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MERCURY 7

Kansans Can School Redesign Project

In support of Kansas’ vision for education, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) launched the Kansans Can School Redesign Project.

Kansas school districts were invited to apply to become one of seven districts selected for the redesign project. To be considered for the project, districts had to designate one elementary school and one secondary school to be redesigned around the five outcomes established by the Kansas State Board of Education, the five elements identified as defining a successful Kansas high school graduate, and what Kansans said they want their schools to look like in the future. Each district also had to have support of their local school board, their faculty and their local Kansas National Education Association or other professional organization.

KSDE received 29 applications, and on Aug. 8, 2017, the seven selected districts, each representing one of the Mercury 7 astronauts, were announced.

The seven school districts — 14 schools — will serve as demonstration sites for others in Kansas to study, learn and visit. The new school designs were slated for launch in the 2018-2019 school year. You can learn about each districts' Plan Year and Launch Year journey in the videos below!

Meet the Crew


WELLINGTON USD 353

Kennedy Elementary School
Wellington High School


OLATHE USD 233

Westview Elementary School
Santa Fe Trail Middle School


COFFEYVILLE USD 445

Community Elementary School
Roosevelt Middle School
Field Kindley High School


TWIN VALLEY USD 240

Tescott Grade School
Bennington Jr. - Sr. High School


LIBERAL USD 480

Cottonwood Elementary School
MacArthur Elementary School
Meadowlark Elementary School
Prairie View Elementary School
Sunflower Elementary School
Eisenhower Middle School
Seymour Rogers Middle School
Liberal High School


MCPHERSON USD 418

Eisenhower Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
McPherson Middle School


STOCKTON USD 271

Stockton Grade School
Stockton High School

School Redesign Documents

  TitleDescription
DownloadFact Sheet: Kansans Can Personalized LearningFact Sheet: Personalized learning places the whole child at the center of instruction. It is informed by strong relationships between educators/ students/ family members/ community relationships to provide equity and choice in time, place, path and demo
DownloadKansans Can Personalize Learning: Research Base 
DownloadPlan Year Timeline What to ExpectInfographic timeline for the phases of the project year.
DownloadPersonalized Learning Infographic Infographic
DownloadRedesign Launch Readiness RubricThis is the rubric that was revised and utilized for our final Apollo III cohort. It is the most comprehensive and best represents what we want schools to get out of the Redesign Plan Year.
DownloadLaunch Year Project TimelineInfographic timeline.
DownloadAscent Year Timeline Infographic explaining what to expect during the ascent year as a redesign school.
DownloadRedesign Success RubricThis rubric is a self-assessment for Redesign schools that can be used to evaluate their current performance level as measured against the six Redesign Competencies.
DownloadRedesign Strategy ReportThis document is meant to help schools have objective conversations about the strategies that they have tested and/or want to test. Directions for use are on page 3.
DownloadRedesign Leadership Competencies 
DownloadRedesign School Coaching Support Plan This project plan outlines the support for Redesign Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
DownloadRedesign Mentoring Program: Project Plan  
DownloadLift Off: How Kansas is Redesigning its Schools for TomorrowKSDE Report from March 2020
DownloadKansans Can School Redesign Project Technical Assistance for Redesign SchoolsKansans Can School Redesign Project Technical Assistance for Redesign Schools
DownloadRedesign Reunion Tour Summary (Summer 2021)At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, Mercury and Gemini I schools were visited to reflect on successes and challenges of the last year, and the role Redesign played in navigating those. This is a summary of their feedback.
DownloadKansans Can School Redesign BookletKansans Can School Redesign Booklet
DownloadKansan Can School Redesign Districts InfographicMap of all the participating USDs and a list of all the schools participating in the Kansans Can School Redesign Project.
DownloadRedesign Communication PlanThis document is meant to help you and your team draft a comprehensive communication plan for your school improvement work.
DownloadRedesign Business & Community Action PlanThis document is meant to help your team consider your opportunities to collaborate with business and community sponsors in your area.

Mercury 7 Profiles- Learn about the Original Mercury 7

Kansans can School Redesign Project logo

Questions about this page contact:

Director of Accreditation and Design
Jay Scott
jscott@ksde.org 
785-296-6818

Assistant Director 
Myron Melton
mmelton@ksde.org
785-296-8110

Accreditation Email
accreditation@ksde.org

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