"The difference between where we are and where we want to be is created by the changes we are willing to make in our lives." – John C. Maxwell

Posts are intended to inform the North Ottawa County Schools Patrons about Kansas Education, education trends, and what is happening in our own local schools.

Last week I shared about what the new vision is for Kansas education set forth by our Kansas State Board of Education.  This week I want to discuss with you the new accreditation system which will be used to hold schools accountable for following the new vision and outcomes.  The Kansas Education System Accreditation, known as KESA, was approved in June 2016 from our Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE).

KESA is a five-year cycle that will begin July 1, 2017.  Currently we are what the KSBE calls zero year.  Zero year is the year we inform all of our stake holders about the accreditation process.  Our stake holders include Local Board of Education, District and Building Level Site Councils, District and Building Level Leadership Teams, Teachers and Community Members.

• Zero Year—Inform Stakeholders
• Year One—Needs Assessment and Goals
• Year Two—Goals and Action Plan Development
• Year Three—Implementations and Adjustments
• Year Four—Continued Implementation
• Year Five—Data Analysis and Growth Documentation

While our schools are working hard at improving, the reality is that the rest of the world outside of education is changing faster, leaving a growing gap.  So in order for education to keep up with all the changes, schools will need to change how they prepare students for the future.  Assessing students can no longer be about what they know but what they will do with what they know.

As educators we recognize the challenges that are facing us today.  In order to address these challenges, we must understand that effective instruction is key to school improvement.  Everyone from school leaders, teachers and learners must improve daily.  School leaders must challenge teachers and give them tools that will allow them to improve their teaching strategies.  Our system as a whole must be future-focused using effective research based strategies that will allow our students to be productive and successful in the 21^st century.

So as we set our goals as a district to meet the requirements of the state’s accreditation system our focus will be on how we can prepare all students for a career after high school.  In doing so we need to provide our students with relevance but at the same time rigor in our curriculum.  Students like to be challenged and have high expectations but at the same time it is important to show them the “why” as well.  Believe it or not this begins before kindergarten and it is a school wide effort involving our parents and community.

“Learning should be an active process.  Too often, students come to school to watch their teachers work.  When students use what they learn, they remember the information better and understand the utility of what is being taught.” Bill Daggett, Ed.D, Founder and Chairman of International Center for Leadership in Education.

We are fortunate to have teachers and staff in our district that come to work every day for more than just a paycheck, our teachers and staff genuinely care about the future of your students.  

Change isn’t coming, it is already at our doorstep.