USD 417 Morris County Schools No Longer on AYP Improvement

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Curriculum and Instruction Director Kelly Gentry, announces amazing results across
each campus of USD 417 Morris County Schools. First and foremost we are proud
of Prairie Heights Elementary School attaining the “Reward School” award from the
Kansas State Department of Education. The award recognizes PHES as performing
in the top 10 percent of Title I schools in the state of Kansas on state assessments
(reading and math). Only schools that receive Federal Title I aide are eligible for
this award.

Our other campuses have also improved or continue to perform well. Prairie
Heights Middle School as a building had all students score 100 percent at or above
proficient on state assessments in reading. They also had 98 percent of the students
score proficient or higher on state assessments in math. PHMS is not a Title I school
and thus not eligible for the “Reward School” award. However, we are anticipating
that they will once again, be awarded “The Governor’s Award” for performing in the
top 10 percent of middle schools in the state of Kansas.

Council Grove High School also performed remarkably well with their students’
performance on state assessments. In math all students (100%) who participated
in state assessments scored at proficient or above. In reading, 92.5 percent of the
students scored at or above proficient. This remarkable performance will most
likely put them in line for the Governor’s Award.

Council Grove Elementary/Middle School has been making great gains on state
assessments every year and last year was no different. Improvements show 92%
of all students making proficient or higher in reading and 87.9 percent making
proficient or higher in math.

Vast improvements were also made district wide in student subgroups. Free and
reduced lunch students increased 5.5 percent on reading targets and 7.3 percent on
math targets. District wide the “students with disabilities” subgroup improved 20.5
percent on reading targets and 10.3 percent on math targets.

USD 417 Superintendent Dr. Michael Ford reports this achievement is a result of
diligent and purposeful work of teachers and staff along with concerted effort of
students to perform well. “This is something our school community should be very
proud of and should celebrate”.

USD 417 Morris County Schools were on “improvement” as a district for three years,
due to not making AYP scores for students with disabilities. Dr. Ford reports “This
community for the last couple of years has been bearing the black eye of being
labeled a “failing district” yet consistently making “standard of excellence” across
all of its campuses”. Dr. Ford also reports that due to the tremendous success and
improvement of student achievement, several of our administrators and teachers
have been asked to give presentations to other school districts to help them in their
efforts to improve student achievement. The efforts of our school personnel and
results of our students’ achievement is bringing positive notoriety to our school 
community.

Dr. Ford also reports that the administration is now recommending less emphasis
to the current state assessments and placing great prominence towards teachers
transitioning to the Kansas Common Core State Standards. The current state
assessments will only be given to students for the next two years and then will
change to assess new common core standards. Too try and focus on a “soon to be
obsolete” state assessment and transition into the Common Core at the same time
would be a dysfunctional effort.

The transition to Common Core standards is a huge adjustment, not only in changing
curriculum across all subject disciplines; it is a change in how educators present and
there will be a more rigorous and higher expectation of student performance. With
teachers starting to transition into the Common Core and continuing to focus on our
MTSS process, students will still perform well on the current state assessments.

Once again Dr. Ford expresses great pride in all his school personnel. They have
worked extremely hard and achieved tremendous results.