Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up! Some students said the reason for missing classroom time impacts how much it will affect them. This could be in the form of their grades and their ability to get assignments done. Most students said it makes a bigger impact on them if they are absent for a vacation or an illness, because it is harder to make up the work and ask for help. Being gone for a sporting event or an appointment impacts them to a lesser extent, and they know that they can make up the work the next day more easily. Some students stated that making up for missing class time isn’t difficult as long as the work gets done and a genuine effort is made.
When a student is absent 2 days a month, they will miss 20 days a year, over 30 hours of math over the school year, 60 hours of reading and writing over the school year, and they will miss over 1 year of school by graduation.
The most important thing students should do if they are going to be absent is to talk to their teachers and get their work from them before or after school. Being present at school matters to yourself and your classmates. Teachers stated that students being out of the classroom or missing their class time is very difficult and it affects the teacher more than people would think it does.
Mr. Morrow, high school English teacher, expressed his concern. “I lose my train of thought, because students come into class asking what they missed when they were gone. It throws off the whole class period and disrupts the other students’ learning, too. Not only does it affect the class they are in, but it can also throw off the next class period.
Mr. Guthmiller teaches both junior high and high school students in business, computers, finance, and two math classes. He adds, “In some classes, there are only two students. If one student is absent from that class, you can’t stop the class or hold it.”
“It is a true pain, especially if a student’s absence is habitual, and this has gotten worse over time.”- Mr. Morrow
In the spring of 2025, Kansas students in grades 3–8 and 10 completed the required state
assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, while grades 5, 8, and 11 also tested in
Science. These assessments were redesigned this year, replacing the previous version first
introduced in 2015.
Because of the updates, statewide results could not be finalized until fall, as educators met this
summer to establish new “cut scores”—the benchmarks that define performance levels and
determine how student achievement is categorized. The Kansas State Board of Education also
had to approve scores prior to being set.
The assessments, which are taken primarily online, include 40–50 questions per subject and are
typically completed in two 45-minute sessions. Test items are designed to measure a range of
knowledge and skills, offering a clearer picture of student learning. Results include both
individual scores and performance levels.
The redesigned test addressed concerns that the prior test was misaligned with student success
after high school. According to the Kansas State Board of Education, only about 25% of Kansas
students previously scored at the top two levels, despite more than half going on to succeed in
college or careers. The earlier cut scores also failed to align with national measures such as the
ACT.
Locally, students performed well compared to state averages.
ELA: Eighth- and 10th-grade students scored 15 and 8 points higher, respectively, than
the state average. All but two grade levels improved over last year’s results.
Math: Grades 6, 8, and 10 scored above the state average, with fifth grade showing
growth compared to the previous class.
Science: Eighth grade outperformed the state average by 20 points. Fifth grade saw a
slight decline. Although all juniors participated in science testing, the assessment did not
show enough variation to be considered valid, so no 11th-grade results were reported.
50% of last year's 10th, 7th, and 5th graders scored in the top two levels for at least one
of their tested subjects. 58% of our 6th graders had at least one score of 3 or 4, while a
whopping 61% of our 8th graders met this achievement.
Individual student score reports will be distributed during Parent-Teacher Conferences on
October 20. Families are encouraged to attend, review results, and discuss progress with
teachers.
The district congratulates all students who earned performance levels 3 or 4 on the state
assessments, with special recognition to SammiJo Wiegers and Garrett Zimbelman, who each
achieved a perfect score of 700 on the Math test.
Why Do We Have Teacher In-Service and Professional Development Days?
We know parents often wonder: What happens on those days when students don’t have school?
Great question! These days are not days off for teachers—they are valuable times for learning,
planning, and working together so we can better support our students. With several new teachers
in our district, it is imperative that we offer them guidance and support. Not only do we have a
local mentor who helps support our new teachers, we also have hired an instructional coach to
help our new teachers get a solid footing in their careers.
On Professional Development days, the district invites an “expert” to work with staff on a
specific topic. For example, in August we partnered with the Southwest Plains Educational
Service Center to focus on curriculum and standards alignment—an area identified by our
District Leadership Team as part of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA)
process, the state’s K-12 accreditation model. Teachers spent time reviewing state standards in
their subject areas and ensuring our curriculum aligns with what students are expected to learn.
This is a complex, time-intensive task that cannot be accomplished in just one day, so PD days
allow us the time needed to move this work forward.
In-service days focus more on collaboration within our own staff. On September 8, all K-12
teachers worked together to align curriculum vertically (K-4 and 5-12), making sure there were
no gaps in instruction from one grade level to the next. Including 5th grade teachers with grades
6–12 was intentional, as it helps identify what skills need strengthening at the elementary level to
prepare students for middle and high school.
That afternoon, teachers reviewed fall testing results. This helped us see where students are
doing well and where they may need extra help. From there, we made plans on how we were
going to support all learners.
Why It Matters
Both professional development and in-service days are critical to teaching and learning. While
some may think these are “days off,” the reality is quite the opposite. These days provide
valuable time for educators to collaborate, review progress, and strengthen instruction.
Looking ahead, on October 13 our staff will travel to Colby with other NWKL schools. This
regional collaboration allows our teachers to connect with colleagues at the same grade levels
and subject areas, share strategies, and build a network with teachers who can offer them
support. Our staff is eager for this opportunity to learn from others and bring new ideas back to our classrooms.
