November Message from the USD 224 Superintendent
by Brian Pekarek
Recently, the Clifton-Clyde School District earned Kansas’ highest possible academic awards from Governor Mark Parkinson and the Kansas Department of Education. The awards were based on the exceptionally high academic achievement that Clifton-Clyde students displayed on their spring 2009 Kansas State Assessment results. These awards are called the “Governor’s Achievement Awards” and they are the most sought-after awards for educators, schools, and school districts in the state of Kansas. Only a few school districts have the privilege and honor of earning these awards, and I am proud to mention that all three of the Clifton-Clyde Schools (the grade school, the middle school, and the high school) earned these accolades in 2009. Since we just received these prestigious awards this week, this is the focus of the November USD 224 Superintendent Report.
The Governor’s Achievement Awards were established three years ago
in order to recognize the very highest achieving schools in the
state of Kansas. The governor’s awards were based on schools that
did so exceptionally well on the Kansas State Assessments that they
were in the top 5% of their peer schools across the state. In
addition to meeting AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) on the state
assessment tests, the schools had to reach Building-Level Standard
of Excellence in both math and reading. If the schools reached
these levels, they also had to achieve excellence in their high
school graduation rates and their student attendance rates.
Therefore, the criterion is extremely high for these awards.
Although the awards are extremely competitive each year, all three
of USD 224’s schools received the “Governor’s Achievement Awards”
for 2009. After calling the Kansas Department of Education, and
checking on each school’s placement in relation to its peers, I
further found out how remarkable our students did on the state
assessment results. During the phone call, I was told that
Clifton-Clyde High School placed 14th out of 323 competing high
schools in the state. Not to be outdone, Clifton-Clyde Middle
School took 2nd place out of 228 middle and junior high schools in
the state. Finally, Clifton-Clyde Elementary School placed 1st out
of 842 elementary schools scattered across the state of Kansas. In
addition to this, the USD 224 Clifton-Clyde School District can
claim the unofficial position as “the #1 Highest Performing
Academic School District in the Kansas.”
Although this was great news, Kansas State Department of Education
had more good news for our district. Every year, KSDE and the state
of Kansas get the honor of nominating 5 schools for the “National
Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence.” These awards are the
highest awards given to schools in the United States, and KSDE was
contemplating recommending one or more schools from USD 224
Clifton-Clyde for this high distinction.
The high academic performance of the students at USD 224
Clifton-Clyde is outstanding whether you base that on state
assessment results or the students’ everyday work in their
classrooms. The commitment and determination of the dedicated USD
224 staff is incredible in pursuing excellence in the schools. The
support from the community and parents in order to “put education
first” is outstanding, and the leadership and guidance of the USD
224 School Board is exceptional.
As we remember the academic excellence of the 2008-2009 School
year, let us never forget what it took to get to the top, and what
it takes to do that again in 2009-2010. It should be our goal as
students, staff, parents, and community members to strive to do the
extra things that will allow us to stay “on top” and continue the
tradition of academic excellence at Clifton-Clyde USD 224 for many
years to come.
It is an honor to serve the Clifton and Clyde communities as your
Superintendent of Schools. If you have any questions regarding the
high academic achievement of USD 224 Clifton-Clyde Schools, you are
always welcome to contact me anytime at 785-445-3313.
Sincerely,
Brian Pekarek
USD 224 Superintendent
Clifton-Clyde School District
bpekarek@usd224.com
785-445-3313
