Two Parsons USD 503’s schools are the recipients of the Kansas Challenge Awards for student performance on the 2023 Kansas State Assessments.
“We are pleased to award your district for outstanding achievements and uncommon accomplishments based on Kansas math and reading assessment results, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism rates and the socioeconomic status of those taking the test,” Kansas State Department of Education Commissioner Randy Watson said in a letter to the district. “The Challenge Awards are a celebration of the great work schools are doing and remind us to continue pushing forward to improve student academic performance and narrow the gap between all our subgroups. The schools being honored this year are doing an exceptional job in these areas.”
Garfield and Guthridge schools were both honored.
“Receiving the Challenge Award is always an honor.” Garfield Instructional Coach Robin McCleary said. “Learning about it now, during our end-of-the-year assessment time, is even more reason for our teachers to continue to encourage students to achieve their academic goals, show everyone what they've learned, and "Level Up!"
Garfield principal Barney Pontious said the school prides itself on hard work and its tradition of excellence. Garfield has been the recipient of several Challenge Awards throughout the past decade including winning back-to-back awards in 2017, 2018 as well as 2022 and 2023.
“Overcoming obstacles to learning is what we do. Throughout staff changes, pandemic conditions, and many other changes in our society, we continue to hold high expectations for our students and staff,” Pontious said. “We, at Garfield, feel that it is very important to remember that these awards do not simply reflect the work of Garfield's third grade teachers. While we do have an outstanding team of teachers here at Garfield, we could not be successful without the efforts of many people including our district staff, and our partners at the other USD 503 elementary schools. Our Lincoln teachers from preschool through first grade lay a foundation that is expanded on by our wonderful 2nd grade faculty here at Garfield. That is when our amazing third grade team takes over and pushes us over the top.”
Title I and support staff work hard in all of district buildings to make sure the gaps found in the district and practice assessments are closed as much as possible. This takes dedication and buy-in from administration at the building and district levels, and a trust in the expectations and processes that we have in place by all staff, he said.
“Last but not least, the parents who make sure our students are present and ready to learn are certainly key to our continued success,” Pontious said. “We are honored to share this award with our community and are so glad that we are able to represent USD 503 as the best district in Southeast Kansas. It is always a great day to be a Viking.”
Guthridge principal Kurt Friess echoed many of Pontious’ sentiments.
“I am so proud of the hard work our students and staff put in last year. Our Instructional Coach Mrs. Piva and our classroom teachers really work hard to help our students show academic growth,” Friess said.
One example of changes Guthridge made last year to make students successful was to give classroom teachers additional collaboration time to focus on the rigor of math. With Mrs. Piva as a facilitator, the teachers analyzed each of the math standards and the specific sub skills that the standard demanded to reach a level 4 score. Lessons were planned and scaffolded to reach that higher level. Teachers also put more rigor into our Tier 2 intervention time with a new curriculum, Friess explained.
“For reading, our staff focused on supporting students that lacked decoding and fluency skills within our Tier 2 system. In the classroom, teachers used different ways to assess and teach students higher level comprehension skills and grammar usage,” Friess said.
Guthridge also incorporated multiple incentives that they offered to students for completing goals within technology programs such as IXL, Study Island and Accelerated Reader.
“Small prizes, extra recesses, and meals were awarded to students that met personal goals,” Friess said. “Mrs. Piva does an amazing job of tracking our student's progress, rewarding individual students as they achieve their goals and then promoting our successes through social media posts and continually updating our "Leader Boards" in our hallways.
“Our teachers and support staff have worked diligently to assist and direct students in making gains in their academic achievement,” Piva said. “I'm very proud of everyone in our building for this amazing accomplishment.”
“Our students and staff work really hard, and I am so happy that their hard work has been recognized by the Kansas State Department of Education,” Friess said.
“Kansas is fortunate to have extraordinary educators and administrators whose leadership guides our students to achieve beyond what students themselves thought possible, ” Watson said.