Tag: student achievement
Dismal 2024 state assessment confirms outcomes won’t improve until adult behaviors change
Results and reactions to the 2024 state assessment could have been predicted more than a year ago, and the exact…
Districts approved pay hikes for school administrators in 2024 while outcomes remain tragically low
The 2024 school year was déjà vu all over again – nice pay increases for administrators and low proficiency levels.…
School board members share ideas on improving student outcomes at 2nd annual KSBRC conference
With the goal of reversing the downward trend in K-12 proficiency levels, school board members and superintendents from across Kansas…
Lansing mom warns State Board of Education about effects of Second Step middle school curriculum
Kirsten Workman of Lansing says her research shows the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program for middle schoolers is ineffective in improving…
Employment of non-teachers rose since 2015 in Kansas while outcomes and enrollment decline
The hiring of non-teachers (administrators and all other employees who are not teachers) has continued an upward trend in Kansas…
Kansas Education Commissioner wants you to believe all students are at grade level
“Prairie Home Companion” on National Public Radio was about the fictional city Lake Wobegon, which host Garrison Keillor described as…
USD 413 Chanute attempts to stifle, marginalize board members
Chanute Board of Education President Heather Guernsey and Superintendent of Schools Matt Koester refuse to answer questions about a “board…
A-F Grading for Kansas schools results show continued declines in 2023
The new “A-F Grading for Kansas Schools,” based on 2023 state assessment scores, shows nearly half of Kansas public schools…
Kansas legislators should follow the principled lead of these three Democrats
“As I watch children in poverty, trapped in failing schools, who can hardly read, I’d be damned if I will…
Students are trapped in the twilight zone of public education
Imagine, if you will, entering the Kansas State Capitol Visitor Center and beginning the long walk through an underground stone…
SB 427 would give school board members tools to improve transparency and accountability
School board members would no longer be restricted to whom they could speak on district issues, nor be barred from…
Senate Bill 509 would create a tax credit for private and home school families
A bill that would provide a tax credit to families whose children are in either private school or are homeschooled…
Niche, Wichita Eagle push student achievement deception
A false sense of high achievement is one of the greatest barriers to students getting the education they need. Many…
KSDE: evidence shows students are negatively impacted by a 4-day school week
There is a growing trend in small school districts to go to a 4-day school week, which, unfortunately, is another…
KASB budget advice is contrary to state law, silent on improving outcomes
Kansas school board members are getting budget advice from the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) that is contrary to…
School officials’ accreditation testimony exposes assault on academic achievement
You might think that mandating loss of accreditation for requiring school districts that don’t comply with state law would not…
Olathe superintendent touts “rebranding” in an era of declining test scores
USD 233 Olathe does not permit school board members to conduct annual needs assessments to improve student outcomes as required…
School Choice rally brings cheering supporters to State Capitol
An estimated crowd of over 150 renewed their call for Kansas to join the growing ranks of states offering School…
KSBRC to host the first in a monthly series of school board member training
The Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC) will offer a free online training workshop for school board members on Wednesday,…
Survey: Bipartisan majorities in JOCO want education savings accounts
In our current political climate, it seems nearly impossible to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on what day it…
Kansas Chamber poll: business leaders call for tax cuts, improving competitiveness in 2024
A year-end poll of 300 Kansas business leaders finds tax cuts, making the state’s economy more competitive, and workforce development…
School funding exceeds $20,000 per student adjusted for cost of living
New data from the Kansas Department of Education show school funding was $17,650 per student in the 2023 school year,…
School districts sitting on $1.25 billion in operating cash reserves
New data from the Kansas Department of Education show school districts collectively added $68 million to their operating cash reserves…
Gov. Kelly, KASB gaslight parents with 2023 student achievement claims
Gaslight is a term used by some mental health practitioners to clinically describe a form of prolonged coercive control in…