School Improvement
Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA)
Kansas utilizes systems accreditation, which provides school districts leverage to address systemic issues by identifying underlying causes, then implementing structures and behaviors necessary to affect sustainable change. It creates an atmosphere of accountability within and among schools across the system, turning individual excellence into collective progress.
Schools conduct Needs Assessments using rubrics and data. Systems (i.e. districts) then compile school information to determine goals for system-wide focus during the five-year cycle. Schools and system leadership develop specific goals and accompanying action plans which correlate with district goals, yet speak to each building's autonomy. The Kansas State Board of Education grants each system an accreditation rating (accredited, accredited-conditional or not accredited) at the end of each five-year cycle of school improvement.
In the 2021-2022 school year, the final year of the previous cycle, the state Board of Education fully and unanimously accredited USD 232, at the meeting on June 10.
USD 232 is in Year Two of the KESA Cycle.Focus is on both annual goal review, followed by selection of objectives and strategies that must be timely and measurable. The district identified goals based on the eight Foundational Structures, and schools then identified building goals in alignment with the district. Directional focus looks to "Why", "What", and "How" to improve instruction, achievement, and services for student learning, with additional concern for consistent delivery of quality instruction, based on multiple measures of data.
“Kansas has always performed well academically, but the remediation rates tell us that we need to make sure our students are learning at the depth needed to be academically ready for whatever path they choose after high school,” states Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson. “The shift toward the higher standards is in direct response to the increased demands of the workforce and post-secondary education. We want Kansas students well prepared and through the adoption of higher standards and better academic measures, Kansas schools are meeting that challenge.”
USD 232 Leadership Summit brings together all Building Leadership Teams for a day of planning each new school year.
Professional development program for new teachers that offers training, resources, and networking opportunities.
The culture of professional knowledge to make instructional decisions for student achievement is embedded into our philosophy.