Kansans Can School Redesign Project now includes more than 70 districts

Sixteen schools are joining the Kansans Can School Redesign Project as the Apollo II cohort, the fifth phase of the project.

The names of the schools and districts were announced during the Kansas State Board of Education meeting Tuesday, July 14. The announcement brings the total number of schools taking part in the Kansans Can School Redesign Project to 182 and the number of districts participating to 73.

In order to be considered for the project, districts must be able and willing to completely redesign one elementary and/or one secondary school around the vision, outcomes and the definition of a successful high school graduate (see background information at the end of release). Each district also must be willing to launch a new school redesign in the 2021-2022 school year and be willing to serve as a demonstration school/district for others in Kansas to study, learn and visit.

Seven of the 10 districts that are taking part in the latest phase, Apollo II, are new to the redesign project. Three of the school districts – Emporia Unified School District 253, Hutchinson USD 308 and Winfield USD 465 - already have other schools participating in earlier phases and are now adding new schools.

The schools, along with their districts, taking part in Apollo II are:

• Emporia Middle School, Emporia USD 253.
•  Village Elementary School, Emporia USD 253.
• Walnut Elementary School, Emporia USD 253.
• Central Heights High School, Central Heights Unified School District 288.
• Lincoln Elementary School, Hutchinson USD 308.
• Wamego High School, Wamego USD 320.
• Lincoln Elementary School, Clay County USD 379
• Marshall Elementary School, Eureka USD 389.
• Marais des Cygnes Valley Elementary School, Marais des Cygnes USD 456.
• Marais des Cygnes Valley Junior High School, Marais des Cygnes USD 456.
• Marais des Cygnes Valley High School, Marais des Cygnes USD 456.
• Winfield High School, Winfield USD 465.
• Lincoln Elementary School, Hays USD 489.
• Flint Hills Primary School, Flint Hills USD 492
• Flint Hills Intermediate School, Flint Hills USD 492.
• Flint Hills Middle and High School, Flint Hills USD 492.

The Kansans Can School Redesign Project was announced in 2017 in support of Kansas’ vision for education – Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. The first seven school districts to take part in the first phase, Mercury 7, were announced in August 2017. The other cohorts include Gemini I, Gemini II and Apollo.

For more information about the Kansans Can Redesign Project, visit https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Fiscal-and-Administrative-Services/Communications-and-Recognition-Programs/Vision-Kansans-Can/School-Redesign.

Background:

The State Board of Education in October 2015 announced a new vision for education in Kansas: Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. To help measure the success of the new vision, the board established five outcomes — social-emotional growth; kindergarten readiness; Individual Plan of Study (IPS); high school graduation rates; and postsecondary completion/attendance.

The board also defined a successful high school graduate as someone who has 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.

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