By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Kansas is setting aspirations for much higher math and reading competency among the class of 2030 — today’s kindergartners — in a long-term accountability plan for its public schools.

Kansas officials submitted the accountability blueprint Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Education. It does not include language promoting controversial school choice concepts that Gov. Sam Brownback’s office advocated for, according to staff at the state education department.

Members of the Kansas State Board of Education expressed support for the plan Tuesday but questioned agency officials about the targets, which call for three out of four students to be proficient in math and reading by the year 2030.

“Is it realistic?” chairman Jim Porter, a Fredonia Republican, wondered.

“Seventy-five percent is going to be tough, but it’s what we need,” replied Beth Fultz, an official with the state education department.

Read the long-term plan submitted by the Kansas State Department of Education.

Education officials picked that number based on the state board’s goal of preparing children for college and careers. The board’s vision leans on Georgetown University research suggesting upwards of 70 percent of the workforce will need postsecondary credentials in the near future.

Just one in three Kansas students currently scores at a proficient level on state math tests, and about 40 percent do so on reading and language arts tests.

“Proficient” in this context means a score of 3 or 4 — the top two scores on the state’s tests. Children take the assessments in third through eighth grades and once in high school. A score of 3 or 4 is designed to indicate mastery of skills and knowledge at each grade level that prepare the child for college.

Proficiency rates are even lower among students with disabilities and groups that are historically socioeconomically disadvantaged. Just 13 percent of black students score at a proficient level on Kansas math tests, for example.

Schools are expected under the plan to hit the target of 75 percent for their overall student bodies, but also specifically for students in minority groups and for children with disabilities, from low-income families or learning English as a second language.

The Kansas accountability plan also aims for a 95 percent high school graduation rate in 2030, compared to the current 86 percent.

‘The power of school choice’

Brownback signed off on the plan Monday. His office did not answer questions submitted Tuesday about whether he had pushed the education department to insert provisions into its plan about charter schools, vouchers or other school choice programs — a divisive topic among education advocates — and whether he had worked with a third-party organization on the matter.

Spokeswoman Rachel Whitten provided this comment instead: “Governor Brownback supports the State Board of Education’s efforts to improve educational outcomes for all Kansas students, and remains a strong supporter of innovation at the local level.”

During a presentation to the state board, education department staff said Brownback’s office had worked with an organization to review the plan and provide feedback to state education officials.

A copy of the organization’s input, obtained through an open records request, urges Kansas education officials to “consider harnessing the power of school choice” by, for example, increasing the prevalence of charter schools, of which there are currently only 10 in Kansas.

Read the ExcelinEd recommendations on the Kansas plan.

“School choice gives families the freedom to leave persistently low-performing schools,” wrote ExcelinEd, a foundation created by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. “Research shows that school choice, in combination with strong accountability, can have a positive effect on low-performing schools.”

The academic benefits of charter schools versus traditional public schools are a subject of debate among education researchers.

Though school choice provisions didn’t make the cut for Kansas’ blueprint, education department staff told the state board they were still in conversations with Brownback’s office on those concepts.

“Because we want to work with the governor’s office, we’ll keep working and see if there’s any way we can assist them,” Tate Toedman said.

Kansas’ submission of an accountability plan to the U.S. Department of Education is required to show how the state will comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, also known as ESSA.

ESSA is the 2015 federal statutory overhaul that replaced No Child Left Behind, a 2001 law that set a target of closing achievement gaps and reaching 100 percent math and reading proficiency by 2014.

The federal government has sway over certain accountability matters because schools receive federal funds.

Measuring progress, not just targets

State board vice chairwoman Kathy Busch, a Wichita Republican, suggested Kansas make clear that its schools will be measured in part based on the progress of their students, not just on whether they hit the 75 percent proficiency target.

Setting an across-the-board 75 percent target “just screams of No Child Left Behind to me,” she said.

“Having lived with the 100 percent rule, which was …” she said, but paused and cut off her sentence. “That’s all I’ll say.”

No Child Left Behind became highly unpopular over the years. Many educators thought it was unfairly onerous, particularly to schools serving higher numbers of high-poverty and minority children, because the goal was unrealistic.

Deputy education commissioner Brad Neuenswander said state education officials would consider the growth that each school shows, rather than basing measures entirely on whether they hit or miss their targets.

Education officials also said the new accountability system would be “more helpful” and less punitive than No Child Left Behind by providing technical assistance to help struggling schools improve.

They predicted federal education officials would provide feedback on Kansas’ plan by December.

The Kansas Association of School Boards, an advocacy group that represents most of the state’s 286 boards of education, submitted feedback to state education officials praising the ESSA plan — with a caveat.

The association called the 2030 targets “a moral imperative” meant to help ensure financial security for Kansans through rigorous education.

“However, if Kansas is serious about reaching these unprecedented goals, it will require commitments far beyond the scope of this plan,” the group wrote. “The State Board will need to continue and significantly strengthen its advocacy with state and federal lawmakers for the additional finances required to accomplish such ambitious outcomes.”

Dozens of school districts are locked in an ongoing, seven-year long legal battlewith the state over school funding levels. The districts accuse the state of underfunding education to the point that it violates Kansas’ obligations under the state constitution.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.

KCAIC

TOPEKA — Arts in Medicine, a partnership between the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and Emporia State University, is accepting applications from associations, agencies, and organizations that provide medical services to Kansans. If accepted, the applicant agency will have the opportunity to work with faculty and graduate students in the art therapy program at Emporia State University to build a program that meets the needs of specified populations.

Applicants may be interested in offering patients, clients, or staff art therapy services such as:
Group art therapy programming designed to meet the psycho-social needs of patients, care givers, or medical personnel
Individual art therapy for patients receiving treatment (i.e. cancer treatments or transfusions)
Art-based workshops for medical personnel or clinicians in training (stress relief, group bonding, etc.)
Arts-based programs at special events (grief camps, open houses, etc.)

Applicants must be Kansas-based institutions, organizations, or associations that provide medical services to Kansas citizens. Applications are welcome from agencies that serve all age and developmental levels. Art experience and art skills are not necessary.
Applications are due by October 2, 2017. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel including members of KCAIC, ESU, and art therapy professionals.

To submit an application visit https://kansascaic.submittable.com.

The Benefits of Medical Art Therapy
Provided by Dr. Gaelynn P. Wolf Bordonro ATR-BC, Director of the Emporia State University Art Therapy Program

Art therapy can be used in a variety of medical settings, including support centers, clinics, and hospitals (Czamanski-Cohen, 2012). Patients express themselves while exploring issues regarding their hospitalization and illness, including impact on daily living, relationships, treatment concerns, belief systems, support systems, etc. (Medical Art Therapy, 2014; Minar, 1999; Nainis et al., 2006; Schriener and Wolf Bordonaro, 2012; Wolf Bordonaro, 2003).

Benefits of art therapy include:

• Improved blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration (Malchiodi, 2007).

• Stress reduction (Bell & Robbins, 2007; Leckey, 2011; Schrade, Tronsky, & Kaiser, 2011; Ulrich, 1992).

• Decreased anxiety (Walsh, Martin, & Schmidt, 2004; Walsh & Weiss, 2003).

• Opportunities for emotional release (Council, 1993)

• Reduced resistance related to medical procedures (Favara-Scacco, Di Cataldo, Smirne, & Schiliro, 2001)

• Increased positive behavior with others, including medical staff, visitors, or family members (Favara-Scacco, Di Cataldo, Smirne, & Schiliro, 2001)

• Decreased negative symptoms, such as tiredness and anxiety (Nainis, Paice, Ratner, Wirth, & Shott, 2006)

• Increased healthy coping skills (Nainis, Paice, Ratner, Wirth, & Shott, 2006)

• Decreased distress symptoms (Monti et al., 2006)

• Reduced anxiety and stress for family caregivers (Walsh, Radcliffe, Castillo, Kubar, & Broschard, 2007)

• Increased positive emotions such as, joy, humor, spontaneity, and flow (Reynolds & Prior, 2003; Walsh & Weiss, 2003; Walsh, Martin, & Schmidt, 2004).

• Increased mindfulness and awareness (Collie, Bottorff, & Long, 2006; Nainis, 2005; Reynolds & Prior, 2003; Reynolds, 2004a)

• Reduced rates of depression in cancer patients on chemotherapy (Bar-Sela, Atid, Danos, Gabay, & Epelbaum, 2007)

• Reduced depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms (Thyme et al., 2009)

• Improved self-confidence and readjustment after cancer diagnosis and treatment (Luzzatto & Gabriel, 2000)

• Improved medical decision making processes (Czamanski-Cohen, 2012)

• Increased relaxation, communication, and expression (Forzoni, Perez, Martignetti, & Crispino, 2010)

• Restoration of self-identity and personal worth (Collie, Bottorff, & Long, 2006; Luzzatto & Gabriel, 2000)

• Engagement in generative, empathetic and altruistic acts (Appleton, 2001; Reynolds & Prior, 2003)

• Opportunities to leave concrete “legacies” (Piccirillo, 1999; Rutenberg, 2008)

• Reinforced sense of ability (Nainis, 2008)

• Discovery of inner strengths which compensate for losses caused by illness (McGraw, 1999; Minar, 1999)

• Increased positive communication (Walsh & Weiss, 2003)

• Parents of children who receive art therapy are more relaxed and better able to cope with medical events (Favara-Scacco, Di Cataldo, Smirne, & Schiliro, 2001)

For more on the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, go to KansasCommerce.gov/caic.

SUBMITTED

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A terrific selection of rare and vintage bottles from across the United States – to include Western and Eastern sodas, bitters, inkwells, whiskeys and more – will be sold in Auction #64, an internet and catalog auction that goes online October 13th and ends on Sunday, October 22nd, by American Bottle Auctions (www.americanbottle.com) of Sacramento.

“This auction will feature the largest and finest selection of Western sodas we’ve ever offered, with many rare one-of-a-kinds,” said Jeff Wichmann, owner of American Bottle Auctions. The centerpiece of the category is the collection of the late Ken Salazar. “Ken was a picky collector who had some fine bottles stashed away that we’re proud to present at auction,” Wichmann said.

Also featured will be additional super sodas from the John O’Neill collection, a broad selection of Eastern sodas, rare bitters bottles from both sides of the country, a large inkwell collection and more. “Typically our sales are top-heavy with Western bottles and this sale has plenty of those, but we also have some of the finest known examples in many other categories,” Wichmann said.

The Wynkoop Sarsaparilla bottle in the sale isn’t particularly rare (it’s one of about 20 known), but it’s a highly desired medicine and sarsaparilla category bottle. Its early production, dating to the 1850s, combined with a beautiful blue color and crudity, make it one of the most popular bottles for collectors in that category. This example has a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000.

The Wonser’s Indian Root Bitters is the aqua variant – the earliest made of the more prevalent amber examples. It’s somewhat rare, one of maybe ten known, and this one’s got color going for it: a fiery blue aqua with good crudity. Also, it’s in perfect condition. American Bottle has sold several amber versions of this bottle, but never an aqua. It should hammer for $8,000-$15,000.

The R&H Columbia soda bottle was made especially for the Gold Rush town of Columbia, in California, from 1852-1856. The fine example in this auction is one of only a half-dozen known and carries an estimate of $7,000-$15,000. Columbia, previously known as Hildreth’s Diggings, was called “the gem of the Southern mines,” having produced a good bit of gold during the rush.

The National Bitters bottle shaped like an ear of corn is one of the most popular of the figural bitters known. Produced in the 1870s, these bottles were either colored amber (the most common variant, selling in the $500 range) or aqua (much more rare and desirable. The bottle in this sale isn’t only aqua, it’s in perfect condition. It’s also expected to change hands for $7,000-$10,000.

Western whiskey flasks made between 1870 and 1900 are considered desirable and are a part of any serious collector’s arsenal. The Jessie Moore whiskey flask being auctioned boasts loads of embossing and should knock down for $5,000-$10,000. The bottle is one of perhaps 25 known, but one rarely comes up for bid because collectors like to keep their examples close to home.

The Brown’s Celebrated Indian Queen is another figural bitters that’s quite prevalent but very popular, too. Modeled after an Indian maiden, the bottle is usually amber, so when a green one turns up collectors pay attention. The bottle in this sale is particularly nice in color – deeper than the usual lime green. A flake on the mouth isn’t expected to deter bidders (est. $5,000-$10,000).

B&G (San Francisco) soda bottles were made from 1852-1856, almost always in cobalt blue or some variant of dark blue. So when this example, in deep teal aqua, presented itself, it was quite remarkable. The bottle, with the eight-sided mug base, is in excellent condition and is a must-have for serious collectors of early Western sodas. It has a pre-sale estimate of $6,000-$10,000.

The 1860s Alex Von Humboldt’s Stomach Bitters bottle is another rare and desirable Western bitters bottle. There are many different variants of this bottle but this is one of the finest ones American Bottle Auctions has ever come across. It has loads of whittle and a gorgeous amber color, making this example hard to beat. It’s expected to find a new owner for $5,000-$10,000.

Interested bidders may register for Auction #64 now, on the American Bottle Auctions website, at www.americanbottle.com. Inquiries may be made via e-mail, to [email protected].  Additional pictures or videos are available on request.