By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Hays USD 489 received a Commissioners Award with Honors related to students' success after they graduate from high school.
The district just missed receiving a silver award for state accreditation in post secondary effectiveness by two-tenths of a percentage point.
Schools are ranked based on accreditation criteria, including no award, copper, bronze, silver and gold.
Post-secondary progress looks at how many Hays High School students have earned an industry recognized certificate while in high school, post-secondary certificates, post-secondary degrees or are enrolled in post-secondary education both their first and second years after graduation.
The district's success rate in 2019 was 73.1 percent. That was up from 54.4 percent in 2015 when this measure began as part of the state accreditation process.
"I think that's really focusing and having individual plans of study, talking to kids and helping them understand how important it is to be ready and have a plan after graduation ... very proud of that," said Shanna Dinkel, Hays assistant superintendent/director of curriculum.
The district's post-secondary effectiveness rate grew by almost 15 percent more than the state's average.
HHS graduation rate
The HHS graduation rate was 91.1 percent in 2020. That is up 4.6 percent since 2015 and above the state average graduation rate of 88.3 percent.
Subgroups within Hays High have also seen increases in their graduation rates since 2015. Graduation rates for English language learners are up 3.2 percent, students receiving free and reduced-price lunches are up 7.6 percent. The 2020 graduation rate for disabled students is up 20 percent over five years.
Hays received a bronze award for its graduation rate in 2020. The state's goal is a 95 percent graduation rate for all students.
Academic preparedness
USD 489 scored 41 percent, earning the district a copper award in student academic preparedness for post-secondary education.
Districts are recognized annually for the percent of all students, across all grade levels scoring at levels 3 and 4 on Kansas state assessments in math, English language arts and science. It is the combination of all grades in all three assessed subjects.
Level three is students who are ready for post-secondary education, and level four students exceed the readiness standard.
Hays' percentages were
English=46.4 1%
Math=36.14%
Science=40.35%
Kindergarten readiness
The district also filed a lengthy report on its efforts to increase kindergarten readiness, another accreditation criteria. The district received a copper award in this criteria
"We haven't got the feedback yet, so I'm hoping we can find ways to move up," Dinkel said.
Other accreditation measures the district officials hope to file reports on at a later date include individual plans of study, civic engagement and social-emotional growth.
Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay.