Kansas Schools

    Again, Kansas students taking the SAT and ACT tests in preparation for college scored well above the national average. Kansas’ state-wide SAT scores were highest in the nation. Kansas students posted reading score of 582, 590 in Math, and 566 in writing. These scores are well above the national averages of 503, 518, and 497 respectively. Only 8% of the 2006 graduating class participated in the SATs, well below the national participation rate of 48 percent. This is because most Kansas students (approximately 75%) take the ACT tests.

Kansas ranks 13 of 50 in the “Smartest State” rankings, based on Morgan Quinto’s “Education State Rankings 2005-06”. This is up two slots from 2004-05’s rank of 15. Quinto’s rankings emphasize student achievement, positive outcomes and personal attention from teachers rather than the state’s per-student spending.

As part of the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, Kansas is benefiting from its student-teacher ratio of under 15. Only 27.8% (or 133,000 students) are attending Title I schools—schools that receive federal funding because they are located in low-income areas, or schools that need federal funding to improve the school performance. This is one of the lowest percentages in the country, and it is reflected in the high school seniors’ ACT and SAT scores. As of the publishing of this article, Kansas has not yet placed it’s updated (as of 2005-06 school year) Adequate Yearly Progress report on its updated website. For specific information on your school, visit Kansas’ Department of Education website, http://www.ksde.org.