Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Reorganization topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ross success expands: USD 501 plans campus model, grade‑level Success Academy at Eisenhower
Summary
District leaders told the Board of Education that a "school‑within‑a‑school" model piloted at Ross Elementary produced improvements in culture, staff retention and test scores; the district will expand the approach and open a Grade 6 Success Academy at Eisenhower Middle School next year.
District administrators presented three‑year results from the Ross Elementary "school within a school" pilot and described plans to expand the model into a Ross–Eisenhower campus for the coming year.
Doctor Gardner, the campus‑wide principal leading the effort, told the board the model divides a large campus into smaller administrative units that each have their own assistant principal, counselor and mental‑health support. "To be here three years later is pretty meaningful to us to show some of the successes," Gardner said, summarizing staff survey results and operational changes that followed the pilot.
Administrators reported measurable improvements: staff survey items that were lowest before the intervention (communication, "systems that supported positive school culture," and the PLC process) rose substantially after a 100‑day implementation period. Gardner provided raw pre‑intervention staff averages: communication 1.5, systems 1.6 and PLC 1.8 (Likert scale 1–5). Post‑intervention averages rose to 4.0–4.1 in the highest areas and 3.2 for the PLC process; those figures were based on a staff survey response rate the presentation identified as about 92 percent of staff.
Administrators also reported student‑achievement indicators and operations gains: CAP scores moved from single digits to double digits since the pilot began; out‑of‑school suspension events were reduced by more than half; and staff vacancies decreased from nine or ten open positions to one in the most recent year. Ross Elementary enrolls roughly 600 students and the building spans about a quarter mile, presenters said, which motivated the move to smaller administrative units.
The expansion will include a Grade 6 Success Academy at Eisenhower Middle School to smooth the transition from Ross. Assistant principals Rita Hink and Miss Keck and assistant principal Rob Kirkwood described plans for family engagement nights (math and reading nights), mentorship carry‑over from Ross to Eisenhower and extracurricular clubs to boost middle‑school engagement. Kirkwood said the Grade 6 Success Academy is intended to give students a transition year with focused supports and family programming.
Board members asked about research foundations and comparables. Gardner said the team reviewed successful smaller‑school structures and adapted elements that fit Topeka's context rather than copying a single outside district. Several board members expressed support and requested follow‑up visits; Mr. Tatum said he planned to visit the schools next year to observe the model in practice.
Administrators said they will continue to collect attendance, MAP and CAP scores, staff retention, and behavior data as foundation metrics for the campus model.
