News Release: JAG-K Earns Top National Honor for 9th Year

For the ninth consecutive year, the Jobs for America’s Graduates national organization announced that the Kansas affiliate earned the organization’s highest award for achievement.

Additionally, 34 Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) school-based programs earned the prestigious 6 of 6 Award (an expansion of the 5 of 5 award previously presented by the national organization) for 2023. Each of Kansas’ four regions achieved the 6 of 6 Award standard on a regional basis.

(See below a list of all Kansas schools to receive the award.)

The 6 of 6 Award is bestowed upon those JAG programs that meet or exceed performance measures in six categories:  graduation rate, employment rate, full-time employment, total full-time positive outcomes, connectivity rate, and continued education rate for the graduating class of 2022. JAG has a 12-month follow-up period with all seniors as part of its evidence-based, data-driven national model.

JAG-K President/CEO Chuck Knapp recently presented the award to Gov. Laura Kelly, a member of the JAG National board, informing her of the state affiliate’s accomplishments in the past year.

“To receive the 6 of 6 Award for the ninth year in a row is a special accomplishment that really speaks to the hard work of all of our dedicated career specialists,” said Knapp. “More importantly, it represents success for thousands of JAG-K students over the years. The evidence-based JAG model works, and we are looking forward to seeing more positive outcomes in 2023-24.”

JAG-K helps students prepare for post-secondary education and employment opportunities. JAG-K programs across the state, serving 5,566 students, reported a graduation rate of 93 percent for the Class of 2022. That total exceeded the state of Kansas’ total graduation rate of 89 percent.

JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. Participants in the program face multiple barriers to success that their JAG-K Career Specialist helps them overcome through a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model.

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 39 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&T, EagleU, Evergy, Goldstein Charitable Trust, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, John Deere, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, Royals Charities, Synchrony Financial, the Taco Bell Foundation, the City of Topeka, United Way of the Plains and Walmart.

To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.

Recipients of the JAG “6 of 6 Award” and their Career Specialist for the 2023-2024 school year:

Augusta HS 1                                                  Andrea Pletcher

Beloit HS                                                        Jacee Tice

Concordia HS                                                 Christina Henderson

Emporia HS 1                                                 Ramsey Siebert

Field Kindley HS (Coffeyville)                      Shayla Reliford

Garden City HS                                              Jarrod Spencer

Garden City Achieve AE                                Erika Schaefer

Goodland HS                                                  Rebecca Brace

Great Bend HS 1                                             Teresa Laraby

Kiowa Co HS  (Greensburg)                           Marcus Mitchell                    

Hiawatha HS                                                   Kelly Griswold

Holcomb HS                                                   Megan Dinkel

Hutchinson HS 1                                            Marcus Moeder

Junction City AE 1 (HD Karns)                     Willie Woods

KC Schlagle HS 1                                           Melissa Bryant

KC Schlagle HS 2                                           Kyleigh Raun

KC Washington HS 1                                     Kimberly Rollins

KC Wyandotte HS 1                                       Jackie Brandenberg

KC Wyandotte HS 2                                       Tamia Morsden

KC Wyandotte HS 3                                       Derrick Braxton

Larned HS                                                       Israel Hagerman

McPherson HS                                                Skyler Hill

Newton HS 1                                                  Kylee Raigoza

Parsons HS                                                     Mark Pound

Pratt HS                                                          Will Ponder

Royal Valley HS                                             Rodney Wittmer

Shawnee Mission North HS 2                        Barnett Thompson

Shawnee Mission West HS 1                         Kay Rolls

Stafford HS                                                     Courtney Deyoe

Turner HS 1                                                    Jasmin Sims               

Wichita Heights HS                                        * discontinued program

Wichita North HS                                           Kareema Williams

Wichita Southeast HS 1                                  Ashley Baughns

Wichita West HS 1                                         DaMarshae Franklin