By Mark Tallman

“We've been able to work with teachers to make sure that what we're actually teaching in class is what we're supposed to be teaching, based on state standards of what students are supposed to learn, and what the state tests them on.” - Baxter Springs Curriculum Coordinator Arthur Commons.

Baxter Springs USD 508 is located in southeast Kansas on the Oklahoma border. The district serves about 860 students with nearly 80 percent of those being high needs. Baxter Springs has significantly higher results on state assessments than predicted based on district size and percentage of high needs students. Based on predictions, from 2017 to 2022, Baxter Springs outperformed other Kansas districts by between 9 and 20 percent. District leaders told me that setting clear goals for educators and students, changing instruction to reflect those goals, and giving more social and emotional support to students was the key.

Commons said over the past five years Baxter Springs has focused on three major goals: improving communications among staff, improving communications with parents, and increasing the number of students who are successfully prepared to complete post-secondary training and education. The district wanted to make sure all schools were involved, with a focus on literacy and math.

“I think the main reason that we have seen success over the last few years on state assessments, is that we want every kid to believe that they can get better themselves,” said Commons. Their building goals call for at least half of the students improving or maintaining scores from one year to the next.

Commons showed how the district started below the state average on state assessments but has improved each year. In 2023 they exceeded the state average in both ELA and math in every grade level for the first time.

“Like other districts in the state, our teachers have gone through structured literacy training on how kids actually learn how to read," said Commons. “Within the last five years we've adopted a program called Really Great Reading, a resource available to all grade levels.  “Three years ago, we hired a reading specialist for grades seven through 12,” said Superintendent David Pendergraft. “Basically, it's another tiered system of support for those kids that are not quite reaching the levels that they need.” The district has also developed reading labs at the middle and high school to assist students who are behind.

Three years ago at the high school level, where improvement had been the slowest, they switched to integrated math, in which algebra and geometry are taught together. High school leaders said this approach helps students see the connection between the two and understand real world applications. It can also help students to do better on the state test by making sure they have been exposed to both areas of math.

The results have also been improved by increased attention to curriculum alignment. “Research shows there is a very strong correlation between having a well identified curriculum that is taught and assessed, and increasing student performance,” Commons said.

Leaders agreed that the program would have been impossible without addressing social and emotional needs, which they said are increasing. The district has added school counselors, partnered with local and regional mental health services, and stressed the need for educators to form stronger relationships with children.

“We're trying to address the whole child instead of just focusing on academics only,” said Lincoln Elementary Principal Kenny Boeckman. He says it can be hard for an educator to step back from the academic side but it is important to make sure that kids trust you, believe in you, and know you care about them.

Bright Idea: Baxter Springs uses a model called the Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) and hired a full-time coordinator for the program. “We’ve learned if a kid is in crisis, he or she can’t learn, and they may be a distraction to others,” said Boeckman. “But if you simply remove them from the classroom without figuring out what’s causing the behavior, it’s going to keep happening.” Now, when students are removed to a separate room  they are given help dealing with their issues and learn to manage them. Boeckman said, “We've got to teach them that schools are safe, that this is a place that you can talk to us, and this is how you need to behave.”