By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Thomas More Prep-Marian outperformed statewide averages in graduation rates and state assessments for the 2024-25 school year.
TMP-Marian highlighted its strong academic achievement, with students scoring above Kansas state averages in the top two performance levels for the following subjects:
• Math: 58% (TMP-Marian) vs. 38% (state average)
• English Language Arts: 58% (TMP-Marian) vs. 42% (state average)
• Science: 59% (TMP-Marian) vs. 39% (state average)
TMP-Marian Principal Chad Meitner said teachers are intentional about aligning lessons with state standards and about teaching the material they will be tested on.
"We've got some small class sizes, so we're able to really work with kids individually. I think that definitely goes into one of the secrets of our success," he said.
The Kansas State Department of Education recognized the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Salina through the Kansans Can STAR Recognition Program for their outstanding student achievement.
TMP-Marian and Holy Family Elementary operate under the auspices of the Diocese of Salina. According to Salina Diocese Catholic Schools, they received a gold star for their high school graduation rate, a gold star for their postsecondary success rate, and a silver star for the number of students they academically prepared for college or other postsecondary pathways.
The latest report on postsecondary success for the Salina Catholic Diocese is from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, the graduation rate was 90.5%, the success rate was 79.1% and the effective rate was 71.6%.
The state department of education considers post-secondary success based on a student meeting one of the following criteria:
1. Earned an approved certification during high school
2. Attained a postsecondary certificate
3. Obtained a postsecondary degree
4. Enrolled in postsecondary education in both the first and second years after high school graduation
5. Student with disabilities who met the district graduation requirements for a diploma but remained in school to receive transitional services
The 2024 graduation rate for TMP-Marian is 97.2%, above the state's average of 89.5% for the same year.
The state department of education also issued its 2024-2025 school-year performance report card for students at TMP-Marian and statewide. The report shows test scores for math, English language arts and science.
The Kansas assessment results are reported across four levels.
Level one indicates a student shows a limited ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of the grade-level subject standards. Level two shows a basic ability to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject, level three shows a proficient ability, and level four shows an advanced ability, according to the state department of education.
Math
In math, 11.32% of TMP-Marian students in sixth through 12th grades have a limited ability to understand. According to the test scores, 31.44% of students have a basic understanding, 50.94% show an effective ability to understand and 6.28% have demonstrated an excellent understanding of math.
The statewide performance for math in the same grade levels consists of 28.71% of students showing limited ability, 32.54% having a basic understanding, 27.82% having an effective ability to understand and 10.91% having an excellent understanding.
English language arts
7.54% of students show limited ability to understand English, 34.59% have a basic understanding, 45.28% show an effective ability to understand and 12.57% demonstrated an excellent understanding of English.
The statewide performance for English in the same grade levels consists of 28.36% of students showing limited ability, 27.15% having a basic understanding, 34.79% having an effective ability to understand and 9.68% having an excellent understanding.
Science
15.9% of students show limited ability to understand science, 25% having a basic understanding, 27.27% show an effective ability to understand and 31.81% have demonstrated an excellent understanding of science.
The statewide performance for science in the same grade levels consists of 29.52% of students showing limited ability, 29.02% having a basic understanding, 25.98% having an effective ability to understand and 15.46% having an excellent understanding.
Meitner said the school’s Catholic faith helps shape a culture of discipline, respect and resilience, which he attributes to student performance.
"It starts with the early grades. A lot of our students come from Holy Family Elementary. ... I think there's some consistency in that curriculum," he said.
Holy Family Elementary
Holy Family Elementary’s academic performance also ranks above the state average in math, English language arts and science. Holy Family Principal Megan Meagher said teachers and curriculum are credited for meeting students' needs.
"We help prepare our students all the way from the time they're at Holy Family through TMP to be academically successful in postsecondary education," Meagher said.
Math
1.72% of students between pre-kingergarten to fifth grade fall under having limited ability to understand, 23.27% of students have a basic understanding, 48.27% show an effective ability to understand and 26.72% have demonstrated an excellent understanding of math.
English language arts
6.89% of students in the same grade fall under having limited ability to understand English language arts, 13.79% of students have a basic understanding, 60.34% show an effective ability to understand and 18.96% have demonstrated an excellent understanding.
Science
4.76% of students fall under having limited ability to understand science, 28.57% of students have a basic understanding, 40.47% show an effective ability to understand and 26.19% have demonstrated an excellent understanding.
Despite the strong performance, Meagher said the school continues to look for ways to improve student education through academics and faith.
"There's always room for growth. We always hope to continue to strengthen those scores," she said.