By MARK TALLMAN
The State Board of Education and the Kansas Legislature have established clear goals and specific measures for Kansas schools. Local boards are free to add to those goals and measures, and some goals can only be measured locally, but at a minimum, each district is measured by data that matches state outcomes.
After eight years of funding that lost ground to inflation from 2009 to 2018 and disruptions from a global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Kansas Legislature has approved a plan to restore lost funding over six-years, and federal COVID aid is expected to total over $1.3 billion spread over the next four years. As districts prepare budgets for next year, complete teacher negotiations, and approve staff and programs, they will be under the spotlight for how those decisions impact results.
Here are key measures available for each school district on its Performance Accountability Report, available through the Department of Education website: https://datacentral.ksde.org/accountability.aspx. Longer-term data may be available through KSDE Data Central report for building report cards: https://ksreportcard.ksde.org/default.aspx, or through other Data Central K-12 Reports: https://datacentral.ksde.org/report_gen.aspx.
In each area, school leaders should be asking: how well are we meeting the needs of our students? What is working (if results are improving) and what is not and should be changed (if results are dropping)? How are we using new funds or reallocating existing funds to meet these needs?
Postsecondary Effectiveness Rate
Why it matters: About three-fourths of future jobs are expected to require some type of postsecondary education, from technical certificates to associated degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and higher. This report shows how many students in each grade cohort group have either finished a postsecondary certificate or degree or have been enrolled for two years in such programs. Research shows students continuously enrolled two years after graduation are much more likely to complete programs.
What it measures: Unique to Kansas, the postsecondary effectiveness rate is the percentage of students in each district’s graduating class (including those who have not graduated on time) who within two years of senior year in high school have either earned an industry recognized certification while in high school, a postsecondary certificate or a postsecondary degree or are enrolled in a postsecondary program in both the first and second year after high school.
Trends: Using a five-year average, the statewide effective rate increased from 44 percent in 2011-2015 to 48 percent in 2014-2918. Data for 2019 and 2020 are not available (there is always a two-year lag for each class).
ACT Performance
Why it matters: Students scoring at “college ready” benchmarks are more likely to pass college-level courses in those areas.
What it measures: This college admissions exam is given to juniors and seniors in the areas of English, math, reading and science; students receive a score of 1-36 in each and an overall score. Based on those scores, students may be deemed “college ready” in each of those areas. Beginning two years ago, the ACT test was offered to all students at no charge, which increased the number of students taking the test.
Trends: After increasing from 2006 to 2015, the statewide composite score dropped from 21.9 in 2015 to 21.1 in 2019 and further declined to 20.4 in 2020 as the percentage of students tested rose from 72 to 82 percent. When more students take the test, scores are usually lower because the group includes a wider range of student preparation, motivation and aptitude.
Graduation Rate
Why it matters: Most jobs require at least a high school diploma and increasingly higher paying jobs require additional education, which require completing high school.
What it measures: The reported graduation rate is the percentage of students in each “class,” adjusted for transfers, who graduate with a regular diploma within four years of entering high school.
Trends: Since the four-year graduation rate was adopted in 2010, the statewide percentage of students graduating on time has increased from 80.7 to 88.2 percent. Lower performance subgroups have increased at a faster rate.
Drop-Out Rate
Why it matters: Students who drop out of middle or high school are highly unlikely to ever graduate.
What it measures: The drop-out rate is the percentage of students in grades 7–12 who leave school between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30. A student may re-enter school later and may drop out more than once.
Trends: The statewide drop-out rate declined from over 3 percent per year in 1994 to 1.4 percent in 2005 and 2009, increased to 1.7 percent in 2016, and has declined to 1.3 percent in 2020.
Academic Test Scores
Why it matters: standardized tests are an indicator of student academic preparation. While test scores alone do not guarantee students will be prepared for post-secondary studies or the workforce, students without these skills are much more likely to struggle.
What it measures: Kansas has tested all students (with limited exceptions) in grades 3-8 and once in high school in reading and math since 2015 and science since 2017. Tests were not given in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Scores are ranked in four levels: 1 = below standard, 2 = minimum standard, 3 = on track for college-ready and 4 = highest standard of excellence.
Trends: Previous tests show increases from 2007 to 2012, but since new tests began in 2015, results are mostly down. From 2015 to 2019, all students in the lowest math level increased five points and in highest levels increased less than one point. In reading, from 2015 to 2019 students in lowest levels increased eight points and in the highest levels decreased four points. From 2017 to 2019, students in the lowest science levels increased three points and in the highest levels dropped about two percentage points.
Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
Why it matters: Students missing school are less likely to learn and more likely to be disengaged and drop out. Those chronically absent are at much higher risk.
What it measures: The Attendance Rate is the average percent of all students enrolled who are attending school each day. Chronic Absenteeism is the percentage of students who miss 10 percent or more of school days per year.
Trends: Statewide attendance rate has been stable at 94-95 percent since 1994. The chronic absenteeism rate is a new measure and was 13.9 percent for the state in 2019 and 2020. In other words, about 95 percent of students attend class each day, but nearly 14 percent of students miss at least 10 percent of school days.
Here are other measures that are available statewide which districts may be able to track for their own students:
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment, Excel in CTE
Why it matters: Students may take postsecondary career technical education and academic courses and receive both high school and postsecondary credit. These programs allow students to begin or complete technical certificates in high school or get a “head start” on college programs, often reducing college costs. CTE courses may be taken with no tuition charges in high school. This year, the Legislature passed a law allowing school districts to pay for all or part of the cost of academic programs for their students.
What is measured: The Kansas Board of Regents reports the number of high school students enrolled in courses offered by state and municipal universities, community colleges and technical colleges, and how the percentage of students have completed programs or continued enrollment in postsecondary institutions after 1 through 8 years.
Trends: From 2015 to 2020, the total headcount number of high school students taking postsecondary courses increased 25,678 to 34,908, or nearly 36 percent. These students had a three-year success rate of 76.0 percent for 2017 high school graduates, compared to 67.8 percent for all students in the postsecondary system in 2017.
Remedial or Developmental Courses
Why it matters. Students entering postsecondary schools who are determined to need remedial or “developmental” courses to be ready for college-level courses face additional costs and time and are less likely to complete college programs. Students are more likely to need such courses if they have not taken college prep courses in high school.
What is measured: The Board of Regents reports the number of students in three age cohorts (17-19, 20-24 and 25 and older) and the percentage enrolling and completing developmental courses.
Trends: Since 2010 the percentage of 17-19-year-olds at community colleges in developmental courses decreased from nearly 39.1 percent to 33.3 percent, and at state universities decreased from 15.2 percent to 8.9 percent.
Other Outcomes
In addition to these measures, the State Board of Education has set four other goals for which districts can be recognized: social and emotional growth, kindergarten readiness, individual plans of study and civic engagement. There are no statewide measures for these goals, but they are considered important to improving the measurable outcomes above.
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Mark Tallman is the associate executive director for advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards.