Equipping school board members, district leaders and teachers with innovative but practical strategies to improve academic achievement was the focus of the annual Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC) Summit. Like The Sentinel, KSBRC is a subsidiary of the Kansas Policy Institute.
Over 150 educators and school leaders from 17 districts, along with authors and legislators from across the state, gathered in Wichita for the one-day event. Among the focus areas covered by subject-matter experts were:
- Student Achievement
- Effective Governance
- Strategic Leadership
- Responsible Stewardship
- Special Education
- School Policy
- Student Discipline
Keynote speaker Heather Morgan, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Community Colleges, said community colleges are uniquely positioned to assist the many students who are not academically prepared upon graduating high school:
“It’s really important that the students who are entering into the higher education system and the workforce are prepared to succeed. So, community colleges, we provide you with support. Quite frankly, it’d be really great if you could teach your students how to ask for that support.
“Because sometimes we get so far down, I’m sure that happens in your classrooms too. The student hasn’t turned in any assignments for the 1st half of the semester. We can help them if they ask for help. We tried to identify them with co-requisite education. So we have math halfways in Kansas now. Not every student has technology, algebra. in a non-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) career, you can take contemporary Math or Statistics. I had to take college Math and Statistics. Thank the Lord for Pratt Community College, while I was in high school; math is not my thing!
“But our students are finding it difficult to get through any of these gateway courses, so what we’ve done is make them apply to our course, instead of a three-hour course. To offer them tutoring on those other days. Students are opting into these courses not because they’re necessarily so low, but they don’t feel prepared to do that level of work, especially if they’re going on to a competitive program, like Pharmacy or Nursing. They need to get mastery of material. They’re not feeling like they can master it. We have advising career planning and other interventions, when students arrive. But we are seeing students in our courses who are so below academic standards, that it’s very hard to get them on track. And once we lose that student, without a credential, a value for their job, it’s very hard to get them back.”
According to a news release following the event, the Summit comes at a critical time for Kansas education. State assessment results show that approximately 150,000 Kansas students are functionally illiterate, underscoring the urgent need for school leaders to focus on the core mission of education: ensuring every student gains the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. In response to this literacy crisis, KSBRC brought together school board members, administrators, teachers, and policymakers to learn from experts and discuss proven strategies to strengthen instruction and improve student outcomes.
A highlight of this year’s Summit was the launch of the Kansas Coalition of Public Innovative Districts Results Now 2.0 Improving Academic Achievement Program, led by nationally recognized education author and consultant Dr. Mike Schmoker.
In an interactive workshop, Dr. Schmoker challenged participants to focus on the instructional practices that most impact student learning. Rather than continually pursuing new programs and initiatives, attendees examined how schools can strengthen the foundational elements of effective education: a coherent curriculum, authentic literacy, and soundly structured lessons.
Participants worked through Schmoker’s FOCUS framework, learning how to identify where districts should invest their limited time, energy, and resources to achieve the greatest gains in student achievement. The workshop emphasized moving from research to meaningful classroom practice and ensuring that every student is prepared for college, careers, and citizenship.
Wabaunsee USD 329 is currently the only Innovative School District in Kansas. Superintendent Dr. Troy Pitsch represented the district at the Summit.
KSBRC breakout sessions
Other programs presented included the so-called “Mississippi Miracle” discussed by KPI CEO Dave Trabert:
Finding savings in school budgets with KSBRC Project Lead Marc Woofter:
Legal issues involving special education with attorney Kathleen Urbom:
Developing school board policies with Lansing board member Kirsten Workman:
And school discipline issues and remedies with Concordia Board President Mike Cleveland:
Some comments from participants reflected the positive feedback on the day’s sessions
“It was an amazing day,” said Jeremy Demuth, President of the USD 382 Pratt Board of Education. “It was so great to hear directly from Dr. Schmoker. He has so much energy behind his message.”
Another attendee shared feedback from a Pratt teacher who appreciated seeing her school board members participate alongside educators, saying it made teachers feel valued and reinforced that district leadership and classroom staff were working toward the same goals.
Lacee Sell, Superintendent of USD 267 Renwick, added: “Today was a fantastic day.”
KSBRC Executive Director Dr. Tracy Frederick reflected on the day:
“The focus of every educational decision should be whether it helps students learn and succeed. Our goal is to equip school board members and district leaders with practical tools and proven strategies that improve academic achievement and help more Kansas students reach their full potential.”
