Members of the Kansas State Board of Education approved an updated at-risk program list during their February meeting in Topeka this week. The board met only on Tuesday, Feb. 11, not the traditional two days of meetings due to the inclement weather declared on Wednesday. 

Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson emphasized that while programs on the at-risk list are vetted by Kansas State Department of Education staff, the list doesn’t constitute an endorsement of the peer-reviewed, evidence-based programs by the state’s education agency. 

“That is a decision that is made by local school boards and local districts,” he said, adding that KSDE ensures the programs on the at-risk list meet requirements outlined in state law.  

Click here for the updated at-risk program list (which is formatted significantly differently from the previous list) and other helpful information. These programs are aimed at helping a student who meets one or more of the following criteria: 

• Is not working on academic grade level.  
• Is not meeting the requirements necessary for promotion to the next grade; is failing subjects or courses of study.  
• Is not meeting the requirements necessary for graduation from high school (e.g., potential dropout).  
• Has insufficient mastery of skills or is not meeting state standards.  
• Has been retained.  
• Has a high rate of absenteeism.  
• Has repeated suspensions or expulsions from school.  
• Is homeless and/or a migrant.  
• Is identified as an English language learner (ELL).  
• Has social-emotional needs that cause the student to be unsuccessful in school.  
• Is identified as a student with dyslexia or characteristics of dyslexia.  
• Is in foster care or otherwise in the custody of the secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).  

Districts using at-risk programs that are not on the approved list can submit a provisional application using local data to show program effectiveness for their at-risk students.  

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, districts will be required to submit at-risk accountability plans which will include rationale for at-risk expenditures and improvement plans for specific cohorts of students. The plans also will include the following criteria:  

• Demonstrate the school district is using evidence-based instruction (as defined in K.S.A. 72-5153 and amendments thereto), for the education of students who are identified as eligible to receive at-risk programs and services;  
• Measure longitudinal academic improvement in a quantitative manner;  
• Establish quantitative student academic improvement goals for certain identified student cohort groups and strive to meet such goals through the provision of evidence-based instruction that is provided to such student cohort groups above and beyond regular educational services;  
• Ensure that at-risk education funds are expended in accordance with the law by providing services above and beyond regular educational services;  
• Show academic improvement in certain student cohorts and students identified as eligible for at-risk programs. (Consequences for not meeting academic goals could begin in the 2030-31 school year.)  

Contact stateatrisk@ksde.gov with questions about the state’s at-risk programs.