By Mark Tallman

When it comes to school systems outperforming expectations for student performance, Hillsboro USD 410 is among the best in the state. 

KASB has developed a formula to compare each district’s state assessment results, graduation rates and postsecondary success rates (both recent and over several years) to a predicted outcome based on the district’s enrollment and percentage of low-income and special education students. 

With an enrollment of around 620 and a 2015-2024 average percentage of free and reduced- eligible students and students with disabilities of 58.7%, Hillsboro exceeded expected results by an average of 10%, tied for 1st out of 97 public and private school systems with 500 to 1,600 students. 

In 2024, 80.4% of Hillsboro students scored at Level 2 or higher on state reading and math tests, 8.4 percentage points higher than expected, and 43.3% scored at Level 3 or higher, 8.7 percentage points higher than expected. 

From 2017 to 2024, its graduation rate increased 12.2%, 10.2% higher than expected. Most districts increased their rate, but at a much lower rate than Hillsboro. 

Its 2018-22 average Postsecondary Effective Rate was 64%, almost 10 percentage points higher than expected. This rate is the percentage of each senior class that graduates on time and has either completed an industry-recognized credential, a technical certificate or academic degree, or is enrolled in a postsecondary program within two years. 

Finally, from the class of 2018 to 2022, Hillsboro’s Postsecondary Effective Rate increased 16.2 percentage points, which is 19.6% higher than expected. Most districts had a decline in this rate when college attendance dropped during the COVID pandemic. 

I met with administrators, teachers, parents, site council members and school board members to talk about how the district is getting these results. It was my second trip to Hillsboro in several years, after an earlier visit when Hillsboro Elementary School won a national award for state assessment results. It was clear that many of the initiatives the district implemented at the primary level are carrying on to high school and beyond. 

Start Early

The first explanation for Hillsboro’s success is what the district does with its Parents as Teachers program (PAT) before students enter kindergarten. “(PAT) staff serve our children from zero to three and go into homes,” said elementary school principal Nathan Hiebert. “They go out and work with families, trying to do early screening, to promote parent involvement and the benefits of parents being actively involved in their child's lives.” 

Those efforts transition into the district’s preschool program, (which partners with McPherson Head Start), combined with special education preschool and state at-risk preschool funding. High rates of success have followed the expansion of preschool from one half-day classroom to two half-day classes and a full day. Approximately 75% of kindergarteners have had some type of formal preschool. 

Take Advantage of Community Resources

Like most high-achieving school systems, Hillsboro leaders say they receive strong support from their community. “We've got churches that donate school supplies for all of our elementary kids,” said Hiebert. “We've got another church that wanted to jump in, and so they provide things for our teachers. Our local college, Tabor College, has a program where students do some tutoring and social-emotional things for some students two times a week after school. These are both teacher education students and others who just want to volunteer.” 

Create expectations of excellence and allow teachers to implement them. Hillsboro leaders had high praise for the quality of their teaching staff. “When we hire people, we think of it from a team perspective, of what's going to make us better,” said superintendent Clint Corby. “Then we get out of their way and let them do their jobs. We don't micromanage. We value people over programs. The programs won’t work without the right people.” 

 “The majority of our staff have a belief system that putting other people first and caring about people is just how they live their lives,” said 6-12 principal Tyler Weinbrenner. “That makes a huge difference. They're willing to go above and beyond, not because of obligations as an employee, but because they just care about kids, and whether it's figuratively or literally, putting their arm around that kid who's struggling and going above and beyond.” 

The leaders praised their staff’s willingness to keep learning through professional development, working to improve curriculum and teaching and trying new ideas. 

A Strong System of Interventions (MTSS)

Hillsboro leaders say they were one of the first districts in the state to adopt the Multi-tiered Systems of Success (MTSS) model. Tier 1 refers to core instruction provided to all students. Tier 2 includes individualized remediation or enrichment — typiclaly in reading and math — for students who need additional support. Tier 3 provides more intensive services for students with the highest needs, includingspecial education. A strong Tier 1 program means fewer students will need Tier 2, and allows those interventions to be more focused. 

Like other successful districts, Hillsboro leaders say their MTSS program requires several components: a dedicated period of time during the day or week to provide individualized help to students; use of data from screeners and tests to determine which students need remediation or enrichment; enough staff to work with students in smaller groups; and moving students to different interventions as their needs change. “We're constantly looking at evaluations for gaps or areas that we can provide even more support,” said Hiebert. “Those conversations happen on a monthly, weekly, bi-weekly basis; always talking about how we are supporting our kids.” 

At the high school level, students may be referred to an academic skills class for support in both reading and math, study skills and other skills for academic success. All of these interventions have helped raise test scores and improve the graduation rate. 

Broad Career Technical Education (CTE) and Postsecondary Options

Like many districts with high postsecondary success rates, Hillsboro credits a strong investment in CTE programs, concurrent college courses and career planning for students.  

With about 300 students in grades 6-12, Hillsboro offers 19 CTE pathways, which are a sequence of high school courses in a career area, culminating in a capstone course in which students show they can synthesize and apply their learning, supported by an external validation such as an assessment. Such courses often allow students to earn an industry-recognized credential and postsecondary technical certification. 

Hillsboro also partners with Tabor College to allow students to take general education college courses concurrently with high school courses. Students may graduate with more than 20 hours of college credit. Educators say these programs keep students engaged because they are tied to future career and college interests, allow students to explore interests (sometimes learning what they DON’T want to do) and save time and money earning a postsecondary education. 

School Board and Community Support and Trust

Hillsboro leaders say another key to their success is a strong level of community support, from donations and volunteerism to passing bond issues. They praised the district school board for providing oversight without while respecting operational independence. Board members, parents and site council members, in turn, say the school system has earned the trust of the community. 

“We, as a board, entrust the superintendent to hire the right people,” said board president Jared Jost. “We don't get involved in that because we have trust. Based on our results and what the community feels, he has been doing a phenomenal job of hiring the right people for this community. They always better themselves.” 

Understanding and Responding to Student Needs

With Hillsboro producing some of the highest student outcomes in the state, a group of teachers talked about the balance between high expectations and the social and emotional needs of students. “Why are kids successful here?” asked Phil Oelke, a seventh and eighth-grade history teacher. “I genuinely believe it's because they know people care, and they feed off that.” 

Teachers cited the district “poverty simulation,” an educational experience to help participants understand the challenges of living with a low income, dealing with the issue of paying bills, finding housing and transportation and getting and keeping a job. “It probably shifted my teaching strategy more than anything that we've done, because it helped me see who my clientele is,” said Oelke. “It totally shifted how I communicate with (my students), my expectations of them, compassion for them.” 

“I'll give you a very tangible example from today,” explained elementary teacher Tena Roehrich.  “I have a student who every morning wakes up all of her siblings in her house, wakes up her cousin, and gets them to school, and they're almost always on time. I know she's already had this kind of day before she gets here, because I have a relationship with her. I asked what she needed, and she told me she was just really tired. We actually had a math quiz this morning in my class. I let her take a nap this morning, because she knew, based on our relationship, that my expectation was that, at some point, it needed to get done.” 

The student came through. “Sure enough, she slept for about an hour and a half this morning in my class, and then after she came back from PE, she sat down to work, zipped it out, turned it in. I think that's the balance when we're talking about expectations. Our relationship allowed her to feel safe, to tell me what was really going on, knowing that I would respond in grace.”