By Matt Hoover
USD 475 Communications Coordinator
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - The Kansas State Department of Education recently announced that Geary County School USD 475’s Parents as Teachers program is one of only 11 outstanding Kansas PAT programs state-wide to achieve the prestigious Blue-Ribbon Endorsement from the Parents as Teachers National Center.
By receiving this honor, USD 475 is considered among the highest-performing home visiting programs in the entire Parents as Teachers international network, a remarkable achievement that reflects exceptional dedication to Kansas children and families.
Earning Blue Ribbon status for the 2025-26 school year were Basehor-Linwood PAT USD 458, Bonner Springs/Edwardsville PAT USD 458, Coffeyville PAT USD 445, Gardner-Edgerton PAT USD 231, Geary County Schools USD 475 PAT, Harvey County PAT Consortium (Newton USD 373, Sedgwick USD 439, Halstead-Bentley USD 440 and Hesston USD 460), Holcomb PAT USD 363, Lawrence PAT USD 497, Rice County PAT USD 405, Salina/Heartland Programs PAT USD 305 and Southeast of Saline PAT USD 306.
Achieving Blue Ribbon status demonstrates USD 475’s commitment to operating its PAT program at the highest level of fidelity to the model and research. Every five years, each PAT program engages in the Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process (QEIP), a rigorous, 15-month review.
To earn the Blue-Ribbon honor, a program must meet the following two requirements: the 21 Essential Requirements, which are the minimum standards for implementation, and 81 quality standards, which are the pinnacle of excellence in home visiting. Only programs demonstrating outstanding quality, fidelity and positive outcomes achieve Blue Ribbon status.