By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In last week’s presentation during the USD 428 Board of Education luncheon, Jefferson Elementary School Principal Adam Niedens said a couple of summers ago staff started targeting certain chronic behaviors.
Trying to correct or limit students’ disrespectful or defiant attitudes, the Great Bend grade school started with a “think sheet” where students have to reflect on their own personal behavior. They write what they did and how they can react better next time, then their parents have to sign the sheet.
Niedens said the school has seen big improvements with more procedures implemented, especially when staff works with students at an early age.
"We have kids coming in as kindergarteners...they're usually pretty good all the way through," said Niedens. "We get our thumbprint on them early. They ride through with us through 6th grade and we don't have a lot of issues with those kids. We're doing a good job when they get to us early. They're understand what our rules and expectations are and how we operate at Jefferson."
The total number of disrespectful/disobedient occurrences in the 2023-2024 school year at Jefferson was listed at 125. So far in the current school year, that number is down to 58. Suspensions have gone from 41 to 18 in that same time period.
Niedens added that Jefferson students have produced a 96% daily attendance percentage this year.
"I feel like kids are wanting to come to school," said Niedens. "Kids are showing up regularly. That's a huge plus. That helps the teachers. That helps them in the classroom. That helps our data. There are all these other things that it helps as long as they're here at school with us."
Jefferson’s percentage of students with chronic absences this year is at 5%. A chronic absence is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. The 2024 average for chronic absenteeism in Kansas was 19.8%.