Setting the Record Straight on School Employees and Spending

A Report by Mark Tallman, Associate Executive Director of the Kansas Association of School Boards

Note by Bob Diepenbrock, Superintendent of Schools:

I’m sure many of you have heard radio and TV ads depicting Kansas Schools as failing to spend money in the classrooms while spending more on a number of other areas in schools and increasing expenditures as a whole. Mark Tallman and the research department at the Kansas Association of School Boards further explain how the expenditures of money in Kansas schools are spent and take into account much of what the ads do not. I encourage you to use the link below to access Mr. Tallman’s report and get the facts on how monies are spent in Kansas on education and if you have questions to contact me, the Kansas Association of School Boards or the Kansas State Department of Education. Mr. Tallman even has a number of links providing the sources of his reports.

http://tallmankasb.blogspot.com/2013/10/setting-record-straight-on-school.html

Digital Citizenship Week in Kansas

Every day, our students are tested with each post, search chat, text message, file download and profile update. Do they connect with like minds or spill too much information? Do they behave creatively or borrow ideas recklessly? Do they respect relationships or inadvertently damage reputations?

The Kansas State Department of Education and USD 331 have made a commitment to support educators and parents in helping children learn how to be safe and secure, responsible and respectful digital citizens. Governor Sam Brownback has proclaimed Oct 21-25 as Digital Citizenship Week in Kansas.  The proclamation/announcement is available on www.ksde.org/take . 

Join us for Digital Citizenship Week and engage your child and family in thinking critically, behaving safely, and participating responsibly online. For ways you can participate, click on the link below:  http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2775

We want all students in USD 331 to utilize the internet for positive learning and to remain safe.

College and Career Ready, Common Core, Edgenuity...What Are These?

College and Career Ready, Common Core, Edgenuity...What Are These?

by

Dr. Bob Diepenbrock, Superintendent of Schools

There are many new terms used by educators, educational institutions, and legislators and these terms represent changes that have a profound meaning and impact upon your students. I think it is appropriate to introduce and elaborate on a few of those terms and how the work being done by teachers and students plays out in USD 331 Kingman-Norwich.

Common Core…What is it and why is it so controversial? That is a good question. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed by the National Governors’ Association and the State Chief Education Officers and was adopted by the elected Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) in 2010 for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Recently, KSBE approved the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and new standards for social studies. KSBE approves new state standards about every 10 years after carefully investigating what businesses and colleges view as important for students to be able to know and do upon graduation from high school. The newly adopted standards were designed utilizing businesses, international standards, colleges and universities so American students could be competitive in the current economy. The developers worked backwards, first identifying the expectations for graduating students, then determining what a student should know each preceding grade level up to when they first begin school. For instance, the first standard for a kindergarten student in English Language Arts states, “With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.”  A related standard is expanded from grades 1-12 where in grade 12 the first English Language Arts standard states, “Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.” In both standards, students are asked to answer questions about the text, but while being supported by the kindergarten teacher while the 12^th grade student should be able to analyze the text thoroughly, answer what is in the text and even what isn’t, but might be inferred. The developers of the common core standards, the colleges and universities and businesses want students or employees who can analyze text when they become college students or employees. It’s controversial due to a great deal of misinformation being disseminated, but my challenge to anyone is to simply look at the standards as I just presented one and determine for yourself if the standard is reasonable.

What are Kansas College and Career Readiness Standards then? Common Core Standards were designed so each state could add some standards unique to the state that adopted them. Kansas not only has done that, but has made them unique by focusing on the skills KSBE believes are important for graduating students to possess whether the student begins employment in a career, starts a technical education program, or leaps to a major university. All of the standards recently adopted by Kansas use Kansas Pk-12 and college educators and business people to analyze and apply the standards specifically for Kansas. For instance, the newly adopted science standards are Kansas College and Career Ready Science Standards based upon the next generation science standards (NGSS) and science professors and teachers in Kansas examined the standards and will adapt them for each science discipline.

What is the difference between a standard and curriculum? A standard expresses what a student should know or the skill(s) a student should have upon completion of a particular grade level. The curriculum is determined locally by educators within the school district and approved by the local Board of Education. The curriculum includes the resources that will be used to teach what a student should know or to help a student attain a particular skill. Teachers also have some flexibility within a curriculum to utilize various teaching methods or instruction to assist students with learning the curriculum. It’s important teachers can use various modalities since students do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace.

Is Edgenuity a curriculum then? The district refers to Edgenuity as a curricular resource similar to what a textbook is. Since textbooks are expected to be completely digitalized within a few years, the district curriculum leadership team made up of USD 331 teachers and administrators examined various digital resources that could assist with the changeover to digitalized curricular resources. The resources are not ever going to be totally digitalized and thus, teachers are encouraged to use Edgenuity as well as other resources currently and previously used to help teach the curriculum. Instructional techniques, curricular resources, and education are ever changing, as are societal needs, so educational institutions must continue to meet those needs. Edgenuity can be used as a stand alone virtual curriculum and is used for that purpose for the district’s virtual program, but in the traditional school grades 6-12, it is one resource that can be used to assist teachers and students to work at students’ own pace and help students learn at higher levels. Teachers will continue to get professional learning assistance so they can help students better utilize this resource along with all the resources available.

Kansas Works: Internships and Other Opportunities

I was asked to forward information to students and parents in the district from the Statewide Workforce Response Coordinator; a division of the Department of Commerce. Since USD 331 already has numerous career pathways available, it might be helpful in securing internships for our students and those internships may qualify for various career pathways in technical education. See the information about Kansas works below:

The job board and employment information at website:  www.kansasworks.com is helpful to those who are seeking employment (full time, part time, seasonal) and/or internships in Kansas – all industries, all levels.  We appreciate your consideration in efforts to share this valuable information with your students and parents.

Debra Rodenbaugh Schaub

Statewide Workforce Response Coordinator

Kansas Department of Commerce

PH:  785-224-6664

Fax:  785-539-5697

www.kansasworks.com

Background Checks of Employees – Doing Our Best to Ensure Student Safety

Every school district is required to complete a KBI background check on all new employees hired by the school district. USD 331 goes beyond that requirement and uses a service that provides additional information on employees beyond what is provided by the KBI checks. The KBI is a free service that will provide information about sexual predators, etc., but does not thoroughly vet the potential employee’s background regarding other areas that could be of concern to parents, students, and the district.

The district pays for a employee background screening service that will provide everything the KBI site provides, but also provides information on any court proceeding, arrest, or even traffic tickets. If a potential employee received multiple traffic tickets or a serious infraction, the district may decide to prohibit any transportation of students or even ban the use of school vehicles, though that has not been necessary to this point. Anything that shows up on the background check that could be potential risk to students or other district employees is thoroughly investigated and the administration and Board of Education is satisfied of safety before contracts or work agreements are provided to the potential employee.

The safety and security of USD 331 students and staff is paramount to the operation of the school district. We will continue to use all reasonable means to ensure that safety and security.

Safety and the Start of School

Please be careful out there! School has begun and there are congested traffic areas near the schools before and after school. Please encourage your son or daughter to look both ways and check the traffic before crossing streets and to do so only in the appropriate areas. Use the crosswalks and the crossing guard areas where the adults can assist with looking out for vehicles. Those areas are the safest for getting to school.

Buses are out in full force too. The Kansas State Department of Education has helped produce two public service announcements regarding the illegal passing of stopped school buses. Please use the following link to see the video:http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=5810

Let's have a safe school year and work together so the students are safe.

Thank you.

Welcome to USD 331

"If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow." – John Dewey

It’s difficult to believe the famous educator, John Dewey wrote those words of wisdom nearly a century ago. Think of all that has happened around the world and the explosion of knowledge since that time. A relatively short time ago, the teacher or professor was the “learned” one who imparted his/her knowledge on his/her students. Great amounts of information are now available on cell phones in an instant with almost instant access to a plethora of subjects. Teachers today must facilitate the learning of students, encourage the passion students have for learning and truly be life-long learners themselves in order to be successful. If you are like me, you remember that Columbus discovered America in 1492 when he sailed the ocean blue, but were you asked the impact Columbus had on modern day civilization or to investigate and report on his treatment of indigenous people of the new world? Learning today must go beyond basic facts and apply information and use it in creative and useful ways.

To prepare USD 331 students for the rapidly changing global economy and truly say students have met Kansas College and Career Readiness Standards requires teaching in new and engaging ways. It requires different types of assessments and it requires critical thinking skills necessary to discern quality information from bogus material. USD 331 will continue to implement English Language Arts and mathematic curricular changes to meet the new standards. Faculty will continue to learn and employ long-used and new, research-based instructional techniques that actively engage our students, appropriately challenge students’ critical thinking skills, promote creative abilities, and lead to the college and career readiness skills students need for future success.

To do this, faculty and staff will continue their own learning differentiating it to meet their individual needs so as to adequately prepare them to facilitate their students’ learning. Secondary students will have the opportunity to get much of their curriculum resources through an online learning source known as Edgenuity. It is estimated textbooks will be completely digitalized by 2017 and USD 331 is leading the way in providing digital resources now in addition to traditional. Elementary students will continue to use updated math and English Language Arts resources that promote reading and problem solving skills and differentiates the learning to the students’ needs. The teacher’s role is vital in helping students understand student problems, personalizing learning, and assisting in the discernment of the abundance of information now available instantly. USD 331, Kingman-Norwich teachers and staff are ready to serve your students to the best of their ability and look forward to the opportunity.

On behalf of the faculty and staff of USD 331, I want to welcome all our students and their parents to the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  I encourage parents to get involved in your child’s education and take advantage of the opportunities available. It is natural to approach any new school year with some anxiety, but it is my hope we can also temper anxiety with a refreshed sense of dedication to education and learning. It is my privilege to serve as your superintendent and wish you all an outstanding year.