Quantitative Measures
The Kansas State Department of Education will automatically determine district recognition in the Kansans Can Star Program using collected data. No application is needed.
High School Graduation
Today, the percent of jobs in Kansas only requiring a high school degree or less is just 29%. To give students the best possible chance for success, Kansas schools must not only increase the number of students graduating high school, but increase the number of students graduating with the skills and attributes needed to be successful.
The High School Graduation Star Award recognizes those districts with graduation rates above the state average, with the highest recognition for those districts at or above 95%.
Requirement:
To be eligible for this recognition, a district must be performing at or above its predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate.
- GOLD: 95% and above
- SILVER: 60-74.9%
- BRONZE: 50-59.9%
- COPPER: State average - 49.9%
Postsecondary Success
High school graduation is a major milestone for Kansas students, but it’s no longer the finish line it once was.
A study conducted by the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce predicts that 71% of the jobs in Kansas will require some additional form of education after high school. That means 70 to 75% of all Kansas high school graduates must complete some level of postsecondary education, whether that is a four-year degree, two-year degree, certification program or entering the military, in order to meet Kansas’ workforce needs.
To help districts determine if students are continuing on the road to success two years after graduation, Kansas looks at three different measures, using a five-year average.
The postsecondary success rate is the percent of high school graduates who either earned an industry-recognized certification, a higher education degree or continued their education two years after graduation.
The postsecondary effectiveness rate uses the same post high school criteria but includes all students who began high school in ninth grade, regardless of graduation status.
The postsecondary predicted effectiveness rate recognizes that Kansas communities are different. This measure attempts to level the comparison by recognizing certain risk factors (cumulative poverty, chronic absenteeism and student mobility) as influences on success. Accounting for the degree to which risks factors are present, this measure predicts a district’s expected effective rate.
The Postsecondary Effectiveness Star Award recognizes districts that exceed the predicted effectiveness rates (including risk factors) compared to their actual effectiveness rate within a margin of error, with the highest recognition for those districts at or above 70%.
Requirement:
To be eligible for this recognition, a district must be performing at or above its predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate (allowing for a -.4 variance).
- GOLD: 70% and above
- SILVER: 60%-69%
- BRONZE: 55%-59%
- COPPER: 50%-54.9%
Academically Prepared for Postsecondary
The Kansas State Board of Education defines a successful high school graduate as having the academic preparation, cognitive preparation, technical skills, employability skills and civic engagement to be successful in postsecondary education, in the attainment of an industry recognized certification or in the workforce, without the need for remediation.
For Kansas to achieve its vision for education in the area of academic preparation, 75% of all students need to score at or above Levels 3 and 4 on state assessments.
Level 3 shows an effective ability to understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary academic readiness. Level 4 shows an excellent ability to understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary academic readiness.
The Prepared for High School Graduation Award starts to recognize those districts whose students are scoring above the state average on state assessments, with the highest awards going to school districts with 75% of students at levels 3 and 4.
Districts are recognized annually for the percent of all students, across all grade levels scoring at levels 3 and 4 on Kansas state assessments in math, English language arts and science. It is the combination of all grades in all three assessed subjects.
Requirement:
To be eligible for this recognition, districts must maintain annually a 95 percent participation rate in all three assessment areas.
- GOLD: 75% and above
- SILVER: 60-74.9%
- BRONZE: 50-59.9%
- COPPER: State average - 49.9%
