School leaders in Chase County USD 284 say they have been able to increase student postsecondary success through high expectations, engaging students and a strong sense of community. Increased funding has allowed more support for students and partnerships with postsecondary education while students are still in high school.
“This is probably the best district you'll find in meeting people where they're at, but setting expectations for where we're at,” said Derick Budke, Chase County high school science teacher and head of the building improvement team and member of the district accreditation team. “If you come in as a new person to our district, we embrace you and get you involved in everything. But our expectations for the way that we behave and what we do in our building – that’s where we expect you to meet us. It's the effective marriage of those two ideas of meeting them where they're at and setting the expectations for where we're at that are the key. People are having success because they're used to having success.”
Commissioner Randy Watson has been recognizing districts that have made significant progress in improving their postsecondary success rate – the percentage of students who graduate from high school on time and either complete a technical certificate or two- or four-year degree or are enrolled in a postsecondary program within two years of graduation.
Chase County improved this rate from 40 percent to nearly 70 percent, well above the state average, and exceeds its “predicted” range – the level typically achieved by districts with similar “risk factors” for students. I met with teachers and administrators to find out what they think has led to these results. Some of the answers were similar to what I had heard in much larger districts, but some were quite unique to a much smaller district that seems to turn what might be challenges to its advantage.
Like other successful districts, Chase County uses advisory groups where each teacher is assigned to anywhere from eight to 14 students. “They take a lot of ownership with their advisees,” said Stacia Barrett, Academic Advisor. “They work with them throughout the year on the Xello (college and career readiness) program to work with lessons about careers of interest as well as their learning styles and things of that nature. And those advisors are a key component for those kids as a sounding board for what do I like and where do I want to go with what I like.”
Barrett says the district has long used advisory groups, but a more recent change has been to keep students with those advisors from ninth through 12th grade. “Those advisors become very familiar with that individual, and like Mr. Budke said, meeting that student where they are as an individual person. We work really hard, whatever their path may be, to help them reach that goal as an individual.”
Also like other successful districts, Chase County has extensive postsecondary options for students. This includes allowing students to take career technical education courses for dual credit with Flint Hills Technical College at the high school or attend (relatively) nearby Flint Hills programs on its campus in Emporia half a day while continuing to receive general education courses in Chase County. Although there is no community college within close driving distance, students take dual enrollment academic courses from Bulter County Community College on-line, with some Butler County instructors also provide in-person visits to Chase County once a week.
“A lot of our students will leave here on average with 12 credit hours already under their belt, some substantially more than that,” said Barrett. “They're already getting a big jumpstart on their post-secondary degrees while they're here.”
The district has also joined others in stressing a broader set of paths for students to be successful. “This school has really bought into the idea that it's not about always going to a four-year school. It's also about the technical colleges, it's about the community colleges; it's about the certifications,” said Superintendent Glenna Grinstead, who arrived four years ago. “That's something that I was really excited to see. We really do offer a lot of exposure to a lot of colleges, so that we just work with the students on what is the right path for you and what you want to do.” The district brings in college representatives to speak to students as well as to attend parents' nights. It also works to “customize” job shadowing and internships for students in business as far away as Wichita.
Students can also get help with the cost of attending college while in high school, which is not covered by federal college aid programs. “We did have some alumni that started a scholarship called the college access scholarship a couple of years ago,” said Academic Advisor Barrett. “That scholarship goes toward any classes taken while in high school from Flint Hills Tech or Butler County Community College to cover tuition and fees. The only thing it does not cover would be their book costs. It's up to 100 percent for need based students, and 75 percent for students that may not be need based.”
While the district has expanded access to postsecondary opportunities for students geographically, financially and by expanded choices, educators also credit higher academic preparation that came about by necessity.
One reason was the school district budget cuts the followed the 2008-09 recession and state tax cuts in the early 2010’s. “Our faculty shrunk, like a lot of faculties shrunk, and that had a lot of adverse effects,” said science teacher Budke, who is in his 26th year teaching in the district. “But one of the effects that maybe ended up being a positive is that there were not as many choices for students. So, if you need three science credits (to graduate), that means 90% of our students take chemistry. We are getting students through a lot of rigor that maybe they wouldn't have experienced had they had more choices, because there would have been alternatives to allow them to miss classes like that.”
As more students took “college prep” levels courses by necessity – because the district had to continue to offer “core” academic courses, with fewer other choices – the district also began having all students take the ACT test. This was even before the state began making the test available to all students at no cost four years ago.
“The combination of that rigor and then having unexpected success on an ACT, I think has kind of changed some of the mindset for what their possible post high school success can be,” said Budke. “That's something that I don't think anybody really talks about, but just the idea that, hey, you're taking a test and well, I guess I scored better than I thought I would, means a lot. It would mean a lot to a first-generation college student. It would have meant a lot to me, you know. I think what you see is that we have reached those first-generation college students better because they've taken some classes that are, quote, unquote, college prep stuff, and they've seen some success because of it.”
Budke remembers there were some “hard discussions” when the district began having all students take the ACT, because when the percentage tested increases, average scores usually drop as less prepared and motivated students are included. “For a few years, it (Chase County’s average ACT score) dropped,” said Budke. “People were like, well, what's going on? We're not preparing our students. Well, now we're giving it to all kids, but that drop has gone away. So, we've closed that gap back up, over time.”
Chase County educators say their small size in some ways makes it easier to enforce high standards for all students.
“The thing is that you can be in a larger district saying we have high expectations.” said Budke. “We want everybody to be the same for success. But yet we've got these classes where we funnel people out of the mainstream because, well, you're going to take a different track or you're going to take this (other) class because chemistry is probably not for you. Here, we just don't have those options. We expect everybody to be able to function everywhere in the building, and that's the expectation, and it's the same for everyone. And that's hard to replicate.”
Principal Carrilo agrees. “All our kids go to every teacher, but they understand that when you walk into the teacher’s class, this is the expectation she sets up from the get-go. Routines and expectations are taught, and you stick to that. And so the teacher states that right off the bat, this is what I expect out of you, if you want a “A” this is what I mean. This is what an "A” looks like. So that's what they work towards.”
“Growing up in a large district and large school as I did, I see the benefits and the challenges of both small and large schools.” said teacher Susan Koch. “I had the opportunity to take AP classes and that was excellent for me. It really pushed me and challenged me. But I also realized that there were some students that were not in those courses, that probably if they were pushed and challenged as well, they could have done it, too. But that's not the route that they chose for themselves. By having everybody together, I think it does pull everybody up. But I do think it is sometimes a challenge that we can't offer the diversity of courses we wish we could offer.”
Chase County leaders say they have used increased funding under the Gannon school finance plan to increase support for students and teachers.
“A lot of the money that we've received through the Gannon decision was directed toward staff pay raises,” said superintendent Grinstead, who notes that one of the district’s biggest concerns is being able to replace teachers in the long run. “Also, we've increased teaching staff at the elementary level. In some cases, we had thirty kids per classroom and one of the things we really felt would start them off on a strong foundation would be smaller classrooms.” The district also added support for academic counseling, social work support and at-risk support. “Those have been a huge benefit,” said Grinstead.
Academic preparation is not the only factor that determines postsecondary success. Students also need to be able to manage their time and competing interests when they leave the more structured world of high school. Chase County educators say the extracurricular activities also support student success.
“Our kids are involved in so many extracurriculars,” said social studies teacher Koch. “I think that plays into it (postsecondary success) because, as we encourage them to participate in sports and student council and KAYs, which is a citizenship leadership group; they are learning time management; they are learning how to plan and organize their schedule. And so, I think when they get to college, even though they're kind of free to do whatever, most of them have learned the skill set that allows them to prioritize and focus and get things done. It's because they've almost had this overwhelming load between school and activities that they're able to manage that schedule really well once they get to college.”
“We are a 2A high school (under State High School Activities Association enrollment classification), but activity wise, we function like a 4A school,” said academic advisor Barrett. “We have so many activities, but every student has to be involved in every activity or else it doesn't exist, because we are so small. Our students don’t want to lose anything either. They don't want to NOT be a part something.”
“As a new person to this district, I’ve told this to my staff,” said principal Carrillo. “After kids go home for Christmas break and at the end of the year, they complained about so much homework, being so busy with activities and everything. Then they graduate and go off to college, and when they come back, they say: ‘Wow. I know I complained, but we are so grateful (for what we got at Chase County). I was ready. Teachers got me ready.’ That speaks volumes about our expectations.”
The staff also said the combination of shared classes and activities created a strong bond in support of each student.
“I came in in August (after COVID hit) and we're trying to create a plan,” said Carrillo. “I met with the student council and National Honor Society and a few others that were able to make it, and we were trying to figure out the effects of mask versus non-masked. They just wanted to be in school. And (they said) if wearing a mask would allow one of our students (that had high medical needs) to have as normal senior year as possible, they were willing to do that. They're willing to do whatever they can to allow him to have the best senior year possible. Not thinking of themselves. They're thinking of others and that's really the mindset of a lot of our kids. If you walk into the lunchroom today, you'll see the star football players here and kids that don't play football and they're having a conversation, or our cheerleaders with non-cheerleaders. There's not that divide there. They just see each other as kids. And it's nice to see that.”
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