KSDE Newsroom

Members of the Kansas State Board of Education heard several presentations this week during their February meeting, focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in education and the impact of students using personal and school-issued technology. 

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) give high school students experience-rich, real-world opportunities to apply the skills they learn in their career and technical education (CTE) classrooms.  

This week, the Kansas House passed HB 2468, that would authorize the state to participate in the federal tax credit program, while the Kansas Senate advanced SB 387. The bill would require school districts to verify the household gross income of each student who is deemed an at-risk student and would authorize the Kansas State Department of Education to reimburse school districts for the cost of reduced-price meals. 

As we celebrate career and technical education (CTE) month in February, Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson talks with education leaders about how CTE helps students prepare for life after high school in this month’s episode of the KSDE Insight Podcast.

The Kansas Volunteer Commission, a program of the Kansas State Department of Education, announces the availability of grant funds to support the civic engagement of youth in grades K-12. 

The Kansas State Department of Education is in the third year of providing the optional second grade state assessment and we don't want districts to miss out. The window for these tests opens March 23 and closes April 24.  

The Ages & Stages Questionnaires ®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2) are developmental screening tools that pinpoint young children's developmental progress.  

Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Inc. (KCCTO) will host a two-hour Introduction to ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 training, 6-8 p.m., on Feb. 19, in Manhattan. This course is appropriate for all early care and education professionals in center-based and family child care settings.

As spring is just around the corner, many districts are beginning to think about preparing children in their communities to enter kindergarten. The transition into kindergarten is a critical milestone for children, families, and school staff. To make this time most effective, the KSDE early childhood team recommends several resources.  

The applications for the 2026-27 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways need to be submitted no later than March 1.  

Registration is open for the 2026 Safe and Supportive Schools Conference, March 30–31, in Wichita. Make sure to make a hotel reservation at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview as rooms are filling up fast.