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Kansans Can Star Recognition Program Application Process

The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is an opportunity for Kansas school districts to be recognized for achievements in the outcome measures Kansans said they valued. This recognition is difficult to obtain and represents the highest level of achievement on the State Board outcomes. The measures are categorized as either quantitative or qualitative.

STEP 1: Conduct Local Self-Assessment

To begin the qualitative measures application process, systems/districts should conduct a local self-assessment to systematically compare current district conditions with the established qualitative rubrics for the Kansans Can Star Recognition areas of social-emotional growth, kindergarten readiness and IPS.

Local teams can click here to download PDF versions of the qualitative rubrics.

NOTE:    Districts/systems that have already completed a comprehensive needs assessment for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) already may have the data readily available. If the district’s/system’s KESA comprehensive needs assessment did not include this data, the system should be sure to incorporate it.

Applicants should gather a team of their choosing to collectively assess, analyze and justify the degree to which locally measured results reflect each element criteria.This is a good opportunity to consider the district’s broader needs assessments and systems improvement efforts. Potential team members to participate in the self-assessment include:

Team members who are involved in district and building systems improvement efforts (for example, accreditation, MTSS and Alignment, Kansas Learning Network, Kansans Can School Redesign, etc.).

• Parents, family members and other stakeholders receiving services or participating in site councils or other district engagement opportunities.
• Students
• Educators
• Administrators

Each rubric begins with a “qualifiers” section. A district must be in compliance with all state and federal requirements in the relevant area (social-emotional growth, kindergarten readiness or IPS) to be eligible for recognition. A district must also meet each of the qualifiers listed at the beginning of the rubric to be eligible for recognition.

The rubrics consist of multiple elements representing the various components of each qualitative measure. Each element contains subelements, indicating increasing levels of performance. Local district teams should begin reviewing each row of the rubric in the far-left column, and move from left to right until the district no longer meets the listed criteria for that row (subelement).

The team should work through these rubrics, selecting the subelement that best matches their district’s performance in that area. As teams complete the rubrics, they should consider what artifacts (documentation and/or outcomes analysis) can support the self-assessment in the district’s application for recognition.

Local teams can click here to download PDF versions of potential artifacts for each rubric.

STEP 2: Complete the Online Application

1. Districts apply for Kansans Can Star Recognition using an authenticated application located through KSDE’s authenticated application site.
    
2. An authorized district representative will register for access to the Kansans Can Star Recognition application and then enter the results of the district’s completed self-assessment.
    
3. Districts should upload artifacts (documentation and/or outcomes analysis) to support each subelement rating.
   1. These artifacts should NOT include hyperlinks/URLs to external websites.
       
4. The online application will automatically calculate the Star Recognition level that corresponds with the results of the district’s submitted self-assessment. This result will be considered unofficial until the Kansas State Department of Education’s official review of the application and any accompanying artifacts.*
    
5. The district representative will receive a confirmation email once the application has been successfully submitted.

* KSDE will retain district application information for one year.
 

Deadline to submit applications is May 2, 2025.

Results will be announced in fall 2025.

Online applications are accessible through KSDE’s authenticated application site.