Academic Excellence

• Earned the Kansas Governor's Achievement Award as a top-performing school in the state.

• Recognized by the Kansas Department of Education as a Modeling School of Excellence.

• Named a Top 25 Private Schools in Kansas City by the Kansas City Business Journal

• Awarded a Cognia School of Distinction status for high standards and continuous improvement

• Recognized as Best Private School K-8 in Johnson County

• Honored with the Values-Driven Award of Excellence for outstanding leadership and school culture
  
  

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 fully accredited by the Lumen Agency and 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 with diagnostic data that drives instruction for each individual student.
DIBELS:  DIBELS is a formative early literacy skills test for kindergarten and first grade.  For first through third grade, DIBELS 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: The Kansas Assessment measures students' mastery of the English Language Arts and Mathematics Curriculum by the State of Kansas. 

Support Services
The resource room provides targeted, structured support to help students succeed in the classroom. You can expect focused instruction in reading and math that aligns directly with what your child is learning in class. Resource teachers work with small groups or individual students to reteach skills, preteach upcoming concepts, and reinforce strategies that improve understanding and confidence. Instruction is data-driven and based on classroom performance, assessments, and progress monitoring used throughout the school year. This approach allows students to receive timely support while continuing to participate fully in their general education classroom.

SIT Team
The Student Improvement Team (SIT) is comprised of the resource teachers, the school counselor, the administration, and the classroom teacher.  The team meets to discuss concerns about student progress.  Together, the team will formulate a classroom implementation plan that uses new strategies or adjustments to help the student succeed.  If progress is not made, then resource center assistance or further testing may be suggested. 

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

Grading Scale
Grades are only one of many ways teachers can communicate academic progress to students.  Grades K-2 do not use letter grades; instead, they use 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 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 the honor roll based on the following criteria.  Students receiving a grade point average of 3.40-3.74 will be recognized for Honors.  Students achieving a grade point average of 3.75-4.0 will be recognized with High Honors.