Endorsement is highest designation a program can earn
TOPEKA — Nineteen Parents as Teachers programs in Kansas, including Hays USD 489, have been designated Blue Ribbon Affiliates by the Parents as Teachers National Center, the Kansas State Department of Education announced.
This endorsement is the highest designation a Parents as Teachers program can earn and means the program implements the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity and quality, according to the Parents as Teachers website.
The Parents as Teachers affiliate model includes home visits, group connections, child screenings and connections to community resources. It helps equip parents with the knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a strong start in life and greater success in school.
Parents as Teachers affiliates are required to engage in a quality endorsement and improvement process in their fourth year of implementation and every five years thereafter, according to parentsasteachers.org. To earn the quality endorsement, affiliates must complete a comprehensive self-study and review process that demonstrates they are meeting or exceeding Parents as Teachers essential requirements, along with at least 75 of the 100 quality standards.
“Programs that earn the Quality Endorsement are recognized by the national Parents as Teachers office as exemplary Blue Ribbon Affiliates, delivering high-quality services to children and families,” the Parents as Teachers website states.
The 2019-2020 Kansas Parents as Teachers Blue Ribbon Affiliates are:
- Gardner-Edgerton Unified School District 231
- De Soto USD 232
- Kansas City area consortium, Olathe USD 233
o Also serving Turner USD 202, Fort Leavenworth USD 207, Leavenworth USD 453 and Kansas City USD 500.
- Wichita USD 259
- Goddard USD 265
- Maize USD 266
- Beloit USD 273
o Also serving Rock Hills USD 107, Waconda USD 272, Lincoln USD 298 and Sylvan Grove USD 299.
- Hutchinson USD 308
- Rock Creek USD 323
- Concordia USD 333
o Also serving Washington County USD 108, Republic County USD 109, Clifton-Clyde USD 224 and Pike Valley USD 426.
- Stafford USD 349
- Harvey County consortium, Newton USD 373
o Also serving Halstead USD 440 and Hesston USD 460.
- Auburn-Washburn USD 437
- Basehor-Linwood USD 458
- Winfield USD 465
- Hays USD 489
- Topeka USD 501
- Keystone Learning Services USD 608
o Serving Doniphan West USD 111, Prairie Hills USD 113, Riverside USD 114, Holton USD 336, Valley Falls USD 338, Jefferson County North USD 339, Oskaloosa USD 341, McLouth USD 342, Perry USD 343, Seaman USD 345, Atchison County USD 377, Atchison USD 409, Troy USD 429, Easton USD 449, Shawnee Heights USD 450, Tonganoxie USD 464 and Eudora USD 491.
- Southeast Kansas Education Service Center USD 609
o Serving Erie-Galesburg USD 101, Piper-Kansas City USD 203, Spring Hill USD 230, Fort Scott USD 234, Uniontown USD 235, Lebo-Waverly USD 243, Burlington USD 244, LeRoy-Gridley USD 245, Northeast USD 246, Cherokee USD 247, Girard USD 248, Frontenac USD 249, Pittsburg USD 250, North Lyon County USD 251, Southern Lyon County USD 252, Emporia USD 253, Marmaton Valley USD 256, Iola USD 257, Humboldt USD 258, Chase County USD 284, Ottawa USD 290, Woodson USD 366, Riverton USD 404, Chanute USD 413, Morris County USD 417, Osage City USD 420, Santa Fe Trail USD 434, Caney Valley USD 436, Independence USD 446, Cherryvale USD 447, Burlingame USD 454, Marais Des Cygnes Valley USD 456, Neodesha USD 461, Crest USD 479, Fredonia USD 484, Columbus USD 493, Galena USD 499, Parsons USD 503, Oswego USD 504, Labette County USD 506 and Baxter Springs USD 508.
— Kansas State Department of Education