Olathe district presents 2025 assessment snapshot as state cut scores change
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Summary
District assessment leaders described a balanced assessment system and new Kansas performance descriptors and cut scores, presented 2024–25 comparisons, subgroup breakdowns, ACT/AP participation, and nearly 9,900 college credit hours earned by students last year.
Olathe Public Schools presented a 2025 snapshot of district assessment results and changes to statewide performance descriptors at the board's December meeting.
Doctor Veach, who led the data briefing, said the district uses a balanced assessment system composed of screeners, common formative assessments, quarterly math benchmarks and summative measures, and that 2025 marks a new baseline because the Kansas Assessment Program introduced vertical performance‑level descriptors and new cut scores this year. He cautioned that changes to cut scores make year‑to‑year comparisons more complex and said the district will treat 2025 as baseline data while continuing to review multiple measures of student learning.
Veach reviewed how the state’s new descriptors and aligned cut scores are intended to make proficiency designations consistent across grade levels. He also walked the board through subgroup reporting, including English language learners (ELL), students with disabilities, low‑SES groups and racial/ethnic subgroups, and noted technical considerations such as the date cutoffs for ELL participation in math and science assessments.
On college readiness metrics, Veach said about 95% of juniors in Olathe participated in the ACT, and the district reported AP participation and the percent of exams scoring 3 or higher (the most common threshold used for potential college credit). He noted nearly 9,900 college credit hours were earned by Olathe students last year through dual‑enrollment programs (College Now, Quick Step/Quick Step Plus and main campus/online credit).
Board members asked follow‑up questions about SAT participation and subgroup breakdowns for ACT results. Veach said district SAT participation is very low (about 40 students districtwide) and agreed to research whether more detailed subgroup ACT reporting is available and to report back.
The district framed the presentation as context for curriculum decisions and for the board’s upcoming legislative discussions, and stressed the district will continue to analyze results across multiple assessments rather than relying on a single measure.