243 systems recognized through Kansans Can Star Recognition Program

243 systems recognized through Kansans Can Star Recognition Program

Southern Lyon County USD 252 only district to be recognized in eight areas for four consecutive years

TOPEKA - The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) recognized 243 public school districts and eight private systems through the 2024 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program that has been in place since the 2019-20 school year.

Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson announced the recipients of this year's awards during the Kansas State Board of Education's October meeting. The recipients will also be announced and celebrated at KSDE's annual conference, Great Ideas in Education: Lighting the Path Forward, Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.

The program honors districts and systems for excelling in outcomes established around the vision for education in the state - Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.

The vision was announced in 2015 by the Kansas State Board of Education and KSDE. A new accreditation model, Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA), was announced shortly after. KESA accredits at the system level to create systemic change among school buildings in a district. The second iteration of the accreditation system, KESA 2.0, is in full implementation as of the start of the 2024-25 school year.

The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is designed to support the KESA process by providing a level of recognition that helps districts identify where they want to focus their improvement efforts.

The program recognizes district achievement in eight areas, which are broken into quantitative and qualitative measures. Districts must apply for recognition in the qualitative measures area.

District recognition in the quantitative measures area is automatically calculated by KSDE based on collected district data. No application is necessary.

Districts can receive gold, silver, bronze or copper stars in the quantitative measure areas of:

• Academically prepared for postsecondary
• High school graduation
• Postsecondary success
• Commissioner's Award

Districts can apply to receive gold, silver, bronze or copper stars in the qualitative measures of:

• Social-emotional growth
• Kindergarten readiness
• Individual plans of study (IPS)
• Civic engagement

The Commissioner's Award recognizes districts that outperform their predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate above a .40 standard deviation.

A district's predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate factors in the degree to which identified risk factors known to depress effectiveness rates, such as poverty, chronic absenteeism and student mobility, are present in a district's student population.

Districts that outperform their predictive rate by .4-.99 standard deviation receive the Commissioner's Award. There were 44 districts/systems that achieved this award for 2024.

Districts that outperform their predictive rate by 1-1.99 standard deviations receive the Commissioner's Award with Honors. There were 32 districts that achieved this award for 2024.

Districts that outperform their predictive rate by 2 or more standard deviations receive the Commissioner's Award with Highest Distinction. There were seven districts that achieved this award:

• Cheney USD 268
• Erie-Galesburg USD 101
• Fairfield USD 310
• Frontenac USD 249
• Pike Valley USD 426
• Plainville USD 270
• St. John-Hudson USD 350

Other awards included:

• There were 72 districts/systems recognized in the social-emotional growth outcomes area: 19 coppers, 27 bronzes and 25 silvers and one gold for 2024.
• There were 52 districts/systems recognized in the kindergarten readiness outcome area: 21 coppers and 31 bronzes for 2024.
• There were 24 districts/systems recognized in the civicengagement outcome area: eight coppers, 13 bronzes, one silver and two golds for 2024.
• There were 58 districts/systems recognized in the individual plan of study (IPS) outcome area: 23 coppers, 20 bronzes, four silvers and one gold for 2024.
• There were 142 districts/systems recognized in the high school graduation outcome area: 10 coppers, 38 bronzes, 25 silvers and 69 golds for 2024.
• There were 114 districts/systems recognized in the academically prepared for postsecondary outcome area: 106 coppers, 13 bronzes and one silver. There were two gold recipients for 2024.
• There were 122 districts/systems recognized in the postsecondary success outcome area: 43 coppers, 43 bronzes, 33 silvers and 16 golds.
• For the fourth consecutive year, Southern Lyon County USD 252 was the only district to be recognized in all eight program areas.

For more information about the Kansans Can Star Recognition Program, visit https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Fiscal-and-Administrative-Services/Communications-and-Recognition-Programs/Vision-Kansans-Can/Kansans-Can-Star-Recognition

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