Academic Excellence

• Good Shepherd has received the Kansas Governor's Achievement Award for being a top performing school in the state.

• Good Shepherd has been recognized by the Kansas Department of Education as a Modeling School of Excellence.

• Good Shepherd School has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the Top 25 Private Schools in Kansas City.

At Good Shepherd we combine high standards and strong academics in a caring environment to foster excellence.  Our classroom teachers are very adept at differentiating instruction based on academic need.  We are proud of the strong academic programs we offer in a faith-filled family environment.  

Curriculum
Good Shepherd is a fully accredited school through the AdvancEd Agency, the largest accrediting agency in the nation and by the state of Kansas.  Our school offers a challenging curriculum that exceeds the Kansas State Department of Education standards and incorporates the Catholic faith and values.  Good Shepherd strives to provide learning experiences that enable all students to master the curriculum outcomes and maximize their God-given talents.  Our core curriculum centers on math, reading, science, social studies, and language arts.  Students also participate in music, art, library education, technology/coding, Spanish, and physical education. 

Testing
NWEA MAP:  Measure of Academic Progress Assessments are standardized tests that provide educators and parents diagnostic data that drive instruction for each individual student.
Aimsweb:  Aimsweb is a formative early literacy skills test for kindergarten and first grade.  For first-third grade Aimsweb is used to measure reading fluency.
ACRE:  Assessment of Catholic Religious Education Testing is a religious education program assessment tool.  It provides an overall picture of our religion program.  With test data, teachers can address areas of strength and areas in need of attention.
Kansas Assessment:  Kansas Assessment measures students' mastery of the English Language Arts and Mathematics Curriculum by the State of Kansas. 

Support Services
Our resource team is dedicated to helping each student find success in the classroom.    The school works to accommodate these needs by utilizing the resources available in the school resource center, the Archdiocesan Perfect Wings Program, or through the local public school district.  Multi-Tiered System of Support is used in the classroom to assist students in both math and reading.  Resource teachers provide small group lessons as well as individual instruction where necessary to help the student achieve their potential.

SIT Team- The Student Improvement Team (SIT) is comprised of the resource teachers, school counselor, administration and the classroom teacher.  The team meets regarding concerns over student progress.  Together the team will formulate a plan to implement in the classroom with new strategies or adjustments to help the student find success.  If progress is not made then resource center assistance or further testing may be suggested. 

Enrichment
Good Shepherd offers an Enrichment Program which supplements classroom curriculum.   Classes are taught in Science, Math, Reading and Creativity. The classes are offered quarterly. Student selection for the Enrichment Program is based on standardized test scores and/or teacher recommendation only. Parents will be notified if their child has been selected to participate.
 

Grading Scale
Grades are only one of many ways teachers have to communicate academic progress by students.  Grades K-2 do not use letter grades but an outcome based report card.  Throughout all grades at Good Shepherd, emphasis is placed on ability, effort, and improvement rather than the grade itself.  The grading scale used by Good Shepherd is the same as that which has been recommended by the Archdiocese.

• A=94-100%
• B=87-93%
• C=75-86%
• D=68-74%
• F=67% and below

Each quarter students in grades 6th-8th are eligible for honor roll based on the following criteria.  Students receiving a grade point average of 3.40-3.74 will be recognized for Honors.  Those students achieving a grade point average of 3.75-4.0 will be recognized for High Honors.