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January Student Success News
The Kansans Can vision for student success focuses on multiple areas that prepare students to be successful adults, including kindergarten readiness, fundamental academic skills, health and safety, civic education and community engagement, preparing for individualized postsecondary success, and meeting economic needs.
Here is a report on significant developments in these areas from January, with Kansas Can outcomes and measures used for school district accreditation.
Kindergarten Readiness
Students and families receive support to help prepare for kindergarten and be successful in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education through various public and private programs, including school-based programs.
Kansas Can Outcomes: Kindergarten Readiness, measured by Kansas Star recognition rubric.
Governor creates task force to develop early childhood state agency
Governor Laura Kelly issued an executive order on January 10, creating a task force to develop a transition plan for a single cabinet-level agency for early childhood education. The task force will analyze the current early childhood system and how it is financed – focusing on gaps, inefficiencies, and redundancies. Currently, responsibility for funding and oversight of early childhood programs, ranging from private day care to public preschool programs, falls to various state agencies, including the State Board of Education, the Kansas Children's Cabinet, the Department of Health and Environment and the Department of Children and Families.
"Giving Kansas kids the strongest start to life is the best possible investment we can make," said Governor Kelly in her statement. "This task force will determine how to make that investment most effectively."
The task force will include 13 representatives from state agencies, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, early childhood service providers, and advocacy organizations. Members of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives will also be invited. The task force will hold a series of public meetings later this year to take input from stakeholders across the state later. The creation of a new or restructured cabinet-level agency will require Legislative approval.
Early Childhood efforts get support from federal funding
The State Finance Council approved another round of funding from federal COVID pandemic relief funds, including $20 million for community-based grants focused on the construction/capital enhancement of childcare facilities and initiatives supporting the childcare workforce. The goal is to increase the number of licensed childcare facilities and childcare slots and improve the ratio of licensed childcare slots to children birth-5 in the communities. Kansas has also received a one-year $4 million federal Preschool Development Grant. This grant will fund a new comprehensive statewide needs assessment, renew a five-year strategic plan for early childhood education, and support the work of the new Early Childhood Take Force appointed this month.
Fundamental Academic Skills
Students acquire essential reading, writing, math, and other academic and cognitive skills to function individually, in society, and in the workforce. Students reach levels of competency that give them options for postsecondary choices.
Kansans Can Outcomes: Students are academically prepared for postsecondary education, measured by ACT scores and the percentage of students scoring at levels 3 or 4 of state assessments.
The State Department of Education continues to focus on raising academic performance
Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) leaders are working on updated guidance for local school districts and clear, measurable goals to monitor monthly and yearly state progress to improve graduation and post-secondary success. Thirty-four percent of Kansas students scored at the lowest level on state assessments in math and reading (English Language Arts), and 40 percent scored at Level 1 in science. The percentage at the lowest level has been increasing. The students at the top two levels, considered effectively ready for post-secondary education, have declined since the current tests were adopted in 2015 and fell more rapidly following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December, KSDE reported research that high school students who score at Level 1 (Limited) on the summative state assessment are much less likely to graduate and meet the post-secondary effective rate. In January, KASB staff said a new research analysis found that a student's score at one grade level was highly predictive of scores on later tests.
State Board briefed on Kansas Math Proficiency Project
In January, the State Board of Education was briefed on one effort to raise academic performance: the Kansas Mathematics Proficiency Project, a new effort to improve K-12 math instruction through in-person and online training models. The program under development is funded through state-level ESSER (federal COVID relief for education) funds approved by the State Board of Education for learning loss. The goal is to support all math teachers, from Pre-K to Grade 12. The program is similar to the LETRS training on literacy being offered to reading teachers with ESSER funding, as LETRS is based on the science of reading and the Kansas Math Proficiency Project is being built upon the science of math. However, the most significant difference between the two is that Kansas math educators are developing the Kansas Math Proficiency Project, with the aid of national experts, aligned explicitly to Kansas state standards under the Kansas State Department of Education.
Health and Safety
Students learn in a safe and healthy environment and understand physical and mental health. Schools work with families, communities, and other partners to address issues that interfere with students' ability to learn.
Kansans Can Outcomes: Social-emotional skills, measured locally, using Kansas Star recognition rubric.
Nearly 97 million meals served
Over 96.9 million meals were served last year through 841 sponsoring programs, including 409 school nutrition programs, 310 child and adult care food programs and 122 summer food service programs, according to a report from the Kansas State Department of Education's Child Nutrition and Wellness program. The report also noted that all school districts provided breakfast programs this year with no requests for waivers. KSDE staff shared information about the academic impact of school breakfast programs.
State Board recognizes Child Nutrition Management certifications
The State Board of Education recognized three school food service leaders for earning the Certificate in Child Nutrition Management: Kimberly Baillargeon from USD 306 Southeast of Saline, Kimberly Chambers from USD 211 Norton Community Schools and Tara Daniels from USD 506 Labette County. The certificate program is sponsored by the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness program and approved by the Kansas State Board of Education. To receive the certificate, participants must complete 120 hours of management classes approved by KSDE.
Safe and Secure School Conference registration is open
The Kansas State Department of Education is holding the Safe and Secure Schools Conference on January 30-31, 2023, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 410 South 3rd St., Manhattan. Click here for registration information and program details.
Civic Education and Community Engagement
Students learn about political and economic systems and cultural heritage with an opportunity to engage with their community.
Kansans Can Outcomes: Civic Engagement, measured by Kansas Star recognition rubric.
State Board approved final year of “Sunflower Summer” programs for children and families
The State Board of Education approved a third and final "Sunflower Summer" for 2023, using the final funding set aside by State Board from state-level ESSER (COVID relief) funds. The first Sunflower Summer kicked off during the first year of the pandemic (2020) after schools were closed from mid-March to May. It used federal COVID-19 aid to pay the admission cost for students and accompanying adults to attend a wide range of attractions (museums, parks, camps and other activities) for educational and family experiences at no charge. Last year, nearly 120,000 students participated. The 2023 program will feature over 104 venues, day camps and special events.
Preparing for Individualized Postsecondary Success
Students are supported in developing skills for education and employment after high school based on their individual interests, including broader skills than academics alone. This includes more flexibility in when, how and where students can learn and more hands-on learning experiences.
Kansans Can Outcomes: Individual Plans of Study with Career Focus, measured by Kansas Star recognition rubric.
Career and Technical Student Organizations brief the State Board on educational benefits
In January, the State Board of Education received a presentation from and lunched with the student leaders of the state's eight official Career and Technical Student Organizations. The presentation focused on how their organizations play a role in helping fellow students work toward postsecondary success through the Individual Plan of Study (IPS) process.
One organizational leader noted, "It's hard to know what courses to take in high school if you don't know what you plan to do in life."
Each student stressed the benefits of the activities in the program, from leadership skills to organization, with another student leader saying, "high school alone isn't enough to prepare you."
Nearly 24,000 Kansas students participated in these organizations last year.
Kansas CTE Conference
Registration is now open for the Kansas Annual CTE Conference, held on Feb. 6-8 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. The theme for this year's conference is "Connect the Dots," hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Association of Educational Service Agencies. Click here for registration and program information.
Meeting Economic Needs
Students acquire the skills needed for individual economic security and meeting workforce needs in an economy where most jobs require both high school graduation and additional education.
Kansans Can Outcomes: high school graduation, postsecondary success, and how the district compares to districts with similar rates of student poverty and other risk factors.
Kansas public school graduation rate hit a record high in 2022
The Kansas graduation rate for public high schools last year was 89.1 percent, the highest since adopting the current calculation rate in 2010, according to new data released by the Kansas State Department of Education. The graduation rate also reached an all-time high for most major subgroups of students, including those who historically have lagged. Those include students qualifying for free meals, students with disabilities and students with Limited English Proficiency.
The graduation rate for all students rose from 88.1 percent in 2021 to 89.1 percent in 2022, after a 0.1 percent drop between 2020 and 2021 during the first year of the COVID pandemic. The rate for students has increased 8.4 percentage points since 2010. The average of male and female students eligible for free lunch graduating rose 14.3 percentage points from 2010 to 2022. Low-income students continue to graduate at lower rates but have made more progress.
Click here for more details.