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Check the Kansas State
Department of Education Report Card
2003-2004 for School/District.
http://online.ksde.org/rcard/county.aspx?cnty_no=087
visit the
district’s Web site at
www.usd259.com.
The Wichita Public Schools stand as a
leader in academic progress. Eight
consecutive years of increasing student
achievement, state and national awards for
outstanding classroom teachers and exemplary
schools, devoted parents who support student
achievement…outcomes which show that a
community’s investment in its public
education system produces results!
Focusing on education as a cornerstone
to both high quality of life and business
success in Wichita, the community rallied
behind Wichita Public Schools in April 2000
to overwhelmingly pass a $284.5 million
school facility bond issue. The purpose? To
upgrade schools throughout the district and
make ours among the finest educational
facilities in the state. The result? A
steadfast commitment to neighborhood
schools, installation of air conditioning in
every school facility in the Wichita
district, and classrooms and other
school-based resources that offer
state-of-the-art support for all of the
district’s more than 49,000 students.
Drawing support from a community that
recognizes world-class education doesn’t
come in a one-size-fits-all package, the
Wichita Public Schools give parents,
students and community members a customized
approach to meeting their education needs
via 104 unique learning centers. In addition
to traditional neighborhood schools, this
includes the district’s 28 magnet schools,
which provide specific educational focus in
subjects including: science and technology,
international studies, back-to-the-basics,
foreign language and communications,
performing and fine arts, and environmental
studies.
Learning centers at every high school
in the district, as well as several
alternative locations, provide resources for
students who left school prior to graduation
and who now choose to return to school and
receive a diploma. The district’s Wichita
East High School also hosts the acclaimed
International Baccalaureate advanced
academic learning program. The community’s
entrepreneurial spirit also shines through
in the Wichita e-School, an initiative of
the Wichita Public Schools, which provides
on-line curriculum to Wichita home-schooled
students. This innovative effort, now in its
second year, has drawn significant national
attention. And with growing special
education and bilingual student needs, the
Wichita district is well prepared as a
regional leader in the provision of special
and unique services.
In addition to academically challenging
opportunities, students in Wichita Public
Schools may become involved in a full range
of extra-curricular activities including
sports, drama, fine arts, community service
clubs, speech, debate, forensics and JROTC
leadership programs.
Wichita’s vibrant business community
has aggressively supported development of
the district’s rigorous testing program in
the core academic areas of reading, writing
and math. All students in second, fifth,
eighth and soon tenth grades are tested to
assess progress, provide benchmarks for
achievement, and most importantly, determine
those areas in which individual students
need support in order to be successful in
their academic pursuits.
This same community has also opened its
arms to students and teachers, making
education a top priority by not only
committing financial resources, but also by
participating in student tutoring programs,
supplying state-of-the-art equipment,
welcoming students and teachers into the
business environment for career exploration
activities, and bringing business leaders
into the classroom for collaborative
learning opportunities.
Strong, meaningful parent involvement
in the schools is encouraged. Parents work
with staff to shape the direction of each
school through site-based management,
partnerships and engagement. As strong
advocates for sound teaching strategies,
district staff understand the irreplaceable
value of the connection between a child and
parent in the teaching and learning process.
Parents and staff have also worked
together to create a learning environment
that is disciplined and safe, as well as
academically challenging. In contrast to a
recent national study that indicated only
45% of parents nationally feel their
students’ school environment is safe, 93% of
parents with students in the Wichita Public
Schools have expressed their confidence in
the safety of our schools!
As a proud and diverse community of
more than 49,000 students and 8,000 teachers
and staff members, the Wichita Public
Schools brings families the benefit of a
large district with the student-centered
approach of the individual communities it
serves. For more information on the Wichita
Public Schools, visit the district’s Web
site at
www.usd259.com.
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