 506 is located in Altamont, in the southeast corner of the state. I visited as part of my tour of districts that do significantly better than expected based on their percentage of students from low-income families and students with disabilities (totaling 78.4 percent). The district’s 1,500 students come from rural areas and several small towns throughout the county.

Labette County is exceeding predictions on state assessments by 12 percent, graduation by almost 5 percent, and postsecondary success by almost 10 percent. We met with administrators, principals, teachers, and students to find out what the district is doing to get these results. They identified three key areas: an emphasis on helping each student plan for a successful future academically, socially, and individually; a powerful sense of community and relationships that encourage and reinforce success; and a commitment to change policies, practices and methods that lead to better outcomes.

Preparing students for success.

“About 15 years ago, we were noticing in our community that our children were successful to a point, but they didn't know how to move to the next level of success,” said Stacy Smith, High School Principal.

In response, the district embraced the Individual Plan of Study goal from the Kansas State Board of Education. This encourages students to focus on career and postsecondary planning. “We want students to understand that they are the owners of their future. Our job is to help them make decisions and get the skills they need for the future they want,” Smith said.

The district has shifted its focus on postsecondary planning. Kansas is meeting the need for jobs requiring four-year degrees but is coming up short in preparing for jobs that will require two years of college, a technical certificate or industry certification. In fact, it is predicted that one-third of future jobs will require no postsecondary education. Employers located in the district have indicated that they provide high school graduates with the necessary on-the-job training.

Labette County has a strong tradition of career and technical education (CTE). All students are required to take a CTE class and about 75 percent complete a CTE pathway. Many students also earn transferable college credit through agreements with area community colleges.

During our visit, we saw students engaged in a variety of activities including practicing health care, building machines, and working on college applications. We visited a house under construction by students and the school’s working farm. There is also an intensive focus on getting students involved in school organizations that provide leadership, service, and interpersonal skills experience.

Community, relationships and expectations.

Students believe supportive relationships are key.  “This place really is a family,” said senior Tanner Templeton. “The teachers, the kids, everybody here supports you so that you can be on that road to success.” Students and school leaders stressed the welcoming nature of the community and offered praise for passing bond issues, fund-raising and supporting activities.

Change for the better results.

School leaders admit they are fortunate to be in a district with strong community support, but they say their outcomes don’t just happen. In addition to changes at the high school, the district’s five grade K-8 elementary schools have reviewed and aligned their curriculum. They use federal Title funding to provide additional help for struggling students through a Multi-tier System of Support (MTSS). The district has expanded preschool programs to serve the community and help get children ready for kindergarten.

They also say the district has had to increase social and emotional support for students as they face challenges outside of school. Principals monitor the community to know which students might need help.

Meadow View Grade School Principal Chris Kastler explains, “We know if kids are hungry, they can't learn; if they can’t regulate themselves, nothing else is going to work. You have got to take care of that before you can have success in the classroom.”

Students expressed gratitude for support from the school when they face difficulties. Students and educators both recognized the importance of resilience to keep moving forward.

Bright idea: Every senior is required to choose college or career orientation as a requirement for graduation. Students have to take a course in financial literacy, which will soon be Kansas graduation requirement. “Hopefully, by the time our students leave they can purchase their own vehicle, understand health, auto, and home insurance and understand rental agreements.” Principal Stacy Smith. “We want kids to have the pieces to move on and be successful, not just academically but all those skills to be an adult.”