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PITTSBURG —
Pittsburg USD 250 Board of Education members took a 54-question exam during their Monday night meeting.
It was administered by Brian Jordan of the Kansas Association of School Boards, who explained that the organization is conducting a needs assessment with boards across the state. Surveys were also sent out to all USD 250 teachers.
“The information will go to the Kansas Learning Network team,” Jordan said. “It will look at where you are now as compared to where you were two years ago.”
He explained that schools in the state have been ranked. Priority schools are those ranked at the bottom as related to performance of students. There are 33 of these in Kansas. At the top are the reward schools, which have the highest level of performance. In between are the focus schools. There are 66 of these, and Meadowlark Elementary School, Pittsburg, is in this category.
Jordan said that student learning is the most important focus of a school board, and that boards should concentrate on that, rather than issues such as sex education, band uniforms or cheerleading.
“You need to see the forest, although it may be easy to instead focus on one individual tree, especially if an irate parent calls,” Jordan said. “You need to maintain that 10,000-foot view.”
Questions pertained to the issue of student learning and factors that impact this. Board members were asked to give their opinion on whether USD 250 students possessed the academic vocabulary necessary for learning new content, if the district’s curriculum is updated on the basis of state and national standards, whether the district provides high quality out-of-school time, if student/teacher relationships in the district are mutually respectful, etc.
Jordan said that he would get a report on exam results to USD 250 superintendent Destry Brown in a few days.
“I have a really good feeling on how you’re going to do based upon conversations I’ve had,” Jordan said.
Following the meeting, Brown noted that the district has been on improvement and the survey is part of that process.
“The Kansas Learning Network is collecting data, and a KLN team from outside USD 250 will visit Oct. 8 and 9 and meet with Meadlowlark staff,” Brown said. “They’ll do a thorough exam of the school and also of the board and small groups. They’ll visit with me and Dr. Brian Biermann, assistant superintendent, at the district office.”
He said that Meadowlark was at the top end of the 66 focus schools.
“Probably we have some achievement gaps there in some children from lower socioeconomic levels,” Brown said. “It is not a low-performance school, but has some gaps that need to be addressed. At the end, the team will make recommendations, and it will be up to us to make a plan to address those recommendations.”
The superintendent said he already knows one area that needs improvement.
“Brian and I need to do a better job of communicating with the board and the public,” Brown said.
Pittsburg USD 250 Board of Education members took a 54-question exam during their Monday night meeting.
It was administered by Brian Jordan of the Kansas Association of School Boards, who explained that the organization is conducting a needs assessment with boards across the state. Surveys were also sent out to all USD 250 teachers.
“The information will go to the Kansas Learning Network team,” Jordan said. “It will look at where you are now as compared to where you were two years ago.”
He explained that schools in the state have been ranked. Priority schools are those ranked at the bottom as related to performance of students. There are 33 of these in Kansas. At the top are the reward schools, which have the highest level of performance. In between are the focus schools. There are 66 of these, and Meadowlark Elementary School, Pittsburg, is in this category.
Jordan said that student learning is the most important focus of a school board, and that boards should concentrate on that, rather than issues such as sex education, band uniforms or cheerleading.
“You need to see the forest, although it may be easy to instead focus on one individual tree, especially if an irate parent calls,” Jordan said. “You need to maintain that 10,000-foot view.”
Questions pertained to the issue of student learning and factors that impact this. Board members were asked to give their opinion on whether USD 250 students possessed the academic vocabulary necessary for learning new content, if the district’s curriculum is updated on the basis of state and national standards, whether the district provides high quality out-of-school time, if student/teacher relationships in the district are mutually respectful, etc.
Jordan said that he would get a report on exam results to USD 250 superintendent Destry Brown in a few days.
“I have a really good feeling on how you’re going to do based upon conversations I’ve had,” Jordan said.
Following the meeting, Brown noted that the district has been on improvement and the survey is part of that process.
“The Kansas Learning Network is collecting data, and a KLN team from outside USD 250 will visit Oct. 8 and 9 and meet with Meadlowlark staff,” Brown said. “They’ll do a thorough exam of the school and also of the board and small groups. They’ll visit with me and Dr. Brian Biermann, assistant superintendent, at the district office.”
He said that Meadowlark was at the top end of the 66 focus schools.
“Probably we have some achievement gaps there in some children from lower socioeconomic levels,” Brown said. “It is not a low-performance school, but has some gaps that need to be addressed. At the end, the team will make recommendations, and it will be up to us to make a plan to address those recommendations.”
The superintendent said he already knows one area that needs improvement.
“Brian and I need to do a better job of communicating with the board and the public,” Brown said.
