Shawnee Mission showcases expansion of 'real world learning' and student market‑value assets
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Summary
District leaders and students presented expanded real‑world learning programs across preK‑12, reporting that 86.9% of the class of 2025 earned market‑value assets and outlining plans for a senior capstone course and college‑credit expansion.
Shawnee Mission School District presented a multi‑level update on its real‑world learning initiative Monday, highlighting classroom partnerships with industry, client‑connected projects across grade levels and data showing increased student attainment of so‑called market‑value assets.
District staff described a two‑team structure — a core leadership team and an implementation team of pre‑K‑12 educators — that coordinates visits, employer partnerships and curriculum alignment. Examples included an elementary bridge‑building challenge with local engineering partners, virtual sessions with Garmin tied to body‑systems science units, middle‑school career fairs and mock interviews, and high‑school client projects including a long‑standing sister‑city exchange with student work installed in a community park.
“We're working across content, across grades, and all across the district,” the real‑world learning team said as presenters described site visits, industry partnerships and teacher cadre training. The district reported that it exceeded its market value asset goal for 2025, posting 86.9% attainment for the class of 2025 and said the target for 2030 is 100% of graduates earning at least one market‑value asset.
Student voices were part of the presentation: Holden, a participant in the Project SEARCH program, described how the experience improved his communication skills and job readiness. Administrators said the next operational steps include a proposed senior capstone course, continued work on college credit expansion with Johnson County Community College, and ongoing tracking of equity across student subgroups.
Board members asked about scaling the work and how projects are matched to classrooms and community partners; staff said requests from teachers and business partners are matched through real‑world learning counselors and that the district will continue to expand professional learning and business partnerships to meet demand.
What happens next: District staff said they will continue curriculum alignment work, advance the senior capstone proposal for the upcoming academic year, and report back to the board with updates on enrollment in college‑credit pathways and capstone implementation.