Resource center urges more board participation in building needs assessments, offers reading and staffing examples

Ward Cassidy, trainer with the Kansas School Board Resource Center, told the Committee on K‑12 Education Budget that local board engagement with building needs assessments and classroom practice can produce measurable improvements in third‑grade reading and school climate.

Cassidy described a building needs assessment exercise he led in a small district where initial data showed third‑grade reading proficiency near 22%. He said he required board participation during the visit: “I said, I'm not coming unless you have 1 board member there.” In the meeting with the superintendent, principal and teachers, a teacher ultimately acknowledged, “I really don't know how to teach reading.” Following the assessment, the district hired a reading specialist, added an extra third‑grade teacher, and…