Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 previews KESA 2 accreditation plan, schedules April 22 school improvement day

District staff told the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education during a winter retreat that the district is beginning Year 1 of KESA 2, the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation framework, and will hold a school improvement day on April 22 to develop an initial action plan.

KESA 2, as presented, is a statewide accreditation and continuous-improvement model intended to strengthen coherence across districts by focusing on a small set of high-leverage fundamentals. Trina, a district staff presenter, said the framework pairs expectations with resources, including a standards-alignment toolkit for the four core subjects, and sets a multi-year roadmap that moves districts from planning to outcomes measurement.

The district described three accreditation components emphasized by KSDE: compliance, school improvement and outcomes. Compliance areas listed in the packet and presentation included ACT and WorkKeys participation, anti-bullying policy and plan, mandated reporter training, dyslexia supports, educator licensure and induction plans, special-education reporting, child nutrition and wellness, and Title services. Trina said the KESA 2 materials include rubrics that show whether the district is "in compliance," "working toward compliance," or "not compliant," and identify KSDE contacts for each compliance area.

School improvement under KESA 2 centers on four fundamentals the district uses to guide planning: structured literacy (phonemic awareness, science of reading, fluency, vocabulary), standards alignment, balanced assessment (formative and summative), and high-quality instruction with fidelity of implementation. The presentation noted those fundamentals are interdependent and that districts will select one primary focus and related structures and lead indicators for an action plan.

District staff said Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 will work in peer groups with similar-size districts during the KESA 2 process; the presenter named Shawnee Heights, Washburn Rural and Seaman as partner districts for peer collaboration. A March 12 meeting with KSDE staff was scheduled to review district data in advance of the April 22 improvement day; the district will have 60 days after April 22 to draft its action plan and then route that plan to the district leadership team, building leadership teams and the district site council for feedback. The district said KESA 2 outcomes will be evaluated beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

Several board members and staff questioned measurement and timelines. Board member Harrison asked for clarification about cohort graduation-rate timing; staff explained the four-year adjusted cohort begins when students enter ninth grade and noted alternate diploma timelines can affect reporting. Staff said the district uses local leadership teams and assessments to produce more immediate, "lead" indicators that guide instruction between outcomes reporting cycles.

The presentation identified LETRS training and similar professional development as examples of measurable action steps: staff described benchmarks such as increasing the number of teachers completing structured-literacy training over multi-year targets. Trina said the action plan will state: the fundamental selected, one or two supporting structures and indicators, projected measures of progress, the data sources used, and next steps.

Next steps listed in the presentation included the March 12 KSDE meeting, a March 31 district site council meeting, the April 22 school improvement day, a May 7 board meeting for updates and a May 12 district site council meeting. Board representatives Greg and Katie were named as the board's district site council representatives who will help gather broader community and building-level feedback during the implementation period.

The district pack included model examples and rubrics intended to guide staff work during Year 1 and to reduce variation between buildings. Staff said KESA 2 is meant to shift districts from isolated work toward peer-supported improvement and clearer, shared metrics for professional development and resource allocation.

Looking ahead, the district will return progress reports to the board and solicit school- and community-level feedback as staff finalize the action plan within the stated 60-day window.