Successful Small Kansas District Foregoes Popular Education Reforms

The Hechinger Report (3/9, Butrymowicz) profiles the school district in the "tiny farming community" of Waconda, Kansas, which has a population of 469. The article characterizes the district's students as unusually successful, both in school and after, adding, "The methods behind the educational success of this community, which encompasses four blink-and-you'll-miss-'em towns stretched out on the flat plains of north-central Kansas, provide a stark contrast to popular education reforms playing out across the United States. Waconda does not link student test-scores to teacher evaluations or offer merit pay to its teachers; it has no plans to distribute iPads to students. Waconda's approach is rooted in the basics, with a community that champions education, coupled with faculty dedication and a relentless focus on early intervention and prevention."