EDUCATION

Topeka USD 501 plans to relaunch district's magnet schools

Linda Ditch, Special to The Capital-Journal
Students from McClure Elementary School on Thursday hold the awards for the school’s almost perfect attendance for March at the Topeka USD 501 Board of Education meeting. [Linda Ditch/Special to The Capital-Journal]

The Topeka USD 501 Board of Education meeting Thursday took place at Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School as a way of promoting an upcoming review and enhancement of the magnet schools in the district.

A district team reviewed summaries submitted by Williams teachers as well as talking with teacher focus groups. They also talked with a random sampling of pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students. The team also conducted multiple on-site visits, as well as visiting other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) magnet schools in the region.

“We looked at other STEM and STEAM magnet schools in areas such as Kansas City and Wichita,” said Bill McDonald, school improvement specialist for the USD 501 district. “And we looked specifically at magnet schools. A lot of schools say they are a STEM school or a STEAM school, but we wanted to look at just magnet schools. What we found were there were several STEM and STEAM magnet secondary schools, but few elementary programs exist in the area.”

Williams has an enrollment of 543 students, 83 percent of whom are classified as having low socioeconomic status. The school’s goal is to educate by developing and strengthening academic skills through the areas of science and fine arts. Students participate for 45 minutes in one of the science or fine arts labs daily. There are four science labs, including a desert, greenhouse, rainforest and space. Students can participate in band when they reach fifth grade, orchestra in third grade, and performing arts, such as show choir, in all grades.

“The bottom line is the teachers want a world class science and fine arts magnet program,” McDonald said.

Future plans for Williams include establishing partnerships with area universities, National Geographic, NASA, the Topeka Zoo and the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. The district also plans on expanding science lab time to 90 minutes and having an administrative intern, which will allow the school’s dean to focus on science and fine arts coordination.

Also, next year the district will market both of its magnet schools, Williams and Scott Dual Language Magnet. The #ExploreTPS hashtag is already being used, and soon there will be an Explore TPS website live for parents to get information about both schools, as well as programs at other district schools. Media ads and commercials also will launch soon, and there will be a Shawnee County Explore Topeka Magnets Enrollment Day.

Other events at the board meeting included:

• McClure Elementary was awarded the attendance trophy for March with an attendance rate of 95.67 percent. Scott Dual Language Magnet was recognized for attendance in February with a rate of 95.87 percent.

• Sarah Sharp, general director of early childhood/elementary education, said 498 students attended the kindergarten orientation on April 11. The district is promoting pre-K registration next year by sending out postcards and offering registration days at Quinton Heights. The district also partnered with GraceMed to offer dental exams, which is a requirement for pre-K enrollment.