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In mid-September, USD 443 officials learned from the Kansas State Department of Education that the district didn't make Adequate Yearly Progress standards.
As a result, the district was designated as on improvement.
Officials also learned that Kansas Learning Network would pay the district a visit to help identify strengths, challenges and strategies that could help USD 443 make AYP and remove its designation as on improvement.
KLN is a partnership of officials from schools that have been on improvement, Croft & Joftus — an educational consultant firm — and officials from KSDE.
Last week, KLN visited 90 classrooms and met with more than 100 staffers, students, parents and businesses in Dodge City.
In two to three weeks, KLN will report back to USD 443 with a report detailing its findings and suggestions for the district.
"The goal was to survey where the district is compared to what the research says is the best practice," said USD 443 Superintendent Alan Cunningham. "And then look at what our shortcomings were on the state assessments."
Cunningham said KLN identified the district's staff as one of its strengths.
"Our strengths are in our people. We've got great relations with our parents who are learning to become involved in their kids’ education," he said.
The challenges USD 443 has are due to a changing population.
"The district is now serving more and more kids who are economically disadvantaged, and more and more kids coming to us as language learners," said Cunningham.
However, KLN's visit brought no surprises to the district.
"They saw that there are a lot of these recommendations that we're already implementing," he said.
For instance, the district has implemented the Learning Center, parent nights and programs to help further staff training.
He said USD 443 officials were anticipating the day the district wouldn't make AYP because No Child Left Behind calls for more and more students to be proficient in math and English each year.
"I don't anticipate many serious recommendations," Cunningham said.
USD 443 will release KLN's report and develop a plan to address the team's recommendations.
"There's nothing mandatory about this," he said. "It's exactly what we said it is all along. It's just another set of eyes coming in and taking a look at we're doing."
KLN's report will either validate what the district is already doing or give it food for thought about what it needs to do, Cunningham said.
In mid-September, USD 443 officials learned from the Kansas State Department of Education that the district didn't make Adequate Yearly Progress standards.
As a result, the district was designated as on improvement.
Officials also learned that Kansas Learning Network would pay the district a visit to help identify strengths, challenges and strategies that could help USD 443 make AYP and remove its designation as on improvement.
KLN is a partnership of officials from schools that have been on improvement, Croft & Joftus — an educational consultant firm — and officials from KSDE.
Last week, KLN visited 90 classrooms and met with more than 100 staffers, students, parents and businesses in Dodge City.
In two to three weeks, KLN will report back to USD 443 with a report detailing its findings and suggestions for the district.
"The goal was to survey where the district is compared to what the research says is the best practice," said USD 443 Superintendent Alan Cunningham. "And then look at what our shortcomings were on the state assessments."
Cunningham said KLN identified the district's staff as one of its strengths.
"Our strengths are in our people. We've got great relations with our parents who are learning to become involved in their kids’ education," he said.
The challenges USD 443 has are due to a changing population.
"The district is now serving more and more kids who are economically disadvantaged, and more and more kids coming to us as language learners," said Cunningham.
However, KLN's visit brought no surprises to the district.
"They saw that there are a lot of these recommendations that we're already implementing," he said.
For instance, the district has implemented the Learning Center, parent nights and programs to help further staff training.
He said USD 443 officials were anticipating the day the district wouldn't make AYP because No Child Left Behind calls for more and more students to be proficient in math and English each year.
"I don't anticipate many serious recommendations," Cunningham said.
USD 443 will release KLN's report and develop a plan to address the team's recommendations.
"There's nothing mandatory about this," he said. "It's exactly what we said it is all along. It's just another set of eyes coming in and taking a look at we're doing."
KLN's report will either validate what the district is already doing or give it food for thought about what it needs to do, Cunningham said.
