The Kansas report card provides information about our district and schools. Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker explains its purpose.

Message from the Kansas Commissioner of Education

This is an exciting time for education in Kansas. The Kansas College and Career Ready Standards are alive and well in the classroom improving student learning by challenging students to develop a deeper understanding of subject matter, learn how to think critically and apply what they are learning to the real world. These standards are preparing Kansas students for more than just high school graduation day, they are preparing students for the rest of their lives.

The Kansas Report Card is a collection of data compiled annually to provide information not only on a statewide basis but also by district and by building. As Kansas continues its transition to higher education standards for college and career readiness, many schools experienced a decline in the results of their students' latest state assessment scores. While this is never a desired outcome, in a time of transition it is certainly not altogether unexpected. Assessments are a critical component of the education process, but this transition period has created a bit of an anomaly. Because the new standards assessment was not available for the 2012-13 assessment period, students were assessed using the existing testing tool which is no longer aligned with the new instruction. As such, we caution the use of recent assessment scores as a true indication of the student's progress.

We are on a new course in Kansas. With new standards, comes new knowledge and new skills that better align to the needs of the future workforce. Today's Kansas students will be better prepared to meet these needs than in any other point in history. We think that's pretty exciting.

• View the state report cards for our district and buildings