Web posted
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Schools tweak handbooks
By ALISHA CALL
USD 470
The USD 470 Board of Education on Monday night approved the updated Student Discipline and Parent/Student Information Handbook for the 2008-2009 school year.
The handbooks are reviewed annually by administrators from the elementary, middle school and high school levels as well as by central office staff. That group makes any needed changes to the documents then it goes to the school board for approval.
Often times the changes are made due to change in state statute while other times, pieces are added when the need becomes apparent.
Some revisions made to the handbooks include: updating admission requirements, including vaccination guidelines; adding more comprehensive bullying information; updating the head lice procedure and adding an infectious, soft-skin tissue policy and procedures. Changes to the high school tardiness policy were also made.
Also at Monday's regular board meeting, Jan Voss, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, announced upcoming changes to the Kansas teacher certification requirements.
"There is a real shortage of teachers right now in Kansas and across the nation," Voss said. "TEAL (Teacher Education and Licensure) is being responsive to schools' needs by removing barriers; which will not impact the quality of teacher candidates seeking licensure."
Some of the barriers being eliminated include grade point average requirements and the rubric for scoring the KPA (Kansas Performance Assessment).
A traditional path would serve those who graduate with a degree in education from one of the Kansas colleges.
Restricted teaching licenses are available to help those with degrees and expertise in a particular content area but who don't have an education degree. This could provide particularly helpful in high need areas such as math, science, foreign language, library media and counseling.
Secondary-level endorsements in specific content areas (i.e. science) are now available to those candidates who have a verifying score on the appropriate science content assessment and any licensed teacher can add a middle level content endorsement in one of three pathways.
Also, any middle-level teacher with middle level content endorsement can add a secondary level by verifying completion of 50 percent of the approved program.
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