Seaman USD 345 opts into optional KSDE second-grade reading assessment; behavioral supports evaluation underway

Megan (teaching and learning staff) told the board that Seaman USD 345 will opt in to a new Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) optional second-grade reading assessment this year to provide teachers and incoming third-grade teachers with early reading-skills data.

The district will administer the KSDE assessment in the same testing window as the state assessment and send informational materials to parents in February ahead of parent-teacher conferences, Megan said. The assessment focuses on foundational reading skills such as phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency and comprehension, she said.

Separately, the board received an update on a program evaluation of the district’s behavioral supports. Rod (district staff presenting the evaluation) described the district’s approach and said district leaders identified approximately $500,000 in current spending tied to behavioral supports. That total includes staffing and services across operations and buildings, Rod said: eight social workers, one district-level behavior specialist, curriculum and building-level expenditures and categorical aid that offsets part of the cost.

Rod described initial measures the district will use to evaluate program success: staff and parent surveys with shared questions about discipline plans and school safety, student-discipline data currently under review by secondary schools, and annual professional-learning surveys. He said staff requested professional learning in classroom management and social-emotional learning. “The total budget that we're spending on positive... behavioral supports is about $500,000,” Rod said.

The board discussed the evaluation timeline and asked for follow-up reporting. Administration said it will return with more detailed spending breakdowns and evaluation measures at a later meeting.