USD 232 School Improvement News
May 2019
News with Purpose
- Transitions K, 5-6, 8-9
- KESA Year 3
- Student Nutrition
- Reflections from Dr. Watson
- Graduation! Oh! The Places You'll Go!
Transitions
Every year, we look forward to guiding students as they arrive for the first day of school and when they transition to new buildings during the course of their academic careers. In order to help, USD 232 buildings have activities and programs in place. In the elementary schools, prospective Kindergarten students and their parents are welcomed to our annual Kindergarten Round-Up at each school. These evenings are designed to allow students and parents an opportunity to tour the building, receive important information, and become more acquainted with school staff.
At the secondary level, middle school buildings have Fifth-Grade Parent Night to introduce staff to parents. Middle-school counselors visit fifth-graders to provide information about the students’ new schools, as well as serve as resources as they make the transition to sixth grade. Tours are also given by middle school students to create a welcoming atmosphere for their guests. Our high schools also help students make the transition to ninth grade. Students who will attend De Soto High School have an opportunity to attend school trips to the building, as well as attend a Future Wildcat Night event. Those who will attend Mill Valley are visited by counselors, who provide important information as students make the journey to become high schoolers. These activities provide students with the information they need to make successful transitions.
KESA Year 3- What to Expect
- Review compliance and Foundational Structures.
- Review results and progress in meeting the State Board Goals and Definition of a Successful High School Graduate
- Continue action plans and identify data, evidence, supporting plans, and goals
- Conduct mid-cycle review and make adjustments as necessary
- Include District and Building Site Councils
- Inform Board of Education of progress
- Hold annual OVT meeting
KESA is the State Board adopted accreditation model. It is a process. All systems must address the areas of compliance, foundational structures and collaborate with an OVT. Systems will continue to embrace their unique needs and school cultures.
Summer Flex PD
This summer, the district will be offering “Flex” professional development. We are excited that these three days will afford more flexibility in scheduling. Staff can choose to attend on June 5th, July 25th, or July 30th. All sessions are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with an hour scheduled for lunch. If staff attend one of these sessions, they will not be required to attend the August 6th professional development day.
Elementary staff will have an opportunity learn about Dyslexia and Structured Literacy from Jeri Powers, Reading Specialist at Prairie Ridge Elementary, and Allison Nelson, Reading Specialist at Clear Creek Elementary. Also, staff will learn more about how to use the Canvas Learning Management system in their classrooms from Mr. Woody Roper, a trainer from Canvas.
Secondary staff will receive training related to the effective implementation of MacBook Airs in the classroom from Apple trainers. Also, professional development related to our new Learning Management System will be provided.
Student Nutrition
Did you know that the USD 232 Student Nutrition Department serves over 5,000 students each day? Our department is proud to provide safe, nutritious food to our students that is prepared fresh daily. We offer a variety of menu choices at all grade levels to help students select meals that they will enjoy while meeting age-specific recommended daily allowances for calories and nutrients. All meals meet guidelines for school meals as required by the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We have had a very busy and exciting school year!
Recently, we hosted Taste Test Tuesday. Students from De Soto and Mill Valley High School had the opportunity to try a variety of food samples from several vendors at lunch on April 9 and 16. Students at both high schools were able to provide feedback on a range of smart snack food items that could be offered during the next school year. We partnered with marketing classes at both high schools to provide additional opportunities to interact with vendors and help with this annual event.
Schools Aren't Just Test Scores
As thousands of students across Kansas complete their state tests, Education Commissioner Randy Watson says those who try to rank Kansas schools and student achievement based on one assessment are missing the mark. “What is easy to measure gives us an incomplete picture,” Watson said recently to the State Board of Education.
Using only the Kansas Assessment Program tests to gauge student success would be like trying to improve one’s health by only losing weight, instead of also trying to improve additional health indicators, such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, Watson said.
In Kansas, the issue is further complicated because Kansas changed testing regimes in 2015. Prior to 2015, during the No Child Left Behind era, Kansas student scores increased significantly, from 50.3 percent proficient in reading in 2000 to 87.5 percent in 2011 and from 50.3 percent proficient in math in 2000 to 85 percent proficient in 2012. By 2008, a national study said that while some states were setting world-class standards “most are well off the mark.” Kansas decided to change its assessments from one that gauged what a student needed to master to advance to the next grade to a test that measured whether a student was on track for college and career success.
Kansas’ proficiency standards increased from 29th to sixth in the nation and an A grade. Not surprisingly, the tougher standards meant fewer students were in the range of what was considered proficient.
But even that term “proficient” is squishy. What does it mean to be proficient? It’s a matter of judgment. For example, a Level 2 ranking on state assessments is generally not thought to be proficient, but a projected ACT score from Level 2 is 19-22 on the math portion of the test. A 22 in math on the ACT is the benchmark for succeeding in college algebra.
Additionally, Dr. Watson said Kansas has embarked on a comprehensive school programs that focuses not only on academics, but on non-academic skills, such as perseverance, conscientiousness, and teamwork. “Academic achievement by itself doesn’t give us the complete picture. Helping kids be successful is messy and complicated and it’s not one single data on a single day; it’s multiple data sets on multiple days.”
-KASB, April 24, 2019
Oh! The Places You'll Go!
Up Next in '19-'20 Editions
- New Staff and Students Welcome to 232
- Bond Updates
- MTSS Behavior Structuring
- MacBook 1:1
- Math Adoption Process K-12
- Canvas System
- Implementation of MTSS Handbook
- Programming Updates
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: http://www.usd232.org/
Location: 35200 West 91st Street, De Soto, KS, USA
Phone: 913-667-6200