News Release February 27, 2026

Emporia Public Schools Shares Update on KESA Action Plan

Emporia, KS - During tonight’s February 25 Board of Education meeting, Ms. Sheryl Leeds, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Services; Dr. Ryan Karjala, Director of Assessment and Accountability; Dr. Paula Hough, Director of Teaching and Learning; and Dr. Stephanie McNemar, Director of Student Services, shared an update on the District’s 2025–26 Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Action Plan. The group highlighted continued progress and ongoing efforts to strengthen teaching and learning across all schools.

 

This year’s KESA focus centers on Quality Instruction. A major part of that work involves implementing the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). This research-based instructional framework supports multilingual learners while strengthening classroom strategies for all students. The district has seen an increase in students identified as Non-English Speakers (NES) and Limited-English Speakers (LES), making this work especially important.

 

All licensed staff are participating in SIOP professional learning. Training sessions are ongoing and are expected to be completed by May. While adjustments were made to the timeline due to scheduling changes and staff transitions, the district remains on track, and accreditation status will not be affected.

 

To support implementation in classrooms, building principals are using the district’s Observe4Success walk-through tool. SIOP strategies are now embedded in 100% of classroom observations. Observation data is reviewed during building-level data talks and connected with student performance information to guide next steps and instructional decisions.

Early impacts of this work include:

• More structured and engaging classrooms
• Increased opportunities for students to talk, read, write, and actively participate
• A clearer, shared instructional framework for teachers
• Stronger strategies to support multilingual learners and all students
   

The district will continue focusing on SIOP implementation, classroom walk-throughs, and the integration of observation data with student achievement data. Additional priorities include strengthening Tier 1 core instruction through standards alignment and developing common formative assessments to help guide instruction in real time.

 

Planning for the 2026–27 KESA Action Plan is already underway. The next phase will continue to emphasize strong instructional practices, collaboration, and strategic resource allocation to ensure success for every student.

 

Emporia Public Schools remains committed to continuous improvement and providing high-quality learning experiences that prepare all students for success.