USD 343 Receives STAR Recognitions!!!
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe Perry-Lecompton School District has received recognition from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) for its work in Kindergarten Readiness and Social-Emotional Growth. The KSDE website states, “The Kansas STAR recognition program seeks to provide Kansas districts an opportunity to validate the coherent, rigorous and sustained commitment required to improve adult and student outcomes.” To qualify for this recognition, Kansas school districts were required to complete a rubric and provide artifacts and documentation to support the rubric rating.
Kindergarten Readiness (KR) is a KSDE state outcome. The KSDE website explains the importance of KR: “The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child walks through a kindergarten classroom door. A focus on early childhood and a commitment to strong community partnerships are essential to achieving our state’s vision for education.” In 2018, USD 343 opened a daycare center for children age 18 months and older, and expanded our Pre-K program to include 3-year-olds. The 3-year-old classroom is now part of the daycare. Additionally, the USD 343 PAT (Parents as Teachers) program has been awarded the prestigious Blue Ribbon Affiliate, which is the highest designation awarded by the PAT organization. Each of the aforementioned achievements, along with addressing a community need for more daycare opportunities, offering quality professional development opportunities for early childhood staff, and utilization of quality, Evidence-Based curriculum that helps prepare our students for kindergarten are all components of this recognition.
With nearly 300 school districts in the State of Kansas, only nine were recognized statewide for Kindergarten Readiness. No Kansas school district was recognized for Gold or Silver, but three school districts were recognized at the Bronze level, including Perry-Lecompton. Six more school districts were recognized at the Copper level. To view the list of Kansas school district recognized for Kindergarten Readiness, click HERE. The Kansas State Board of Education has requested representatives from the Perry Lecompton school district to attend the October State Board meeting and share information about our successful program. Early Childhood Center Principal Lisa Whitehair-Carver and Superintendent JB Elliott will attend.
KSDE also recognized Perry Lecompton schools for our work in Social-Emotional Growth. The Social-Emotional Growth STAR recognition seeks to identify Kansas school districts who “locally measure progress toward achievement of the State Board of Education’s social-emotional outcome and goal of each student developing social, emotional and character competencies that promote learning and success in life.” School districts must have a systemic improvement process in place that seeks to provide a positive school climate and culture, as well as annually evaluates that process through student/parent surveys. There were 19 Kansas school districts recognized for their efforts on Social-Emotional, with Perry Lecompton earning a Copper Award. To see a list of the 19 Kansas School Districts recognized, please click HERE.
Congratulations to Perry Lecompton Schools for these distinguished recognitions!