Great Bend USD 428 has received state recognition for its high graduation rate – 92.5%. The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program was created by the Kansas State Department of Education. Great Bend has received the Bronze Award and will need to attain a 95% high school graduation rate or above to achieve a Gold Award, Superintendent Khris Thexton said.
A Silver Award is for schools with a graduation rate of 93-94.9%. Schools at or above the state average graduation rate of 89.9% receive a Copper Award.
Great Bend also won the Bronze Award in 2021. The district has been moving up, having received the Copper Award in 2020.
Like all public schools in Kansas, USD 428 uses the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model based on districts creating and implementing a continuous process of improvement. The Kansans Can Star Recognition program is designed to support the KESA process by providing a level of recognition that helps districts identify where they want to focus their improvement efforts.
“Reaching a 92.5% graduation rate, and exceeding the state average, is something to celebrate at Great Bend High School and across our district,” Thexton said. “A strong foundation for life-long learning begins at a young age and is fostered at every level – preschool, elementary, middle school and high school. As a district, we’re grateful to the outstanding educators and staff that inspire and support our students to achieve their dreams.”
Postsecondary predicted effectiveness rate
The award isn’t solely based on graduation rates, according to Kathi Grossenbacher, director of information technology at the Kansas State Department of Education.
To be eligible for the graduation recognition, a district must first be performing at or above its predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate.
“The postsecondary predicted effectiveness rate recognizes that Kansas communities are different,” Grossenbacher explains. This measure attempts to level the comparison by recognizing certain risk factors (cumulative poverty, chronic absenteeism and student mobility) as influences on success. Accounting for the degree to which risks factors are present, this measure predicts a district’s expected effective rate. Great Bend’s predicted postsecondary effectiveness rate is 39.9% and actual postsecondary effectiveness rate is 43.8% which makes the district eligible for consideration of a graduation star.
For reference, a student (graduate) must meet one of the four following outcomes within two years of high school graduation to be included in the calculation:
• Student earned an industry recognized certification while in high school
• Student earned a postsecondary certificate
• Student earned a postsecondary degree
• Student enrolled in postsecondary in both the first and second year following high school graduation.
