Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman says interpreting standardized test results can be a befuddling experience for school teachers.

And, he adds, it makes sense for the district to get help unlocking treasures in test data from professionals at the School of Education at Kansas University.

“They have faculty up there who are experts in data analysis,” Weseman said. “They look at it from different angles.”

Angela Lumpkin, dean of the education school, said she agreed with Weseman. She’s also taken the initiative to broaden cooperation among KU and nearly two dozen public school districts in northeast Kansas.

Last fall, she formed the 21-member Superintendents’ Circle. The professional advisory group will create a two-way communication highway with superintendents offering real-world feedback to KU and university faculty reaching out to assist district administrators, she said.

“This is a collaborative partnership,” Lumpkin said. “They really want to come and … share their perspectives of what we should be doing in our programs as well as ways we can connect with their schools.”

‘An excellent opportunity’

Superintendents of the Baldwin, Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs, DeSoto, Eudora, Lawrence, McLouth, Ottawa, Perry-Lecompton and Tonganoxie districts are part of the Superintendents’ Circle.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for the school district and the university to work together,” said Cal Cormack, superintendent in Basehor-Linwood.

Like Weseman in Lawrence, Eudora Supt. Marty Kobza said districts needed assistance finding the needle in the standardized assessment haystacks that would lead to better teaching and strong student performance.

“We deal with a lot of data,” Kobza said. “Sometimes what we have difficulty doing is taking that data and … improving instruction.”

Lumpkin said KU faculty were at work on this and other issues raised by the superintendents.

For example, a workshop will be scheduled for this summer to help educators comprehend test scores and make appropriate decisions on curriculum and instruction reform.

“Unfortunately, all over the country, not just in Kansas, those reports go on shelves and collect dust, or they’re looked at and a big question mark pops up: What do you do with it now?” Lumpkin said.

A dual purpose

Cormack said another outcome of the group’s discussions had been the idea of KU planning a summer workshop to orient teachers to opportunities in educational administration.

During the next 10 years, he said, retirement of school principals in Kansas will leave a significant void in the ranks.

A KU workshop focused on administration would serve a dual purpose, he said. Teachers can be introduced to KU’s graduate programs in education. And any resulting increase in graduates would help the district recruit for administrative jobs, Cormack said.

Weseman said another topic raised by the group was the continuing shortage of special-education teachers in Kansas. College students need to be encouraged to study in that area, and when hired by a district to teach, they need to be retained in that specialty, he said.

“It was a concern of every superintendent there,” Weseman said. “There are something like 380 openings in Kansas.”

Lumpkin said the Superintendents’ Circle members had urged KU to increase the overall number of graduates from its five-year teacher education program. KU graduates about 130 teachers annually.

“If we could double that number, they would be pleased,” Lumpkin said. “They know they are highly competent professionals when they come out.”

National certification

The group of administrators is also interested in having the university lend a hand to teachers interested in earning national board certification. Kansas has 68 teachers endorsed by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Three work in Lawrence schools.

“They want us to help them help teachers,” Lumpkin said.

She said the Superintendents’ Circle would continue indefinitely.

That suits administrators in the group just fine.

Kobza said cooperation among districts and the university should improve the quality of education in schools.

“It will improve the academics in this area. There’s no doubt in my mind,” he said.