USD 251 North Lyon County Recognized for Successful Student Outcomes
By Robert W. Blair, Superintendent
USD 251 North Lyon County is proud to announce that our school district was recently awarded four different STAR Recognitions by the Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson, the Kansas State Department of Education, and the Kansas Board of Education through the 2024 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program.
“The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas State Board of Education extend congratulations to North Lyon County USD 251 for achieving recognition in the 2024 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program. We recognize the exceptional work your district is doing to reach the state’s vision for education – Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program recognizes district success in the outcome measures Kansans told us they value, and it is clear that North Lyon County and other Kansas districts like yours is moving us closer to achieving the state’s vision,” according to Dr. Watson’s statement.
The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is now in its sixth year of recognizing school districts for their great work. USD 251 has now received 24 of these recognition awards since 2019.
USD 251 North Lyon County was recognized for our work in four different areas:
Graduation – Gold
Civic Engagement – Bronze
Academically Prepared for Postsecondary – Copper
Postsecondary Effectiveness – Copper
The High School Graduation Star Award recognizes school districts with graduation rates above the state average, with the highest recognition for those districts at or above 95%. USD 251’s graduation rate for 2024 was 100%. USD 251 has received the Graduation Gold Award with a 100% rate for three consecutive years.
The Civic Engagement Star Award is awarded to schools whose students demonstrate high levels of civic skills, knowledge, action, and intent. USD 251 has received this award for five consecutive years from 2020 through 2024. Last year only 21 out of 286 Kansas public schools received this award.
The Academically Prepared for Postsecondary Star Award recognizes school districts whose students are scoring above the state average on state assessments. USD 251 has received this award for five out of the last six years. On the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP), Northern Heights High School scored above the state average on all three state assessments – English Language Arts, Math, and Science. Northern Heights students have scored higher than the state average in Math and Science for four consecutive years. North Lyon County Elementary School scored above the state average on five out of six tested grades in English Language Arts, four out of six tested grades in Math, and one out of two tested grades in Science. USD 251 outscored the Kansas average by more than double digits in the following areas:
· Grade 3 English Language Arts
· Grade 6 English Language Arts
· Grade 7 English Language Arts
· Grade 4 Math
· Grade 8 Science
Grade 8 Science has outscored the Kansas average by double digits for four consecutive years.
The Postsecondary Effectiveness Star Award recognizes school districts that exceed the predicted effectiveness rates compared to their actual effectiveness rate within a margin of error. USD 251 has received this award for five out of the last six years. According to KSDE, 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. Postsecondary Effectiveness is determined by three different measures:
1) 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.
2) The postsecondary effectiveness rate is the calculated Graduation Rate multiplied by the calculated Success Rate.
3) The postsecondary predicted effectiveness rate takes into account certain risk factors (cumulative poverty, chronic absenteeism, student mobility) as influences on success. Accounting for the degree to which risk factors are present, this measure predicts a district’s expected effective rate.
I’m extremely proud of these great accomplishments of USD 251 students and staff. These awards and recognitions exemplify the academic success happening in our district. Furthermore, these awards highlight the small-town values, work ethic, and support of our communities. North Lyon County continues to be a great place to raise families.
Congratulations USD 251 North Lyon County students, staff, families, and all of our community partners!