Three Kansas schools were among 297 schools designated as 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools. They were recognized for being among the state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests.
I visited school leaders from Cottonwood Elementary School, Andover USD 385; Morris Hill Elementary, Geary County USD 475; and R.L. Wright Elementary School, Sedgwick USD 439. I wanted to hear what these Blue Ribbon schools are doing to incorporate current state goals for improving student success. This fall, I’ve also talked with leaders in high schools with high graduation rates and postsecondary success. Here are some of the insights I found most striking.
Increasing student success requires a commitment to do better with planning, execution and evaluation.
Each of the three schools was honored to be recognized for their success but also acknowledged that they need to continue to make progress. While many students thrive in public schools and go on to lead successful lives, too many others struggle to gain the academic and social skills that open up opportunities after graduation. Successful school leaders agreed that schools must change how they serve less successful students. Change won’t happen unless specific strategies are set in place, implemented, and monitored through both the process and results.
Increasing student success requires the use of objective data.
The overwhelming majority of teachers want their students to be successful; parents want the best for their children; students want to learn. There is a tendency to presume that good intentions will produce good results. But that doesn’t always work. One of the most profound things I heard was from a teacher who said, “We’re all guilty of it (trusting our instincts). But that's how kids get lost in the system – because we feel like that kid is doing really great, but the data might not support that.” Every school stressed using a range of tests and other tools to make honest assessments about student performance and school effectiveness and constantly reviewing and adjusting.
Increasing student success requires individualized responses and relationships.
One of the biggest challenges of public education is fitting standardized results to individual students. Kansas has curriculum standards for learning, standardized tests and standard expectations like graduation requirements. We also know children have vastly different backgrounds, family support, abilities and interests. Schools must work with each child individually to help all – or at least more – students meet these uniform benchmarks. Educators must not only teach but also build relationships with children and families. As one leader put it, “We want every child to know there is someone here at school that cares for them, their family and their future.”
Increasing student success requires helping students with social, emotional, behavioral and other issues.
There are concerns in Kansas and across the country that an emphasis on social and emotional learning is “squeezing out” academic learning. These three successful schools all work to help students acquire the personal and interpersonal skills that families, employers and communities say are essential. Such as getting along with others, good work habits, setting goals, dealing with challenges and setbacks and solving problems – all of which support, rather than detract from, academic learning. Without these social and emotional skills, schools see increased behavioral issues, depression and anxiety that distract kids from learning.
Increasing student success requires buy-in from teachers, families and the community
What might be the most difficult challenge for improving student success is that it can’t be mandated. Every successful school leader emphasized three things:
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They credited teachers and other staff for being willing to change how they operate, accept new roles and responsibilities and work collaboratively with others.
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They said parents want their children to succeed in school but don’t always know how best to support them. These schools worked to build trusting relationships by constant outreach to families, changing schedules to accommodate working parents and more.
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They stressed how much their communities support their local schools, from bond issues to preschool partnerships to student activities.
Many of these ideas discussed are part of KSDE’s new school accreditation model and recommendations for improvement. They could serve as a “checklist” for school leaders who want to see more students succeed.
Thank you to the educators who shared their time with me so I could share their stories with others.
Here are links to the individual stories on Kansas’ Blue Ribbon schools.
Cottonwood Elementary
Morris Hill Elementary
R.L. Wright Elementary
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