USD 232 School Improvement News
October 2018
News with Purpose
- Technology- 1:1 Pilot Program
- Career Readiness- Pathways and IPS
- District Safety and Security Initiatives
- KESA- What's Up in Year Two
- English Language Learners
- New Teachers Experience Mock Parent-Teacher Conferences
1:1 Computer Device Pilot Program
The Board of Education directed the school district to move forward with a pilot program during the 2018-19 school year to evaluate the impact of providing one computing device per student. This is known as the 1:1 Computer Device Pilot Program.
A cross-section of 21 teachers at all levels will use new devices this year in their classrooms, one per student, to help determine which device best meets the educational needs of students. These devices include iPads, MacBook Air laptops, and Dell Latitude laptops. Parents of students participating in the pilot program received separate communication from schools.
The purpose of the 2018-19 pilot program is to study increased technology access and its effects on enhancing educational experiences and opportunities. The feedback and data collected from teachers and students during the pilot program will guide the Board in determining next steps.
Using the data from the pilot program will create the spark to facilitate innovation in classrooms across the system. It will help the district move from a model of simply replacing technology to redefining what learning looks like in an effort to meet the district’s Technology Focus Priority Standards, which were selected by the district’s Technology Committee.
The pilot will conclude on February 27, 2019 and the data collected will help answer the following questions for the Board of Education:
- Should the District acquire more devices for students to use in classrooms?
- Which devices would supply the greatest functionality and durability to best meet the needs of students?
- Which grade levels would best utilize the technology in a 1:1 model?
- Will increased access to technology move students beyond consumers of technology to also become creators and innovators?
Over the last six years, the board discussed the necessity of providing students meaningful access to technology through strategic, long-term planning. It took deliberate steps during that time to maximize the efficient use of resources to address technology infrastructure and the replacement of critically-aged devices.
Next Steps
Once the pilot program is completed during second semester of the 2018-19 school year, the technology committee, which includes community and parent representatives, will meet with the teachers involved in the pilot to discuss the data and feedback collected. This group will then make a technology recommendation to be shared with the Board of Education. This information will guide the Board in determining what steps, if any, should be taken to provide increased student access to classroom technology.
Pathways and IPS
The school district is implementing the first phase of its strategic plan of providing all students with Individual Plans of Study (IPS). Beginning at the middle school level with a new course called Pathways, students will focus on developing an individual plan toward college and career readiness.
What is IPS?
The concept of IPS is centered in the school district’s vision and mission to maximize each student’s potential… through excellent, innovative learning opportunities. The focus puts students in charge of the direction of their education. It helps teachers and administrators know their students better, placing a priority on building relationships. The result is a plan that tailors student learning in such a way that it brings relevance to what we teach.
With a workforce increasingly requiring higher educational levels for jobs coupled with a relatively low percentage of students completing a postsecondary credential (certificate through advanced degree), the learning and labor landscape has come to a crossroads.
To assist more students to complete a post-secondary credential and be competitive in the labor market, it’s crucial to begin career exploration and planning earlier in students’ educational experience. The Kansas State Board of Education has set an IPS for every student beginning in the middle grades as one of their State Student Success Outcomes to help students plan for success after high school.
Students Finding Their Paths
The district launched a new course with the 2018-19 school year at the middle school level called Pathways. Pathways is a course that incorporates Kansas state Social-Emotional and Character Development standards, development of Individual Plans of Study, and acquisition of 21st Century Skills through critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication, and creativity.
The Social-Emotional Character Development Standards provide students an opportunity to learn skills related to character, personal and social development. Themes and subjects explored in this course also introduce students to Individual Plans of Study, which allow them an opportunity to explore educational and career paths that align with their interests. According to the Kansas State Department of Education, Individual Plan of Study "includes development of a flexible career focus and an education plan that is clearly-defined, rigorous, and relevant to assure a successful and efficient transition to postsecondary education and/or the workforce.”
Critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication and creative are crucial to students’ success in life, work and citizenship. These skills were identified by educators and business leaders as being necessary components of schools that focus on preparing students for the ever-changing demands of 21st century work environments. Additional units of study include self-exploration, project-based learning and use of the Career Cruising program.
As students navigate through high school and into career and college, it is important that they set educational goals and create a roadmap for success. This roadmap, or IPS, includes the development of a flexible career focus and an education plan to assure a successful transition to further education after high school (postsecondary education, i.e. technical, 2 yr. or 4 yr. colleges and universities) and/or the workforce. An IPS is developed cooperatively with the student and the student's counselor, teachers, and family members. The plan is reviewed at least twice annually and is revised as needed.
The school district will communicate with families as it moves forward with IPS into the 2019-20 school year and beyond.
Safety and Security Procedures Coming Soon!
The Board of Education, at its regular meeting on Monday, August 13 approved new security procedures for all schools related to visitor access. The new procedures will be implemented in the fall. At the direction of the Board, the district prepared recommended procedures for the implementation of the new security equipment at all schools, which is part of the safety and security initiative in the 2018 bond issue approved by voters in May.
All schools will have video/audio door access stations installed at main entrances. The new door stations give schools the ability to have a locking configuration that would require visitors to push a button and request access into the building.
One of the most important steps schools can take to support safe learning environments is access control. According to law enforcement experts, two important allies for safety are time and distance; keeping a potentially dangerous subject as far away for as long as possible.
Locking all main entrances to prevent immediate access to school offices adds a barrier and gives staff additional time to identify potential threats. It is important to stress that this solution will not prevent an individual who is intent on causing harm. School districts struggle with maintaining a balance between having a user-friendly, welcoming school climate and a facility which is secure from unwanted intruders.
KESA- Year Two
Kansas implemented a systems (i.e. district) approach to accreditation, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. This gives school districts leverage to address systemic issues by identifying underlying causes and then implementing structures and behaviors necessary to effect sustainable change across the district. It creates an atmosphere of accountability within and among schools across the system, turning scattered instances of excellence into collective progress.
The model is designed around system-level accreditation, occurring at the end of a five-year cycle of improvement efforts using an educational framework called “The Five Rs.” In the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model, the improvement process begins at the school level.
Schools conduct needs assessments using rubrics and data specified in “The Five Rs” framework. Systems compile school information to determine the two Goal Areas for focus during the five-year cycle. Schools and system leadership then develop specific goals and accompanying action plans, followed by a two-year implementation period.
The cycle wraps up with an analysis of goal achievement, growth in the two goal areas, and improvement in data supporting the State Board’s five outcomes. Finally, the State Board grants each system an accreditation rating (accredited, accredited-conditional or not accredited).
In USD 232, Year One of the accreditation and school improvement process is complete. Leadership voices were structured from all stakeholders associated with the school district, and actively participated in discussion, events, and decision-making. These choices guided the district and individual buildings in creating optimal instruction and opportunity for student success.
USD 232 is in Year Two of the KESA cycle. The focus is on both immediate and long-term goal-setting, which is followed by selection of objectives and strategies that must be timely and measurable. The district worked collectively to identify the goals of "Relationships" and "Relevance", and schools then identified building goals from components of the district's choices. We spent the first year working on the "why", and in Year Two, we turn attention to "What" and "How" to improve instruction, achievement, and services for student learning.
English as a Second Language
We are excited to welcome two new English Language Learner (ELL) teachers to our district! Molly Kennedy provides services to students at Lexington Trails Middle School, and Ashley Linville works with students at Riverview Elementary School. These two new staff members were able to meet with ELL teachers from around district during annual beginning-of-the-year collaboration, where information was shared about updates at the state level. Special thanks goes to Becky Sagal, who has taken the lead working with staff to organize instructional materials, and Kerry Borchardt, who improved the important process of collecting student data for state reporting.
Recently, Kansas changed some of its requirements for student eligibility to receive ELL services. Students currently receiving services are required to take the annual KELPA2 state exam. In previous years, a student was required to have a score of “Proficient” for two consecutive years on the test, in order to be exited from services; however, at the beginning of this school year, that requirement changed. Students are now required to score “Proficient” on the exam for one year to be eligible to either move to a “Transition” year or move directly to “Monitored” status for two years.
District Mentor Program Hosts Mock Parent-Teacher Conferences for New Teachers
New teachers participated in Mock Parent-Teacher Conferences, with administrators serving in the role of parents. Each teacher was given a scenario specific to his or her teaching position, and given time to process through the simulated conference. This is followed by a reflective meeting to review essential questions for continuous improvement.
- What went well?
- What improvements can be made for communication and logistical means?
- What valued insights did the teacher gain from the administrative feedback?
Up Next in the November Edition
- FastBridge
- Early Childhood Programming and Staff
- Social-Emotional Character Development (SECD)
- Technology Committee Accomplishments
- MTSS
Bringing Awareness to Our Communities and Stakeholders
- District Programs- Early Childhood-to-Postsecondary
- Student and Staff Highlights
- Academic and Extracurricular Events of Interest
- Updates in Standards, Curriculum, Technology, and Assessments
- Relationships with Internal and External Stakeholders
- Relevance in Innovative Learning and Leadership
USD 232 School Improvement News
Email: mhite@usd232.org
Website: https://ks02213215.schoolwires.net/site/default.aspx
Location: 35200 West 91st Street, De Soto, KS, USA
Phone: 913-667-6200