News and Notes:  News Release
June 7, 2004

Topeka: KLFA student achievement work bearing fruit

“Two Kansas Learning First Alliance (KLFA) projects that focus on student achievement and professional development will start to have an impact on schools this fall.” That was the message KLFA members heard at its June 7 meeting. Both were projects that used KLFA's extensive collaborative network. The first was a statewide math audit undertaken with grant support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, technical support from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and volunteers from KLFA organizations, particularly the Kansas Association of Teachers of Mathematics (KATM). The second was an investigation into professional development practices that brought together KLFA, KSDE and the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force, the sponsor of the Challenge Awards. Both projects provide districts hoping to improve student performance with specific practices identified by recognized schools as ones being successful.

The math audit, which was conceived almost three years ago, surveyed teachers and principals about beliefs and values, which were later compared to math assessment results. The study also did an extensive analysis of how time was apportioned among the different standards and benchmarks and how the assessments themselves were aligned to them. From that data, two statewide workshops have been held, with the most recent in Salina April 14. Around 50 districts had participants at those workshops and will have available those findings as they plan for the 2004-05 school year. Portions of that conference were taped by KAN-Ed and will be available for viewing after June 15 for those wishing to view them.

The second project surveyed professional development practices in Challenge Award schools and a sample of buildings with similar student populations that were not recognized. The survey determined Challenge School teachers participate in significantly more professional development than Comparison School teachers and rate the benefit of professional development more positively. These findings, among others from the study, can help districts and buildings plan for upcoming professional development staff opportunities. (A full report on the Challenge Awards, including results of the study, will appear in the Kansas School Board Journal later this summer.)

In order to continue and expand its capacity to develop and disseminate important student achievement based on Kansas experiences, KLFA has needed to create a method to better handle grants and donations. To that end, KLFA approved the basic structure of an educational foundation at its January meeting. The bylaws for that were organization were reviewed and approved and will be used to apply for incorporation papers and appropriate tax-exempt status in upcoming months.

The members also discussed KLFA's technology use extensively. The KLFA Web site, found at www.kansaslearningfirst.org, continues to be revised so it can reflect up-to-date issues and initiatives. Also, a KAN-Ed representative highlighted its Web site and discussed ways KAN-Ed and KLFA can work together to develop and promote quality content that can be accessed by those connected to the Internet.

Thirty-four people representing almost all 24 KLFA organizations attended the meeting. KLFA capacity continues to grow as two new groups have expressed an interest in joining and will be considered for membership in the next 3-4 months. The next meeting, the first of the 2004-05 school year, will be at KASB August 27.