One-day sessions known as “School Improvement Days” are integral to districts creating action plans to address student achievement as part of the second iteration of the Kansas Education Accreditation System, known as KESA 2.0.   

“This process is tremendously much more intentional, meaningful to actually be able to have the time to collaborate with like-sized schools, sharing ideas,” Karla Tanking, assistant superintendent of Holton USD 336, said during a recent School Improvement Day at Greenbush Education Service Center in Lawrence. “But it’s also just having the time to talk through and analyze data with our own group that is very helpful and beneficial.” 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team started the School Improvement Days in September which will continue through the spring for the 2024-25 school year. Districts will participate in these days annually as part of the accreditation process.  

Facilitated by other Kansas educators, each “day” includes about four district leadership teams (DLTs) from similar-sized school systems in the same general area of the state. Members of these teams collaborate among themselves but also share out information and ideas among their peers from other districts in the same job category (i.e., administrators share information with other administrators; elementary teachers share information with other elementary teachers). They also share ideas for their district’s student achievement action plan so they can have drafts of their plan created before the day concludes. 

“Just to be able to share our brainpower and our experiences is priceless,” Tanking said. “Being able to problem solve and figure out how to best serve our children and to move the needle. That’s what we’re here for.” 

Lonnie Moser, in his eighth year as superintendent of Hiawatha USD 415, said he likes how the KESA 2.0 accreditation process overall is more streamlined and is less about proving tasks have been completed and “checked off a list.” 

“I think we’re getting more clear guidance on the expectations than what we had before,” he said. “I do like the action plan in this cycle much better than what we had previously.” 

Shannon Hassler, a first-year math teacher at West Franklin High School, West Franklin USD 287, said she likes being able to collaborate with her own district leadership team because it gives her the chance to see what’s happening at her district’s elementary school level which she doesn’t always get to do. 

She said being able to share data and other information with her peers from similar districts is also an important part of the School Improvement Day. 

“Are other school districts having the same kinds of challenges we’re having? Are they seeing the same changes over the last five years that we’re seeing?” she said. “That’s been nice to find out all in one spot.” 

Hassler said the new school improvement model has more meaningful processes to increase student achievement. 

“This is much more user-friendly to be able to collaborate and make it more usable working in the trenches,” she said.  

Click here for more information about KESA 2.0, action plans and the School Improvement Days.