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The Senate Committee on Ways and Means held hearings this week for Sub for HB 2007, the budget bill for state agencies including KSDE, and other education-related bills were heard in the House and Senate education committees during the ninth week of the 2025 Kansas legislative session.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education received an update on the Seal of Literacy training options along with a request to add another option during the board’s March meeting in Topeka this week.
Shane Carter, director of teacher licensure for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), provided a review of the current science of reading licensure requirements in Kansas.
Join Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson as he takes a deep dive into the world of Kansas public education on the relaunched Insight podcast.
Featuring engaging conversations with a diverse range of guests, this podcast explores the latest national and state issues impacting Kansas schools. Whether you're an educator, policymaker, parent, or community member, Insight delivers thought-provoking discussions on the challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping the future of education in Kansas.
With more than 30 years of experience in public education, Dr. Renee Nugent has been named the deputy commissioner of the Kansas State Department of Education’s division of learning services. She will begin her duties on July 1.
“I love education,” Nugent said. “It’s just beyond comprehension to me that I’m getting the opportunity to impact schools across the entire state of Kansas.”
The next KESA virtual monthly update will be held at 10:30 - 11:15 a.m., on April 14.
To support the selection and implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs), KSDE is releasing district-facing guidance and tools to support quality instruction. The guidance is designed to assist districts with prioritizing time while maximizing choice and flexibility. While the guidelines and actions are not exhaustive, they can be customized to address local needs.
By Amanda Petersen, director, KSDE Early Childhood
The first five years of a child’s life are an incredible opportunity to set a positive direction. Engaging with families to better understand children’s development prepares children, families and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year.
To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are partnering with families of incoming kindergarten students to collect kindergarten-entry data. Families complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) to provide a snapshot of children’s developmental milestones.
Body Venture is a traveling health education exhibit for K-5 students operated by KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team. It is a great opportunity for students to learn about the importance of making healthy food choices and being physically active.
The “Request to Schedule Body Venture” form for the 2025-26 school year is available at https://cnw.ksde.gov, SNP, SNP What’s New. The deadline to apply is May 31.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declared March 16-22 as National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week when she was joined by KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness staff and several Kansas CACFP operators for a proclamation signing on Feb. 28.
Summer meal programs are designed to fill the nutrition gap that occurs during the summer and make sure children can get the nutrition they need.
Administered by the Food and Nutrition Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, summer meal programs provide free, nutritious meals to kids ages 1 to 18.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team is celebrating National Nutrition Month® with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics during the month of March. This campaign started in 1973 as National Nutrition Week. It evolved into a month-long observance seven years later in response to growing interest in nutrition.
Curriculum leaders will meet 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., on April 11, at Wichita State University.
Register here for the meeting that will take place in the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex (Metroplex), Room 180, East 29th and Oliver, in Wichita.
Registration is open for the Great Ideas in Education Conference and attendees can make room reservations now for the event, July 28-30, at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.
Click here for a video message from Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson about the conference.
The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) has partnered with Newman University to offer college credit for educators who receive certificate(s) of completion from the Kansas Math Project training. The opportunity to earn college credits applies to past KMP participants as well as future KMP participants.
By Dr. Jessica Dorsey, Kansas Volunteer Commission
Kansas employers, including school districts, are encouraged to register for the fifth annual “Give Back Kansas Challenge,” a statewide initiative that motivates employees to volunteer in their communities.
The eight-week challenge will run March 31 - May 23. Employers interested in participating must register by March 17 at www.bit.ly/Givebackks.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month with the theme, “Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention.” The Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) is offering resources and materials to raise awareness about child abuse prevention programs.
Educate Kansas will host Building Opportunities for Outstanding Teachers (BOOST) on June 17, in Hays. This event is a chance for Kansas leaders to collaborate, exchange ideas and develop proactive solutions to address the educator pipeline.
The Labor Market Information division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) will soon unveil “Today’s Occupations, Tomorrow’s Opportunities” (T.O.T.O.), a new career coaching website designed to engage students in career exploration. Prior to the April launch, KDOL is seeking sixth through 12th grade student volunteers to help test the site and provide feedback.
As part of the Kansas FastBridge statewide program, Renaissance Learning offers opportunities for professional learning and support to Kansas educators. This includes videos, webinars, consultation, and on-site workshops. The videos can be accessed through FASTFLIX.
March
14: Kansas Parents as Teachers state FY26 grant applications due. Contact Lisa Williams, lisa.williams@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-4964 with questions.
17: Deadline to register for fifth annual “Give Back Kansas Challenge,” March 31-May 23. Contact Dr. Jessica Dorsey at jessica.dorsey@ksde.gov or (785) 296-3163 with questions.
18: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, stephanie.alderman-oler@ksde.gov, with questions.
19: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, stephanie.alderman-oler@ksde.gov, with questions.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will be updated on the Seal of Literacy training options during their monthly meeting, March 11-12.
The first day’s business will be conducted at the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, in Topeka. On the second day, board members will visit the Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe, and the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kansas. Both schools will provide reports on their activities and operations.
Multiple education-related bills had hearings and recommendations on the budgets for the Kansas State Department of Education, the Kansas School for the Deaf and the Kansas State School for the Blind were discussed during week eight of the 2025 Kansas legislative session.
To celebrate Read Across America Week, Dr. Laurie Curtis, literacy and dyslexia program manager for the Kansas State Department of Education, discussed how the science of reading uses evidence-based principles to more effectively teach children how to read, write, speak and listen.
The deadline to submit the survey for fiscal year 2024 annual reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is March 7.
Completion of this report is mandatory to ensure districts continue to receive federal funds without interruption.
The following information from the KSDE Accreditation and Design team pertains to the virtual monthly update for KESA 2.0 and resources available for quality instruction:
This month's All In For Kansas Kids webinar will feature several schools discussing their experiences operating licensed child care facilities. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas State Department of Education, Office of the State Fire Marshal and Child Care Aware of Kansas will also share resources. Panelists will share bright spots and lessons learned to help schools better understand the process of operating licensed child care, and the supports available in the process.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has declared March 16-22 as National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week. She was joined by KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness staff and several Kansas CACFP operators for the proclamation signing on Feb. 28.
The CACFP week is a national education and information campaign sponsored annually the third week of March by the National CACFP Sponsors Association.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized KSDE to approve waiver requests to allow local program operators to offer non-congregate meals when participants observing Ramadan are fasting during typical meal service times.
Please note: This meeting replaces the April 18 meeting originally scheduled to take place at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center.
Register by July 15 for the conference here. Make room reservations here.
The Kansas State Department of Education is seeking KSDE-trained program reviewers to review educator preparation programs this spring.
The deadline to sign up is March 10: https://ksde.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8C9BkANa2JM66Qm
Webinars are listed below under “Upcoming FastBridge virtual trainings.” Consultations and workshops can be requested on topics such as onboarding, data reviews and more.
7: Using Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) to Engage with Families and Support Child Development training, virtual, 9-10:30 a.m. Click here to register. Contact Stacy Clarke, stacy.clarke@ksde.gov, with questions.
7: Deadline to submit 2024 ESSER reporting survey. Contact esser@ksde.gov with questions.
10: Data-Driven Success - Unpacking Literacy Assessments for Maximum Impact (K-12), ESSDACK, in Hutchinson. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
11: ELA Standards and Mini-Tests/ Interims: Using Data to Drive Instruction (3-12 grades), Greenbush, in Girard. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
11-12: Kansas State Board of Education meeting. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
During the seventh week of the 2025 legislative session, numerous education-related bills had hearings in either the House or Senate education committees or were moved to other non-education committees to keep them alive.
Bill Tracker
The following bills have been passed out of their chamber of origin:
Sub for HB 2007: Making and concerning supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2025, and appropriations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for KSDE and various state agencies.
Liz Anstine believes a child’s passions for what they may want to pursue later as a career should be fostered by Career and Technical Education (CTE) principles all along the continuum of a student’s education.
“Maybe in third grade, you wanted to be a firefighter, maybe in fourth grade you wanted to paint nails, maybe in fifth grade, all of a sudden, you're interested in feeding the homeless because you did that as a project,” said Anstine, the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year. “So now we want to help drive that (passion) for them and help them make sure that they're keeping that purposeful curiosity. I'm so big on that because it's going to make their story bigger because they've kind of learned about all of these things along the way.”
School districts and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are annually required to electronically file their CPA audit report and/or single audit report with the Kansas Department of Administration’s Municipal Services.
What is a single audit?
A single audit is an audit of a non-federal entity’s financial statements and federal award expenditures, conducted by an independent audit firm, to ensure federal funds are used in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The current audit threshold for single audits is expending $750,000 or more in federal funds in a fiscal year. (See information below about the change in expenditure threshold).
The Kansas State Department of Education is seeking applications for McKinney-Vento mini grants from Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address the needs of students in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act.
The application is due Friday, Feb. 28.
The KSDE School Transportation Safety Unit is offering informational workshops in March for any mechanic performing the Part I mechanical school/activity bus safety inspection.
This no-cost workshop is designed to provide information to assist any mechanic who performs this inspection, which is required by Kansas State Department of Education school transportation regulations. District mechanics, contractor mechanics and local independent community mechanics are welcome to attend.
The Qualtrics link to the survey has been sent via the ESSER listserv. If a district did not receive the email, contact KSDE ESSER staff at esser@ksde.gov to request it.
*This article has been updated to reflect the reading assessment testing window opens March 24.
Educators can sign up for the optional second grade reading assessment that provides information on how students do when applying the skills they learn in kindergarten through second-grade to comprehension passages.
This is an opportunity for second-grade students to gain familiarity with the testing system in a low-stress environment. Results come back quickly, prior to the end of the year to share with parents, plan for summer opportunities and inform planning for the next school year.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Child Care Licensing Team shared the following message with licensed child care providers on Feb. 21. The following information may be useful for schools seeking to open licensed child care programs in summer or fall 2025:
Providers,
We are quickly approaching spring and want to provide you a reminder regarding submitting applications for summer and fall time programs in a timely manner. Please remember, applications should be submitted at least 90 days prior to your anticipated opening date. This will ensure KDHE is able to look over all required documentation and work with you to remedy any unforeseen circumstances should they arise.
The latest installment of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series is available for viewing.
In this new episode, students will explore a field for anyone who loves the outdoors, technology or the idea of owning their own business: land surveying. They'll discover what this well-paying career entails and how to get started. Click here to watch: https://hirepaths.com/cool-careers-videos/land-surveyor.
Applications for the 2025-26 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways are due by March 1.
The 2025-26 Kansas Career Guidance Handbook is available for reference along with the downloadable pathways application checklist.
Contact pathwayshelpdesk@ksde.gov or (785) 296-4908 with questions or to request assistance.
Graduating seniors who are attending a school with at least one approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and have excelled in CTE are encouraged to submit a 2025 CTE Scholar application no later than March 3. (Please note: This is not a scholarship program.)
The waiver is available for the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). For the CACFP, the waiver is available in emergency shelters, adult day care centers, outside-school-hours care centers (OSHCC), and the at-risk afterschool component.
In addition to being able to register for the Great Ideas in Education Conference, attendees can now make their room reservations for the event, July 28-30, at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.
Register by July 15 for the conference here. The full conference registration fee is $300. To attend the conference only on Tuesday, July 29, the cost is $175.
Each district team of four will receive a discounted registration fee of $1,000 (a discount of $200 per district team).
Kansas educators interested in a FastBridge session below, but are unable to join can use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5.
Each FastBridge district can request an administrator workshop on topics such as onboarding, data reviews and more. Schedule it by using the form and select option #6.
3: 2025 CTE Scholar application due. Click here for more information. Contact Taylor Spangler, taylor.spangler@ksde.gov, with questions.
3-4: “Connecting the Dots...For Learning” assessment conference, Hilton Garden Inn, in Manhattan. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey, chelsea.pelfrey@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-0040, with questions.
4: Cracking the Code: Practical Strategies for Teaching Word Recognition (K-12), Smoky Hill, in Salina. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
5: Early Childhood virtual ECHO Series, 12-1 p.m. Register here. Contact telehealthROCKS@kumc.edu with questions.
5: ELA Standards and Mini-Tests/ Interims: Using Data to Drive Instruction (3-12 grades), Orion, in Clearwater. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
5: KSDE/Mid-America Association for Computers in Education (MACE) Data Workshop, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., K-State Alumni Center, in Manhattan. Cost $30. Register here. Contact Christopher Fletcher, christopher.fletcher@ksde.gov, with questions.
Most teachers can easily point to what they love and what is difficult about being an educator. What makes a teacher remain in the profession, however, is the most important sentiment a veteran teacher can convey when mentoring a student teacher, according to Kirsten Nelson, an educator lecturer at Washburn University.
“Show the challenges and rewards,” she said, “and share how you keep going…and why you stay.”
Nelson facilitated a break-out session about mentoring during this week’s Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) conference, in Topeka, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education. The discussion featured two Washburn University education majors who shared their experiences when they were placed in a classroom.
Members of the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year team have been celebrating #LoveTeachingWeek, Feb. 14-21, in videos posted on the Kansas State Department of Education’s social media channels.
This special week, started by teachers in 2015, is a national grassroots campaign to celebrate teaching, leading and learning in a way that unites and invigorates educators.
The team members, along with Liz Anstine, 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year, share their stories about why they chose the profession and how their students inspire them every day.
At least eight education-related bills have been passed out their originating chamber this week. They will now head to the other chamber.
Two Kansas chapters of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) are proving the organization teaches high school students more than just farming and agriculture.
This year’s FFA officers at Riverton High School, Riverton USD 404, met for a leadership retreat in late summer to begin planning their activities for the 2024-25 school year. That’s when the concept for the “Ag for All Ages” program took root.
By Beverly Victoriano, KSDE Career, Standards and Assessment Services
Citizenship Day for the state’s Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) was held on Jan. 15, in Topeka, hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and state CTSOs advisors.
This annual event features state CTSO officers sharing their accomplishments and spreading awareness of how valuable Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are for the future of our youth.
School districts and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required annually to electronically file their CPA audit report and/or single audit report with the Kansas Department of Administration’s Municipal Services.
In the fall and spring semesters each year, the Kansas State Department of Education holds reviews of educator preparation programs at colleges and universities across the state.
Higher education institutions must have approved programs for all areas for which they wish to make licensing recommendations, so these program reviews are vital to maintaining strong educator preparation in Kansas. Each KSDE-accredited institution’s programs are reviewed on a seven-year cycle, with program reviews held 18 months in advance of the unit’s accreditation visit.
The application is due Feb. 28.
District registrars or reporting staff members looking to streamline their data management skills are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education in partnership with the Mid-America Association for Computers in Education (MACE).
This workshop will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m., on March 5, at the K-State Alumni Center, 1720 Anderson Ave., in Manhattan. It is designed specifically for professionals managing student data in K-12 districts and is a unique chance for fellow registrars, reporting staff, and IT professionals to connect in a collaborative and informative environment.
*This article has been updated to reflect the optional reading assessment testing window opens March 24.
Educators can sign up for the optional second grade reading assessment that provides information on how students do when applying the skills they learn in kindergarten through second grade to comprehension passages.
The latest episode in the fourth season of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series is now available for viewing.
In this new episode, students will explore a field for anyone who loves the outdoors, technology or the idea of owning their own business: land surveying.
The applications for the 2025-26 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways need to be submitted no later than March 1.
The Kansas State Department of Education continues to work on the agenda for the 2025 Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 28-30, at the Hyatt Regency and Century II, in Wichita.
The Kansas State Department of Education is hosting “Connecting the Dots...For Learning,” March 3-4, in Manhattan. The deadline to register is Feb. 24.
This assessment conference will offer real-world practice sessions featuring teachers, teams, and systems from across Kansas who have embraced proven assessment practices to support teaching and learning. Teachers, leaders, and technical support personnel will learn more about how formative assessments are the foundation to a balanced assessment system.
In collaboration with the Kansas educational learning centers, KSDE is offering structured literacy professional learning now and into the spring. These sessions are at no cost to the educator and provide half of a graduate credit for each day of participation.
FastTrack screening assessments to be renormed and FastBridge implementation professional learning and support are available.
February
24: Deadline to register for “Connecting the Dots...For Learning” assessment conference, March 3-4, Hilton Garden Inn, in Manhattan. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey, chelsea.pelfrey@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-0040, with questions.
24: Title IV, Part A report due. Contact Roxanne Zillinger, roxanne.zillinger@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-7260 with questions.
24-25: Kansas Math Project professional development, Hays, Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W. 43rd Street. Click here to register. Click here to enroll to complete asynchronous modules at your own pace. Contact kmp@kansasmtss.org with questions.
26: Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS-3®) training, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, Wichita. Cost: $100. Register here. Contact Tammy Wallin, wallint@ku.edu, with questions.
Two bills were passed out of their committees during week five of the Kansas legislative session and three education-related bills were introduced. The last day for non-exempt committees to introduce bills in their originating chamber was Friday, Feb. 7.
Making schools more safe and secure and reducing risks starts with connections, according to Philip Lofflin, president of the Kansas Juvenile Officers Association (KSJOA).
“Making positive relationships with students, staff and families makes a big impact,” Lofflin said. “This impact minimizes students’ exposure to the criminal justice system and helps keep school a safe place to teach and learn. I don’t believe there are many assignments a law enforcement officer could do that are more challenging and rewarding.”
Lofflin has been a district resource officer in Shawnee Mission USD 512 for the past 26 years where he oversees police technology, special projects, and the district’s elementary schools. He said the intentional relationships DROs and SROs develop daily “help the officer and school administration prevent crime, intervene in situations that may lead to more serious problems, and provide awareness to help students make good choices.”
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.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking applications for McKinney-Vento mini grants from Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address the needs of students in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act.
Register here for a grant application instructional workshop, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., on Feb. 17. Click here for the applications due on Feb. 28.
The Title IV, Part A report, regarding expenditure data for federal Title funds, is required and due by Monday, Feb. 24. Click here to begin the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3B6FSL2
The reporting period is based on the Title IV, Part A grant award notification issuance date and the corresponding obligation period of July 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2024.
Grant applications for Kansas Parents as Teachers state fiscal year 2026 are due Friday, March 14.
Lisa Williams, KSDE’s Parents as Teachers coordinator, will be available until 5 p.m. on March 14, to provide technical support in submitting grant applications. She can be contacted at (785) 296-4964 or lisa.williams@ksde.gov. The grant will be submitted using Qualtrics. Information on the grant application and how to apply can be found at KSDE Kansas Parents as Teachers.
*This article has been updated to reflect that the reading assessment testing window opens on March 24.
Monthly virtual KESA update
The Accreditation and Design team hosted the KESA monthly update on Feb. 10. The recording and slides Dr. Jay Scott, director of KSDE Accreditation and Design, shared with the group are available.
The next KESA monthly update is 10:30-11:15 a.m., on March 10. Join the meeting here; no passcode is required.
Graduating seniors who are attending a school with at least one approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and have excelled in CTE are encouraged to submit a 2025 CTE Scholar application no later than March 3. Please note: This is not a scholarship program.
Registration is now open for KSDE’s Great Ideas in Education conference, July 28-30, at the Hyatt Regency, in Wichita. Don’t miss this critical opportunity to kick off the new school year primed for success. Click here to register.
KSDE has been promoting the importance of building coherence in Kansas’ school improvement efforts to effect meaningful change. That coherence must extend to the function and purpose of KSDE’s annual conference.
In collaboration with the Kansas educational learning centers, KSDE is offering structured literacy professional learning now and into this spring.
These sessions are at no cost to the educator and provide a half of a graduate credit for each day of participation.
FastTrack screening assessments to be renormed
Renaissance plans to renorm all FastTrack screening assessments prior to the 2025-26 school year.
This includes aReading (K-12), aMath (K-12), CBMReading (1-8), CBMmath Automaticity (1-12), AUTOreading (K-12), earlyReading composite (K-1), and earlyMath composite (K-1).
The plan is to release the norms prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Contact Jeff Lancial, jeff.lancial@renaissance.com, with questions.
19: KSDE CNW “Wellness Wednesday,” 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. Passcode: 512850. Contact Holly Steinlage, holly.steinlage@ksde.gov, with questions.
19: Data-Driven Success - Unpacking Literacy Assessments for Maximum Impact (K-12), Greenbush, in Girard. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
February is national Career and Technical Education month, a public awareness campaign hosted by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. The celebration shines a light on the accomplishments of CTE programs across the U.S., including Kansas.
Some attendees of the annual CTE conference in Manhattan this week got the chance to tour Manhattan High School’s CTE program that includes courses in business, welding, journalism, architectural drafting and agriculture, to name a few.
“We’re a big school with more than 2,000 students in the building,” said Chris Holborn, CTE coordinator at Manhattan High School for the past five years. “Some kids are really diving deep into areas but we’re also in an exploratory phase with some of our students. We try to give them options to find that field they want to go into or go to college for. We also have students who dabble in trying to figure out what they want to do. We try to serve all of those populations.”
The updated list of evidence-based programs aimed at addressing the needs of at-risk students will be presented to the Kansas State Board of Education during its monthly meeting, Feb. 11-12, in Topeka.
The at-risk program list presented to the State Board for approval includes programs and practices that have peer-reviewed evidence to support at-risk students. These programs may be used to provide students with additional educational opportunities, interventions, and services above and beyond regular educational services.
The last day non-exempt committees can request bill drafts from the Kansas Office of Revisors of Statutes was Monday, Feb. 3. This is the last day requests for introduction or sponsorship can be on non-exempt committee agendas. The last day for individuals to introduce bills in their originating chamber was Wednesday, Feb. 5. Several bills were introduced in both House and Senate chambers.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will hold a public hearing during their February meeting regarding the removal of the graduation requirement for Kansas high school students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The fiscal year 2024 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is open. The deadline for submission is March 7.
Lisa Williams, KSDE's Parents as Teachers coordinator, will be available until 5 p.m., on March 14, to provide technical support in submitting grant applications at (785) 296-4964 or lisa.williams@ksde.gov. The grant will be submitted using Qualtrics. Information on the grant application and how to apply can be found at KSDE Kansas Parents as Teachers.
2025-26 School Improvement Day Schedule
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team has released the 2025-26 School Improvement Day schedule. Take a moment to save these important dates. This schedule is available on the KESA webpage for easy reference. Registration links for these events are currently being developed, and we will resend this document once the links are finalized.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team is offering the "Wellness Wednesdays" webinar series in February focused on heart health.
These workshops are one-hour Zoom sessions with topics aimed at assisting Kansas school wellness committees implement wellness policies and create healthier school environments.
The Kansas State Department of Education is hosting “Connecting the Dots...For Learning,” March 3-4, in Manhattan.
The final EDCS in-person training (not on Zoom) for the 2024-25 school year will be 8 a.m.-noon, on Feb. 12, in the Denison State Bank building, 3675 74th Street, in Meriden. It is hosted by Jefferson West USD 340.
In collaboration with the Kansas education service centers, KSDE is offering professional development opportunities this spring to support the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) school improvement efforts and literacy initiatives prioritized by the Kansas State Board of Education.
There is no cost to attend these sessions and lunch is included. A half unit of graduate credit can be received for each day.
10: Kansas Clean Diesel Program funding applications due by 5 p.m. CST. Contact kdhe.dera@ks.gov with questions.
12: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, stephanie.alderman-oler@ksde.gov, with questions.
12: KSDE CNW “Wellness Wednesday,” 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. Passcode: 512850. Contact Holly Steinlage, holly.steinlage@ksde.gov, with questions.
13: Farm to School regional workshops, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Kansas City. Contact Barb Depew, barb.depew@ksde.gov, to register and for questions.
Literacy, early childhood, technology and the importance of educators were a few of the aspects of the teaching profession the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year team highlighted when they appeared before a joint meeting of the Kansas House and Senate education committees this week.
Liz Anstine, the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year and business teacher at Leavenworth High School, Leavenworth USD 453, told the legislators the challenges educators have endured in recent years “have been immense but so has the dedication of our teachers.”
“Unless you’ve stood in a classroom recently, it’s hard to grasp the extraordinary passion, resilience and tireless effort educators pour into their students daily,” she said. “The commitment of many teachers, especially those who are with me here today, is nothing short of heroic.”
The last day for individual members to request bill drafts from the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes was Monday, Jan. 27. At least 14 education-related bills were introduced during the third week of the 2025 Kansas legislative session.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will hold a public hearing during their February meeting regarding the removal of the requirement to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the minimum graduation requirements for Kansas high school students.
The Seal of Literacy is now being added to licenses for individuals who have completed Lexia LETRS® for Elementary Educators.
District registrars or reporting staff members looking to streamline their data management skills are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) in partnership with the Mid-America Association for Computers in Education (MACE) in March. This is a unique chance to connect with fellow registrars, reporting staff and IT professionals in a collaborative and informative environment.
The Star Recognition Authenticated Application is open for the qualitative areas of Individual Plans of Study (IPS), Social-Emotional Growth, and Kindergarten Readiness. The deadline for submitting 2025 applications is Friday, May 2.
2025-26 School Improvement Day schedule available
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team has released the 2025-26 School Improvement Day schedule and is available on the KESA webpage. While the dates are expected to closely align with - if not exactly match - this year's schedule, the Accreditation and Design team will confirm any changes as needed.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team invites child nutrition professionals to attend Farm to School regional workshops that will be 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on the following dates:
A new direction. A new date. A new event for district and building leadership teams.
Big changes are coming to KSDE’s Great ideas in Education Conference, and we think you’re going to like them.
A training session is scheduled for Feb. 5 on how to submit the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR) in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS). This training is geared toward “EDCS beginners,” but anyone can attend.
Brookes Publishing and the Kansas Inservice Training System (KITS) are offering a training session in February on effectively using the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition® (AEPS-3®) to collect data and develop goals to guide instruction.
Kansas educators interested in FastBridge sessions, but are unable to join can use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5.
January
31: Curriculum leaders meeting, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, in Topeka. Register here. Contact Pat Bone, pat.bone@ksde.org, with questions.
5: Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) training, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Those attending in-person need to contact Leslie Bruton, leslie.bruton@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-8011, to register. In-person training is in the first floor board room, Suite 102, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, in Topeka. Those attending virtually: Click here for the Zoom link. Meeting ID: 876 8995 0847
6: Farm to School regional workshops, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Lyons. Contact Barb Depew, barb.depew@ksde.gov, to register and for questions.
One-day sessions known as “School Improvement Days” are integral to districts creating action plans to address student achievement as part of the second iteration of the Kansas Education Accreditation System, known as KESA 2.0.
“This process is tremendously much more intentional, meaningful to actually be able to have the time to collaborate with like-sized schools, sharing ideas,” Karla Tanking, assistant superintendent of Holton USD 336, said during a recent School Improvement Day at Greenbush Education Service Center in Lawrence. “But it’s also just having the time to talk through and analyze data with our own group that is very helpful and beneficial.”
TOPEKA — The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security directive issued Tuesday, Jan. 21, to rescind previously issued guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions that limit law enforcement in or near “sensitive” areas, which include schools and churches.
he Seal of Literacy is now being added to licensesfor individuals who have completed Lexia LETRS® for Elementary Educators.
Districts with professional development (PD) plans expiring on July 31 may turn them in to the Kansas State Department of Education starting April 1, but no later than Aug. 1.
Click here for the timeline and the list of districts that are part of this year’s review. KSDE staff will send an email with instructions and other information to the districts by the end of January.
District registrars or reporting staff members looking to streamline their data management skills are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) in partnership with the Mid-America Association for Computers in Education (MACE) in March. This is a unique chance to connect with fellow registrars, reporting staff, and IT professionals in a collaborative and informative environment.
The Star Recognition Authenticated Application opened Wednesday, Jan. 22, for the qualitative areas of Individual Plans of Study (IPS), Social-Emotional Growth, and Kindergarten Readiness. The deadline for submitting 2025 applications is Friday, May 2.
Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is entering its sixth year of recognizing school districts for the great work taking place to help the Kansas State Board of Education achieve its vision of leading the world in the success of each student.
2025-26 School Improvement Day schedule announced
Registration links for the School Improvement Days are currently being developed. The schedule will be made available again once the links are finalized.
Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, Rue.Huereca-Retana@ksde.gov, with questions.
The Kansas State Department of Education is continuing its partnership with IXL Math for the 2025-26 school year. IXL Learning provides schools with a free supplemental instructional program that can help Kansas students improve their math skills.
A bill passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2022 appropriated $4 million for a virtual math program. The state put out a request for proposal (RFP), and IXL Learning was awarded the two-year contract.
A new direction. A new date.
This is the final reminder for administrators of Local Consolidated Plans (LCPs) to register for the Jan. 28 quarterly meetings.
The mandatory Fiscal Year 2024 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is now open.
The Qualtrics survey link has been sent via the ESSER listserv. The deadline for submission is March 7.
A training session is scheduled for Feb. 5, on how to submit the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR) in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS). This training is geared toward “EDCS beginners,” but anyone can attend.
This session will be offered via Zoom and also simultaneously in-person in Room 102, first floor board room, at the Kansas State Department of Education, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, in Topeka.
A three-part series of virtual trainings focused on young learners and strategies to address behavior in the early childhood setting will be offered in the coming months using the ECHO model of tele-mentoring. This professional development opportunity is hosted by Telehealth ROCKS of the University of Kansas-Medical Center.
23: Child care northeast regional roundtable, 6:30-8 p.m., Shawnee County Health Department, JP Lewis building, training rooms A and B, 2600 S.W. East Circle Drive, in Topeka. Register here. Contact Meghan Kluth, mkluth@ku.edu, with questions.
24: Structured literacy training, Orion, Clearwater. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
24: Introduction to ASQ training, virtual, 9 a.m. – noon. Click here to register. Contact Stacy Clarke, stacy.clarke@ksde.gov, with questions.
27: English Language Arts training, Greenbush, Girard. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
Janet Waugh, 83, the longest serving member of the Kansas State Board of Education, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. She was first elected in 1999 and retired from the board in 2023.
After several years with no program, music once again fills the halls of Girard Middle and High School thanks to the vision and leadership of former Girard student Meredith Reid.
Reid, who earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music from Kansas State University, was hired by the Girard district to reestablish the choral music program that was nonexistent when she herself attended the school years earlier. In just five years, she has developed an award-winning program that competes regularly in state competitions and performs throughout the Girard community.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education at their January meeting in Topeka received an update on the structured literacy requirements certain educators will have to meet beginning in 2028 to renew their teaching licenses.
Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson told board members that more than 12,000 educators, mainly at the elementary level, have completed or are in the process of completing structured literacy training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling® (LETRS®), a state-approved program. Other approved training programs include Keys to Literacy and AIMS Pathways to Proficient Reading.
As recently announced by Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland, all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students in your school this week should begin receiving complimentary copies of KANSAS! Kids, a new magazine created especially for young Kansans, just in time for Kansas Day on Jan. 29.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s website and email domains have changed from “.org” to “.gov.”
The Fiscal Year 2024 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds opens Tuesday, Jan. 21. The deadline for submission will be March 7.
Districts with professional development (PD) plans expiring on July 31, may turn them in to the Kansas State Department of Education starting April 1, but no later than Aug. 1.
The Preschool-Aged At-Risk Program provides school districts with funding for preschool-aged students. In districts operating approved programs, 3-and 4-year-old students who meet an at-risk criterion for the Preschool-Aged At-Risk Program and who are enrolled and attending on Count Day will automatically count as a ½ student (0.5 FTE) in calculating a district’s enrollment and accompanying weightings. Districts are encouraged to create integrated programs that include all students and to develop strong community partnerships.
Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families, and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a required procurement training for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors on Jan. 22.
Per the Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule, school nutrition program directors, management, and/or staff who work on procurement activities must complete procurement training annually. For the 2025-26 school year, all sponsors must complete procurement training by June 30.
Two training events are scheduled in the coming weeks for how to submit the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR) in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS). This training will be geared toward “EDCS beginners”, but anyone can attend.
Early childhood professionals, caregivers, community members working to support local child care efforts, and anyone with an interest in child care in Kansas are invited to join a regional roundtable event to share your experiences with child care in your region.
Registration is now open for the following third and fourth quarterly meetings for administrators of Local Consolidated Plans (LCPs).
If interested in a FastBridge session listed below, but are unable to join, use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5.
16: Kansas Preschool Pilot grant application due. Contact Natalie McClane, natalie.mcclane@ksde.gov, or Amanda Petersen, amanda.petersen@ksde.gov, with questions.
17: English Language Arts training, ESSDACK, Hutchinson. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.
17: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)/Title III needs assessment survey due. Contact Emily Scott, emily.scott@ksde.gov, with questions.
18: Deadline to register for Innovate Next Steps: Pre-K-12 Learning conference, Feb. 8, at Bethany College. Click here to register. Contact Alan English, englishAE@bethanyLB.edu, or (785) 227-3380, with questions.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will receive an update on the structured literacy training requirements for licensure during their monthly meeting, Jan. 14-15, in Topeka.
Fellow Kansans,
Forty years ago, KANSAS! magazine launched a children’s edition titled KANSAS! Too, which sparked curiosity and inspired young readers across the state for more than a decade. As one of those young readers, the magazine ignited my passion and deep love for our state.
Today, I am excited to carry that legacy forward by introducing the next chapter: KANSAS! Kids.
As part of the second iteration of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation process, known as KESA 2.0, districts and school systems are attending regional School Improvement Days during the 2024-25 school year with three to four other like systems.
These days are facilitated by Kansas educators who have been trained and volunteer their time to help their colleagues understand what is required for KESA 2.0 accreditation. They guide those attending the School Improvement Days through a broad review of their district-level data, including assessment scores.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s website and email domains will change from “.org” to “.gov” this month.
Districts that have opted into the KSDE and IXL Math contract to receive IXL Math at no local cost are required to provide data on math practice twice a year for the 2024-25 school year.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is open for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR). The LPR is due on March 1. The SVR will be submitted within the LPR.
Students who have risen above the challenges of life situations by exiting foster care and entering into permanent guardianship after the age of 13 have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship through Umps Care, a nonprofit organization founded by Major League Baseball umpires.
The KSDE Information Technology team will host a webinar with Ronnie Williams, coordinator of instructional resources at Greenbush Education Center, 1 p.m., on Jan. 15, to explore the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team will be hosting the KESA virtual monthly update, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., on Monday, Jan. 13.
All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2). These tools provide a snapshot of children’s developmental milestones. As caregivers know their children best, they complete both questionnaires before school staff share and discuss the screening results.
New School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team for the spring Jump Start training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., on Jan. 30, in Salina. This training opportunity is for those with less than three years of experience.
Renaissance has consolidated their legacy customer support systems for all products into a new, comprehensive system. As of Jan. 1, all support requests are handled via the new system to provide a more seamless experience for all cases for a customer’s account.
All Renaissance support emails, website addresses, and phone numbers will remain unchanged so customers can continue to access support with no downtime in service.
Upcoming FastBridge virtual trainings:
9: KSDE offices closed for National Day of Mourning.
9: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebate Program applications due by 5 p.m. CST. Click here for more information. Contact CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov with questions.
9: English Language Arts training, Orion, Clearwater. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, lcurtis@ksde.org, with questions.
13: Structured literacy training, Greenbush, Girard. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, lcurtis@ksde.org, with questions.
13: KESA virtual monthly update, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. Click here to join the Zoom. Contact accreditation@ksde.org for more information.
14: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.
14-15: Kansas State Board of Education meeting. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
Key dates for this transition:
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now open for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR). The LPR is due on March 1. The SVR will be submitted within the LPR.
The 2024-25 Kansas Seal of Biliteracy guidelines and spreadsheet for uploading student data have been posted on the KSDE Seal of Biliteracy website.
Important for this year: Districts will upload the student information spreadsheet to a secure drop box. Please do not email the spreadsheet to KSDE. The person submitting the spreadsheet for the school district will need to create an account and then upload the spreadsheet.
As of Jan. 1, educators are required by state regulation to meet one of the two options below to add an English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement to a license. Educators will qualify for waivers as they complete course requirements for either option.
This virtual session will cover key AI concepts, real-world applications in today’s classrooms and ethical considerations. Discussion will include how AI can personalize learning, automate tasks, and enhance educational research.
The Kansas Education Data System (KEDS) production environment is ready, according to KSDE Information Technology staff.
Student Information System (SIS) vendors have been made aware and those who are certified will begin the process of onboarding their districts with KSDE. Certification involves a live transfer of data from the SIS to the KSDE test environment where KSDE IT staff can validate all expected data elements are coming through appropriately.
New resources and updated guidance will be shared during the monthly virtual office hours in 2025. The first office hours of the new year will be 3-4 p.m., on Jan. 8.
Systems will have the opportunity to get feedback and ask questions about their Kansas Education System Accreditation (KESA) 2.0 action plans and hear about newly available resources.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team will be hosting the KESA virtual monthly update, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., on Jan. 13.
New School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team for the spring Jump Start training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., on Jan. 30, at the Smoky Hill Education Service Center, in Salina. This training opportunity is for those with less than three years of experience.
A “What’s New with HirePaths?” webinar has been scheduled for 12-1 p.m., on Jan. 8. Click here for the Zoom link.
HirePaths introduces Kansas kids of all ages to high demand jobs our state will need in the future. Materials are free for educators and families to use.
Veteran educators, anyone considering a career in education, and anyone in between is invited to Bethany College’s education conference, on Feb. 8.
The deadline to register is Jan. 18.
Attendees will have an opportunity to earn graduate credit, obtain professional development points, collaborate and network with other educators, and learn more about a career in education.
Renaissance has consolidated their legacy customer support systems for all products into a new, comprehensive system. As of Jan. 1, all support requests are currently handled via the new system to provide a more seamless experience for all cases for a customer’s account.
8: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.
8: KESA 2.0 action plan virtual office hours, 3-4 p.m. Questions can be submitted within 24 hours of the virtual meeting by completing this survey. Click here for the Zoom link. Contact Hayley Steinlage, hasteinlage@ksde.org, with questions.
8: HirePaths informational webinar, “What’s New with HirePaths?”, 12-1 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. Contact Kristin Brighton, kristin@newbostoncreative.com, or 785-587-8185, with questions.
In addition to getting help with writing, finding a book for a class or getting tutored, libraries are a vital part of a school’s ecosystem and community at large.
“Libraires are really a refuge for people, for students,” said Tonya Foster, librarian at Topeka High School, Topeka USD 501. “So many people don’t know the true value of libraries. Yes, they are a place where you can get resources and you can get books and you can get music. But it’s also such an incredibly safe place to go and find what you need. There are people there that can help you.”
While the Kansas affiliate organization of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) offers 114 programs in 86 Kansas school districts, the 6,200 students served by the academic and postsecondary preparedness program are anything but numbers.
“You learn a lot about yourself in this program,” said Lilliona Martinez, a student at Junction City Middle School, Geary County USD 475. “Before JAG, I was very insecure and (kept) to myself,” she said. “I’ve learned that you can be more than what people tell you. This program just gives you so many beautiful opportunities to grow as a person and grow as a student.”
As of Jan. 1, educators will be required by state regulation to meet one of the two options below to add an English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement to a license. Educators will qualify for waivers as they complete course requirements for either option.
KSDE’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) is requesting anyone directly involved with their building or district’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)/Title III program to complete a needs assessment survey by Jan. 17.
The Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program is open and accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Funded by the Joint Office of Energy & Transportation and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), CBPA recipients receive free technical assistance for comprehensive and customized school bus electrification transition plans. Fleets eligible for EPA Clean School Bus program funding are generally eligible to receive CBPA assistance.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) currently has a school bus award opportunity open to districts that own and operate their own transportation fleets.
The Perkins Principles have been developed to support districts as they develop new Perkins consortiums. This document is available also on the Perkins Federal Accountability webpage.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) will open for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) on Jan. 1. Districts will have until March 1 to submit their LPR data.
Staff from KSDE’s Information Technology (IT) department have been working to modernize Moodle, the agency's learning management systems (LMS), http://learning.ksde.org. Moodle is an open source LMS that has been used in education for more than 20 years.
The newest cohort of Kansas Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling® (LETRS®) facilitators recently completed training after four full days of in-person professional learning under the guidance of a national LETRS® trainer.
The Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) was recognized earlier this month for meeting 2024 Quality Association Standards.
The Kansas State Department of Education is proud to celebrate the success of the most recent group of Kansas Parents as Teachers programs to earn a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC) called the “Blue Ribbon Endorsement.” Parents as Teachers programs that earn this endorsement are designated as the top-performing home visiting programs within the Parents as Teachers international network.
The Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) are offering new live virtual trainings to deepen educators’ knowledge of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ®).
Engaging with families to build strong relationships and support early childhood development is a key strategy to support young children’s success. The ASQ® questionnaires provide a snapshot of children’s developmental milestones and can serve as a powerful tool to support kindergarten readiness.
The next curriculum leaders meeting will be on Jan. 31, at the Bishop Professional Development Center in Topeka. Register here by Jan. 17.
To streamline the customer experience, Renaissance is consolidating their legacy customer support systems for all products, including Nearpod, into a new, comprehensive system. Starting Jan. 1, all support requests will be handled via the new system to provide a more seamless experience for all cases for a customer’s account.
Reminder: If your district has not used allocated virtual professional development hours, schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog by Dec. 31. To check if this applies to your district, watch the recording at the 1:37 time stamp.
You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you must schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information and/or schedule sessions here.
1: Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) opens for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR). To access EDCS district training resources (including both PDFs and videos of specific EDCS topics), click here: Licensed Personnel. Contact Leslie Bruton, lbruton@ksde.org, or (785) 296–8011, with questions.
The Kansas State Board of Education voted this week to accept the final report of the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time that outlines recommended guidance for student use of digital technology in schools.
Prior to the vote, Melanie Haas of Overland Park, State Board chair, emphasized the board accepting the report was an acknowledgement of the task force’s work, not an endorsement of the recommendations. The board voted to accept the report and authorized the Kansas State Department of Education to release it to districts.
Jeff Yearout brings conceptual thinking into his classroom at Derby High School, Derby Unified School District 260, helping students think beyond the surface.
Yearout has taught computer science, web design and computer graphics at Derby High School since 2016. He is the only computer science teacher at the school.
“It’s harder, of course, if I’m taking on something new that I haven’t done before and have no built curriculum to look from,” he said. “But I’m constantly recrafting things I’ve done before to adjust it and make it better for students.”
KSDE’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) is requesting anyone directly involved with their building or district’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)/Title III program to complete a needs assessment survey by Jan. 17. Click here to complete the survey.
Respondents include but are not limited to ESOL teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, instructional coaches, directors, principals, superintendents, etc.
These principles were covered during the Perkins question-and-answer session held in November.
While districts have had access to enter data since Aug. 1, they will now be able to submit that data beginning Jan. 1.
Student data is collected annually for students and youth experiencing homelessness per the McKinney-Vento definition: students and youth lacking fixed, regular or adequate housing. Every fall, a summary document in which the numbers of identified students experiencing homelessness from the previous school year is placed on KSDE’s McKinney-Vento webpage.
Systems can review the KESA application, locate resources, discuss the action plan components and guidelines, and address specific questions.
Questions can be submitted within 24 hours of the virtual meeting by completing this survey. This will assist KSDE staff in preparing a meaningful agenda to address the most frequently asked questions and to develop further supporting guidance.
The educators, representing 15 school districts and two service centers, now can provide Volume 1 LETRS® training to the teachers in their districts/service centers. This cohort of trainers will receive Volume 2 training soon.
According to the national ACTE, “the purpose of the Quality Association Standards (QAS) is to provide benchmarks for state associations to determine levels of performance and satisfactory service to their members and prospective members” and “to prompt states to challenge themselves to improve and maintain the very best possible organization and leadership for their members within the association’s means.”
Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors may request up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives that will increase the volume of local foods served as part of child nutrition program snacks and meals. The application deadline has been extended to Dec. 13.
Mark your calendars for the following dates and locations of the 2025 and 2026 curriculum leaders meetings.
Important note: All Renaissance and Nearpod support emails, website addresses, and phone numbers will remain unchanged so customers can continue to access support with no downtime in service. Contact Renaissance Support or Nearpod Support with any questions.
Reminder: If your district has not used allocated virtual professional development hours, schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog by Dec. 31. To check if this applies to your district, watch the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. Please note: You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you must schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
If you are interested in a FastBridge session below, but are unable to join, use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5.
December
17: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.
17: Structured literacy training, Smoky Hill, Salina. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, lcurtis@ksde.org, with questions.
18: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.
19: Transportation basics workshop for transportation directors and supervisors, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, in Topeka. Register for free here. Contact Keith Dreiling, kdreiling@ksde.org, with questions.
As the largest federal conference aimed at improving the quality and taste of school meals, the Healthy Meals Incentive (HMI) Summit was attended this past fall by hundreds of school nutrition professionals from across the U.S. The Kansas contingent included food service staff members from two school districts.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will vote on recommendations for how Kansas students interact with digital technology and social media during their monthly meeting in Topeka, Dec. 10-11.
The Perkins Principles have been created to support districts as they develop new Perkins consortiums. This document can also be accessed on the Perkins Federal Accountability webpage.
KSDE’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) is requesting that anyone directly involved with their building’s or district’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)/Title III program complete a needs assessment survey by Jan. 17.
Every year, student data is collected for students and youth experiencing homelessness per the McKinney-Vento definition - namely, students and youth lacking fixed, regular or adequate housing. Every fall, a summary document in which the numbers of identified students experiencing homelessness from the previous school year is placed on KSDE’s McKinney-Vento webpage.
Districts that have opted into the KSDE and IXL Math contract to receive IXL Math at no local cost are required to provide data on math practice for the 2024-25 school year twice a year.
Two built-in IXL reports will allow you to create and submit your KSDE reporting in just a few minutes.
The Accreditation and Design team will host the KESA virtual monthly update, 10:30-11:15 a.m., on Dec. 9.
Monthly virtual office hours are scheduled in 2025 for systems to get feedback and ask questions about their Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) 2.0 action plans.
The Local Food for Schools (LFS) grant funds must be spent by Dec. 6, with final report forms submitted to KSDE Child Nutrition & Wellness by Dec. 6.
Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors may request up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives that will increase the local foods served as part of child nutrition program snacks and meals. The application deadline has been extended to Dec. 13.
Kansas high school students are invited to participate in a special event, Dec. 9-14, to sharpen their cybersecurity skills while having fun.
Hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education in partnership with EnterpriseKC’s Heartland Cyber Range and Wichita State University, a virtual “Capture the Flag” (CTF) event offers a thrilling, hands-on way to dive into topics like encryption, network security, reverse engineering, and programming. Plus, who knows what other surprises might pop up?
The next Kansas curriculum leaders meeting will be on Jan. 30, at the Bishop Professional Development Center in Topeka.
When the curriculum leaders met on Nov. 15, Caitlyn Sharp of The New Teacher Project (TNTP) discussed the coordination of work they are developing with the Kansas State Department of Education. Her presentation included highlights of TNTP’s newly released report, The Opportunity Makers.
To encourage teaching science in a rural area, Fort Hays State University is offering scholarships to individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree in science and are considering a career in teaching.
This competitive award program will award recipients a $24,066 stipend to complete coursework that will lead to full teaching licensure.
Spanish teachers are invited to a retreat, April 11-13, to immerse themselves in the Spanish language for a weekend.
The objective is to duplicate the experience of spending the weekend in a Spanish-speaking country engaging in pedagogical activities completely in Spanish. Colombia is the theme for the 2025 retreat.
Reminder: If your district has not used allocated virtual professional development hours, schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog by Dec. 31. To check if this applies to your district, watch the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. *Please note: You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you must schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
6: Deadline to apply for the 2025 Heartland Farm to School Institute. Click here to apply no later than 11:59 p.m., CST. Contact Eryn Davis, edavis@ksde.org, (785) 296-5060, with questions.
9: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link.
9: Structured literacy training, Southwest Plains, Sublette. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, lcurtis@ksde.org, with questions.
10: Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grant technical assistance webinar, 10 a.m. Contact Natalie McClane, nmcclane@ksde.org, and Amanda Petersen, apetersen@ksde.org, with questions.
10-11: Kansas State Board of Education meeting. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
The next virtual office hours for systems to get feedback and ask questions about their KESA 2.0 action plans will be Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Systems can review the KESA application, locate resources, discuss the action plan components and guidelines, and address specific questions they may have.
The week of Nov. 18-22 is American Education Week, a time to celebrate the positive impact of public schools across the U.S. So, why is now an important time to be a teacher? That question was asked recently of several members of the new 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year (KTOY) team.
As the daughter of a former elementary school teacher, Adlyn Mieras, a senior at Blue Valley West High School, Blue Valley Unified School District 229, said she’s known from a young age she’s wanted to be a teacher because, as a student, she has “wanted to learn all the time.”
“I felt being a teacher and helping others to find that similar passion for learning is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “I want to be a teacher for a long time.”
Mieras and dozens of other Kansas high school students attended the northeast Kansas regional Educators Rising conference earlier this month where they competed in categories including lesson planning and teaching; TED talks; children’s literature; impromptu speaking; and interviewing. Future Teachers of America Day was celebrated this week, along with American Education Week.
The reporting for Period 1 for incidents of restraint and/or seclusion using emergency safety interventions (ESI) began on July 1 and ended Nov. 20.
District staff should begin entering this data into the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) as soon as possible after Nov. 30 but before the submission window closes on Dec. 30.
In an effort to evaluate the impact of KESA 2.0, the KSDE Research and Evaluation team has developed the school improvement process survey to be taken by district leadership teams (DLTs). Completing the survey is required for each DLT member after the system’s action plan has been submitted to KSDE.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking applications for 2025-26 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grants to provide preschool services.
Eligible applicants include Kansas unified school districts (USDs) and other entities partnering with school districts. At least 50% of children served by KPP grant funds must meet criteria to be at risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally or academically unprepared for success.
Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors looking to advance the local foods served in meals and snacks can apply for up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives.
The subgrants are available to School Nutrition Program (SNP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors for activities like gardening, chicken houses, raising livestock, garden towers and more.
The Heartland Farm to School and Early Care and Education (ECE) Institute was held Nov. 13-15, in Nebraska City. The institute was offered in collaboration with ECE partners from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Three Kansas teams from Clearwater USD 264, Coffeyville USD 445, and Child Care Links, in Hutchinson, and Quality Care Services, Inc., in El Dorado, were chosen from applications submitted to attend the institute.
KSDE is already in the early stages of planning the 2025 Great Ideas in Education conference since the date of the event has been changed to July 27-30, at the Hyatt Regency, in Wichita. Click here to watch a video from this year's Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward.
School systems are strongly encouraged to begin planning to send district leadership teams to the annual conference. Learning and collaboration opportunities will emphasize the fundamentals of structured literacy, standards alignment, balanced assessment and quality instruction.
This professional development opportunity is for educators to explore what balanced literacy is and how structured literacy is different.
Attendees will learn the “why” and “how” to make the instructional shifts necessary to teach reading and writing in a way that allows more students to be successful.
During training sessions scheduled for December and January, English language arts (ELA) teachers for grades 3–12 will learn what text complexity is, why complex text is vital to assist in raising the rigor for our students, and how best to scaffold learning using evidence-based strategies. Structured literacy demands teachers present students with appropriately complex texts, explicitly teaching students to grapple with them.
Attendees will practice identifying appropriately complex text for their students and explore how to effectively scaffold to leverage productive struggle and student success.
The KSDE School Bus Safety Unit will host a free transportation basics workshop for transportation directors and supervisors, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., on Dec. 19, at Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, in Topeka. Register here.
These workshops will provide a brief overview of the fundamentals and responsibilities associated with the position along with recent updates, changes and developments in school transportation.
In an effort to encourage teaching science in a rural area, Fort Hays State University is offering scholarships to individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree in science and are considering a career in teaching.
By Robert Feeney, Chief Vision Officer, Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS)
Knowledge as a Service Inc. (KaaS), the Wichita-based company behind Future Ready, has a mission to equip the next generation with vital employability skills by developing programs that reach students and workers across Kansas. The most recent development of the tournament is its Competency Report which provides real-time scoring and badging on vital behaviors.
As of Nov. 18, Jeff Lancial has been supporting Kansas with FastBridge after joining Renaissance Learning in July. His career includes serving as a teacher, coach and administrator in public schools and leading large-scale, high-stakes, statewide assessment programs. He is committed to continuing the great support educators in Kansas received from his predecessor Sheleena Clark. Contact Jeff at jeff.lancial@renaissance.com.
Reminder: Many districts have virtual hours to use to schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you must schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
November
30: Data entry for Emergency Safety Intervention (ESI) reports begins. Contact Trish Backman, tbackman@ksde.org, with questions.
3: Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team’s standards-based make it-take it event for preschool teachers, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., KU Edwards campus. Contact Lea Harding at lea@kanasmtss.org with questions. (Registration is closed.)
3: Kansas MTSS and Alignment regional reading road show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Dodge City, Boot Hill Casino & Resort. Contact Vicki Cooper, vicki@kansasmtss.org, with questions. (Registration is closed.)
As the daughter of a former elementary school teacher, Adlyn Mieras, a senior at Blue Valley West High School, said she’s known from a young age she’s wanted to be a teacher because, as a student, she has “wanted to learn all the time.”
Mieras and dozens of other Kansas high school students attended the northeast Kansas regional Educators Rising conference earlier this month where they competed in categories including lesson planning and teaching, TED talks, children’s literature, impromptu speaking and interviewing.
Imagine being escorted to your first day at a brand-new school not by your parents, but U.S. marshals, as a crowd of protesters chant and point at you, angry you are now attending this school. You are the only student in your classroom. No other children are with you, and you’re not allowed to join them at lunch or at recess.
That is what Ruby Bridges went through 64 years ago.
On the anniversary of this historic day, dozens of Topeka area middle and high school students joined the civil rights icon on Thursday, Nov. 14, for an in-person “fireside chat” at Washburn University, in Topeka, to celebrate “Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day”, a symbolic walk of unity and strength. Her appearance comes as the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education is also celebrated.
For nearly 20 years, fostering a love for reading with the youngest of Kansans has been promoted each November through the “Kansas Reads to Preschoolers” program.
“Early literacy is so important,” said Nikki Hansen, resource sharing librarian for the State Library of Kansas. “Preschoolers, they may not be reading yet, but with having books in the home, having a parent or guardian reading to them, it increases their vocabulary, it increases their readiness for kindergarten. Having someone read to them just encourages a love of reading in themselves.”
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education received a final set of recommendations during their November meeting that will serve as guidance for school districts’ policies regarding students’ use of digital technology.
Ava Gustin, a senior at Mission Valley High School, Mission Valley USD 330, and Brian Houghton, principal of Fredonia Jr.-Sr. High School, Fredonia USD 484, co-chairs of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time (pictured above), outlined the recommendations that address the following topics chosen by the State Board:
All ESSER funds must have been OBLIGATED by Sept. 30, and districts must request payments by Nov. 20, to make the cutoff for the final December liquidation deadline. Note: KSDE lacks the authority to alter or extend these statutory dates.
The reporting for Period 1 for incidents of restraint and/or seclusion using emergency safety interventions (ESI) began on July 1 and ends Nov. 20. District staff should begin entering this data into the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) as soon as possible after Nov. 30 but before the submission window closes on Dec. 30.
With the enhanced English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in 2024 and the focus on the science of reading, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Career Standards and Assessment Services team worked with national technical advisors to provide guidance for the appropriate accommodations needed for the ELA assessment. Beginning this year, students in grades 3-5 will not have the text-to-speech (TTS) accommodation available for ELA questions and responses.
The November virtual KESA monthly update has been rescheduled for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, due to Veterans Day on Nov. 11. These meetings will return to the second Monday of each month following the holiday.
Early childhood experiences set the stage for lifelong success. Providing excellent early learning opportunities for preschool students with disabilities is an important area of focus as districts seek to improve kindergarten readiness. Research clearly indicates creating environments for all students to learn together regardless of ability improves outcomes for all students.
The Kansas State Department of Education, along with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Nebraska Department of Education, is accepting applications for the Heartland Farm to School Institute.
This institute aims to promote the three tenants of Farm to School (procurement, school gardens and education) as well as the Three C’s (classrooms, cafeterias and communities) through school-led Farm to School initiatives.
Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors may request up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives that will increase the local foods served as part of Child Nutrition Program snacks and meals.
KSDE is already in the early stages of planning the 2025 Great Ideas in Education Conference since the date of the event has been changed to the last week of July.
School systems are strongly encouraged to send district leadership teams to the annual conference, now set for July 27-30, at the Hyatt Regency, in Wichita. Learning and collaboration opportunities will emphasize the fundamentals of structured literacy, standards alignment, balanced assessment, and quality instruction.
Bring your questions, your colleagues and an interest in learning about literacy practices that can move your school’s literacy initiatives forward.
English language arts (ELA) teachers for grades 3–12 will learn what text complexity is, why complex text is vital to assist in raising the rigor for our students, and how best to scaffold learning using evidence-based strategies. Structured literacy demands teachers present students with appropriately complex texts, explicitly teaching students to grapple with them.
The Kansas State Department of Education has extended its partnership with Renaissance Learning into the 2025-26 school year. Contact your Account Manager for FastBridge pricing through the state contract.
Many districts have virtual hours they can use to schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
15: Curriculum directors meeting, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, Topeka. Contact Pat Bone, pbone@ksde.org, with questions.
18: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Rescheduled due to the Veterans Day holiday.)
18: Individual Plan of Study (IPS) technical assistance session, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., Orion, Clearwater. Register here. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351, with questions.
19: Kansas MTSS & Alignment offers behavior intervention protocol training, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Salina. No cost. Click here to register. Contact Susan Danner, susand@kansasmtss.org, with questions.
21: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will receive a set of recommendations from the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time during their monthly meeting, Nov. 12-13, in Topeka.
The 36-member task force, comprised of students, teachers, administrators, parents, legislators and state board members Melanie Haas and Danny Zeck, have been meeting since August. They’ve shared and discussed information to formulate recommendations for the following three areas:
The interdisciplinary aspects and connectedness of STEAM are what Dr. Lindsay King believes help students develop critical thinking skills and resilience.
“I think the best part about STEAM is that it brings people together to solve a problem,” said King, director of college and career readiness at Maize Unified School District 266. “Regardless of what problems you’ll be solving in the future, you’re always going to benefit from working together with a team and handle setbacks. This is the vehicle in which we are practicing that skill.”
National STEM/STEAM Day is Friday, Nov. 8, which celebrates science, technology, engineering, (art) and mathematics. These subjects are woven into Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses which improve students’ college and career readiness, play a powerful role in preventing students from dropping out, and provide a variety of opportunities for postsecondary success and employment.
The KSDE Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team is reminding districts to complete the Title IV-A Expenditure Survey SFY 2024 regarding information for the Consolidated State Performance Report.
This survey is REQUIRED and must be completed no later than Friday, Nov. 8.
With the enhanced English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in 2024 and the focus on the science of reading, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Career Standards and Assessment Services team worked with national technical advisors to provide guidance for the appropriate accommodations needed for the ELA assessment.
Beginning this year, students in grades 3-5 will not have the text-to-speech (TTS) accommodation available for ELA questions and responses.
The November virtual KESA monthly update has been rescheduled for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, due to Veterans Day on Nov. 11. These meetings will return to the second Monday of each month following the holiday. Join the meeting here and subscribe to the KESA listserv at accreditation@ksde.org to receive email reminders and more.
Smooth, seamless transitions from Part C to Part B ensure young children with disabilities receive services without disruption or delay.
Each year, school districts report data for Indicator 12 for Part B, one of the 17 indicators reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Part B Indicator 12 is a compliance indicator that measures the percent of children referred by Part C prior to age 3, who are found eligible for Part B, and who have an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthdays.
The Heartland Farm to School Institute aims to assist schools in incorporating Farm to School programming in the classroom, cafeteria, and community. The Kansas State Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Nebraska Department of Education are leading this initiative.
Early childhood professionals, caregivers, community members working to support local child care efforts, and anyone with an interest in child care in Kansas are invited to join a roundtable event to share your experiences with child care in your region.
This event will be 6:30-8 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Abilene Childcare Learning Center 2/Nichols Education Center, 1003 N. Brady Street, in Abilene. Click here to register for this free event that is open to the public.
Kansas is a member state of the MBA Research consortium and that means there are numerous resources available for free to our business teachers.
During a free webinar from 3:30-4:15 p.m., on Nov. 13, Tammy Cyrus, vice president of professional learning for MBA Research, will lead teachers through creating a state’s connection account and where to find all of the resources that can help in the classroom.
The KSDE Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) team is offering a special virtual training session for Kansas educators on instructionally embedded assessments to guide classroom instruction, 3-4 p.m., on Nov. 14. Register here.
Mark your calendars for the remaining 2024-25 Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) quarterly meetings that are for administrators (new and veteran) responsible for LCPs.
Administrators will receive timely information and more in-depth support from the KSDE Special Education and Title Services team and statewide experts, with an emphasis on upcoming tasks and special topics as needed.
8: 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominations due. Instructions for accessing the online application can be found here. Contact Tamla Miller, tmiller@ksde.org, or (785) 296-4950 for more information or questions.
8: Introduction to the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)® training, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., on Zoom. Register at ksdetasn.org/events.
8: Individual Plan of Study (IPS) technical assistance session, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., ESSDACK, Hutchinson. Register here. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351, with questions.
12: Kansas MTSS & Alignment Leadership Institute, Topeka. Click this link to register: ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Josh Lee at josh@kansasmtss.org with questions.
The 2024 KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: “Lighting the Path Forward” provided educators across Kansas a deeper dive into structured literacy, high quality instruction, and data-driven strategies, to name just a few of the topics covered during the three-day event, held Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.
Chris Perry, co-founder and executive director of Cultivate Education, LLC, delivered the keynote address, focusing on the art and science of effective implementation. He cited research showing only 33% of educational initiatives and programs are successfully implemented and achieve their stated goals. He said implementation can be difficult, especially when it requires more staff and resources to sustain an initiative.
The Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time held its 11th meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 30 with the focus on finalizing recommendations regarding parental oversight of district-owned devices.
The purpose of these task force meetings has been to develop guidance/recommendations, based in research, on the following topics:
The task force voted on the remaining set of recommendations which will be drafted into the final report presented to the board in November.
Todd Wollard believes he has found the winning recipe for success for his district’s food service program. He starts with a generous amount of treating students as customers and combines it with equal parts love, creativity and common sense.
“Our entire goal is to do what’s best for our students,” said Wollard, food service and human resources coordinator for Prairie View Unified School District 362. “They deserve to get quality meals.”
This survey will allow KSDE to report federally required data regarding Title IV, Part A to the U.S. Department of Education.
KSDE will host virtual office hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6, for systems that have participated in their School Improvement Day and are currently developing their KESA action plan. Systems can review the KESA application, locate resources, discuss the action plan components and guidelines, and address specific questions they may have.
The November virtual KESA monthly update has been rescheduled for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Nov. 18, due to Veterans Day falling on Nov. 11. These meetings will return to the second Monday of each month following the holiday. Join the meeting here and subscribe to the KESA listserv at accreditation@ksde.org to receive email reminders and more.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team has received several requests for directions on how to access the KESA 2.0 authenticated application.
The following are the three levels of access from which to choose:
he next curriculum leaders meeting will be Nov. 15 at the Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, in Topeka.
The Kansas Instructional Leaders Association networking will begin at 9 a.m. The KSDE portion of the meeting will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Click here to register.
Nominations for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year close on Friday, Nov. 8. KSDE encourages every school district to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award.
Not only does participating in this program demonstrate your district values exceptional teaching, but you will also be providing critical professional development opportunities for your nominees. Participants say this program is life-changing and has made them better teachers.
Business teachers, DECA and Future Business Leaders of America advisors are invited to a free online seminar on Nov. 13. Participants will do the following:
Register here. Contact Kathy Camarena, kcamarena@ksde.org, (785) 296-3152, with questions.
Learning Forward Kansas is offering “Keys to Impactful Learning,” a professional development workshop from 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., on Nov. 20, at Fort Hays State University.
The 2024-25 Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) quarterly meetings are for administrators (new and veteran) responsible for LCPs.
Registration is open for the 2025 Virtual Health Care Career Day, on Jan. 30, a partnership of the Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas State Department of Education, and Kansas Board of Regents.
Click here to register at no cost and click here for the agenda. This virtual event will be from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Event hosts will send Zoom instructions to participants the week before Jan. 30.
FastBridge is a KSDE-approved universal screener and KSDE-approved screener for dyslexia. KSDE sponsors a variety of in-person and virtual professional learning opportunities to support implementation that are included in the partnership.
To learn more and to register for professional learning, as well as explore resources to support, visit the Kansas Landing Page.
Contact Sheleena Clark, sheleena.clark@renaissance.com, with questions.
1: Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) virtual retreat for local councils, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Click here to register. Contact Stacy Clarke, sclarke@ksde.org, (785) 296-3953, with questions.
1: Electronic Training Equipment CTE cluster application for FY2025 Perkins Reserve grant due. Contact Helen Swanson, hswanson@ksde.org, with questions.
1: Deadline to register for Learning Forward Kansas’s “Keys to Impactful Learning” professional development workshop, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., on Nov. 20, at Fort Hays State University. Click here to register and for more information about the conference. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, with questions.
Kansas educators and administrators gathered in Wichita on Wednesday, Oct. 23, for the first day of the 2024 Kansas State Department of Education’s Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward.
The conference, scheduled for Oct. 23-25, in Wichita, focuses on the tools necessary to strengthen school improvement efforts to support each Kansas student. Through professional development and networking opportunities, the conference helps educators and school personnel improve policies and strategies to create safe learning environments and quality teaching and learning practices for each student.
Role model, mentor, dedicated professional. These are just a few words people who know and work with Dorothy Dorman use to describe the winner of the small bus division of the 2025 National School Transportation Association School Bus Driver International Safety Competition.
“She can drive anything,” Alan Funk, Wichita North Lot location manager for First Student bus transportation company, said of Dorman. “You put her in something yellow and she can drive it.”
Dorman has been a driver for First Student since 2008, the company that contracts with Wichita Unified School District 259, and has been competing in bus driving contests since 2009. She was the overall state champion at the Kansas driving competition in early June in Derby. She followed that up with the first-place win in the small bus category at the international competition in late June in Austin, Texas, which included a written test and a rigorous road course, testing her knowledge and driving skills under pressure. Dorman is the first bus driver from Kansas to win in a category at the international competition.
There are just a couple of slots open for districts to participate in a special livestream event featuring Ruby Bridges who will be in Topeka on Nov. 14. The civil rights icon will host an in-person “fireside chat” with several area middle and high school students at Washburn University, in Topeka, to celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.
There is still time for districts outside of Shawnee, Douglas, Sedgwick, Wyandotte and Johnson counties to participate in the livestream of the event, 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m., on Nov. 14.
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) will close on Oct. 31. This is a hard deadline. Districts should validate data across all K-12 levels to ensure accurate reporting for the DGSR.
Be sure to check all exit records and ensure they were uploaded to KIDS. You can do this by running either the graduate report or exit status report in KIDS collection.
Clay County USD 379 will host a one-day Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) proxy testing event on Nov. 7, at Clay County Community High School, 1630 9th Street, in Clay Center. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Register here in advance: https://events.ksde.org/sf/CDLTesting.aspx
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team has received several inquiries requesting directions on how to access the KESA 2.0 authenticated application.
Virtual office hours will soon be offered to support systems that have participated in their School Improvement Day and are developing their KESA action plan.
Click here to access the office hours on Zoom, 3-4 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The next curriculum leaders meeting will be Nov. 15 at the Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, in Topeka.
Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Inc. (KCCTO) is excited to announce hard copies of the recently updated Core Competencies for Early Childhood Care and Education Professionals have begun arriving in districts. Each school district will receive three hard copies to share with early childhood staff.
Registration is open now for the 2025 Virtual Health Care Career Day, on Jan. 30, a partnership of the Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas State Department of Education, and Kansas Board of Regents.
Click here to register at no cost and click here for the agenda. This virtual event will be from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Zoom instructions will be sent out the week before Jan. 30.
Learning Forward Kansas is offering “Keys to Impactful Learning”, a professional development workshop from 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., on Nov. 20, at Fort Hays State University.
This conference will focus on equipping educational leaders with impactful strategies to elevate their practice, engage staff, and drive impactful professional learning experiences. Principals, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders are invited to attend. Cris Seidel, director of the KSDE Educate Kansas teacher recruitment and retention project, will be the keynote speaker.
Nominations for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year close on Nov. 8. Every school district is encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award.
FastBridge is a KSDE-approved universal screener and KSDE-approved screener for dyslexia. KSDE sponsors a variety of in-person and professional learning opportunities to support implementation that are included in the partnership.
October
21-25: National School Bus Safety Week. Click here for resources. Contact Keith Dreiling, kdreiling@ksde.org, or (785) 296-4567.
23-25: Great Ideas in Education conference: Lighting the Path Forward, Hyatt Regency, in Wichita. Click here for more information.
28-30: 2024 Kansas Environmental Education Conference, 2-5 p.m. each day; virtual. Register here. Contact info@kacee.org or call (785) 532-3322 for more information.
30: CTE technical assistance session, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Greenbush South, Girard. Click here to register. Registration is $35 and lunch is included. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351 with questions.
30: Kansas MTSS and Alignment regional reading road show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Junction City, Courtyard by Marriott. Register here. Contact Vicki Cooper, vicki@kansasmtss.org, with questions.
31: Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) due. Contact the KIDS help desk, kids@ksde.org, or the DGSR help desk, dgsrhelpdesk@ksde.org with questions.
From a young age, Rolanda Root has loved art. In fact, she remembers arriving early to kindergarten and drawing while she waited for her classmates to arrive.
“Art provides an outlet and peace,” she said.
Root teaches 2-D art (drawing, painting, etc.) at Pittsburg High School, Pittsburg Unified School District 250. In her fifth year at the school, Root teaches alongside Rebecca Lomshek, who teaches 3-D art (sculptures, ceramics, pottery, etc.) and said their art classes are full.
“Our enrollment shows (the students) really enjoy the art program also,” Root said.
Kansas school administrators and staff are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 500,000 Kansas students. America’s Safe Schools Week, running from Oct. 20-26, 2024, is an opportunity to review or enhance districts’ crisis plans.
In honor of America’s Safe Schools Week, the Kansas State Department of Education encourages each district to set aside time that week to review key safety responsibilities.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) information technology staff will be gradually phasing in the Kansas Education Data System (KEDS) as a modernized, more parallel system for student data collection during the 2024-25 school year.
Over the course of the next few months, KSDEweekly will feature a series of stories about aspects of the migration to KEDS from the current Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) system.
The ESSER Quarterly Reporting on CommonApp will close at the end of the day, Friday, Oct. 18.
This is a cumulative report, so use last quarter’s spreadsheet to add expenditures. This report should include all ESSER expenditures (reimbursed and planned) and will be the last of the state quarterly reporting for ESSER. Note: The federal annual performance reporting will continue into 2026.
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) is open for all districts. Districts should validate data across all K-12 levels to ensure accurate reporting for the DGSR. The report will close on Oct. 31. This is a hard deadline.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is urging local educational agencies (LEAs) across the country to order free, over-the-counter rapid antigen COVID-19 self-tests for their students, families, staff, and school communities.
“We encourage LEAs to make use of this free COVID-19 test offering, which schools may use, for example, to stock school nurses’ offices and main offices with tests; to send test kits home with students or parents; or to distribute within their communities to put these valuable safeguards in the hands of students, parents, and staff who need them,” Cardona said in a recent letter.
Clay County USD 379 will be hosting a one-day Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) proxy testing event on Nov. 7, at Clay County Community High School, 1630 9th Street, in Clay Center. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 21-25 and Kansas School Transportation Appreciation Day is Wednesday, Oct. 23.
This important public education program is an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operations, school administrators, and other interested parties to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the latest round of funding for the Clean School Bus Rebate Program is available to school districts.
Applications for this year’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program are due on the EPA online portal by 3 p.m. CST, on Jan. 9, 2025.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission announced the MLK National Day of Service mini grant which provides grant funding to recruit and engage volunteers in meaningful service activities or deliver a service-learning activity related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Preparedness program now offers free One Health lesson plans for Kansas K-12 educators. One Health is an initiative that seeks to help educate students about the connections between the health of humans, animals and their shared environment.
Districts/systems: Do not forget to register for your KESA School Improvement Day. Use this School Improvement Day Fact Sheet to find the schedule for registration and more.
The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) is hosting a virtual retreat for local councils, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on Nov. 1.
This free event is a learning opportunity for anyone who works with children birth to five years of age.
Applications are due Sunday, Oct. 20, for "History for All: Elementary Social Studies and Structured Literacy," a yearlong cohort program to help elementary teachers improve their social studies teaching with historical content, pedagogy and structured literacy.
The Kansas Environmental Education Conference’s theme for this year is, “Cultivating Community Connections: Exploring the vibrant ecosystem of environmental education in Kansas.”
Kansas MTSS and Alignment is hosting a regional reading road show in October and December.
Attendees will learn about the latest research in Reading for All Pre-K-12th readers and will leave with a plan, resources and practical tools to implement the classroom immediately.
Virtual sessions will be available in November and December to take a deeper dive into QSSSA, an instructional method for all K-12 teachers who are looking for ways to engage their English language learners in academic discussions.
These sessions will highlight and explain in detail each component of the QSSSA strategy: question, signal, stem, share and assess.
If you are interested in a FastBridge session below, but are unable to join, use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5 on question 4.
18: CommonApp closes for quarterly ESSER reporting. Email esser@ksde.org with questions.
18: District test coordinator mandatory training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Orion, Clearwater. Register here. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey at cpelfrey@ksde.org or (785) 296-0040 with questions.
18: E-Rate training, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Greenbush North, Lawrence. Register here. Contact Jenni Marlatt, jmarlatt@ksde.org, with questions.
Our educators and students continue to work hard to recover from COVID-19, Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson said this week when summing up the 2023-24 annual report prepared by the Kansas State Department of Education.
“We’re progressing in our post-pandemic recovery process,” he said. “That’s the good news. COVID set us back but we’re still on target.”
More specifically, Watson said incremental progress is being made on one of the Kansas State Board of Education’s goals to move more students out of the lowest level of reading on the spring state assessments.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education received the 2023-24 annual report prepared by the Kansas State Department of Education during the board’s October meeting this week in Topeka.
Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson presented the report to board members, which includes the results of the 2024 state assessments in reading and math.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) joins all Kansas schools in observing Oct. 7-11, the first full week of October, as Kansas Anti-Bullying Week, part of National Bullying Prevention Month.
This is an opportunity to create awareness and address the harm that bullying creates. It’s also a time to recognize the responsibility to safeguard schools to ensure physically safe and emotionally secure environments for all Kansas students and school staff.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is urging local educational agencies (LEA) across the country to order free, over-the-counter rapid antigen COVID-19 self-tests for their students, families, staff, and school communities.
The ESSER Quarterly Reporting opened on CommonApp on Oct. 1, and will close at the end of the day, Friday, Oct. 18.
This is a cumulative report, so use last quarter’s spreadsheet to add expenditures. This report should include all ESSER expenditures (reimbursed and planned) and will be the last of the state quarterly reporting for ESSER. The federal annual performance reporting will continue into 2026.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission has announced the MLK National Day of Service mini-grant, which provides grant funding to recruit and engage volunteers in meaningful service activities or deliver a service-learning activity related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Applications are due Nov. 4. All school districts, as well as community-based and youth-serving organizations, are encouraged to apply. The grant period is from Jan. 1 – Jan. 31, 2025, and applicants may request up to $5,000.
Wabaunsee USD 329 is hosting an Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) and Commercial Driver License (CDL) permit training exam event, Oct. 23-24, in Alma.
Click here to register: CDL permit training. The training will be 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. each day at the Alma Community Center, 1050 Ohio Street. The ELDT Theory will be Oct. 23; the CDL written test will be Oct. 24. There will be an open lunch both days.
Start making plans now to celebrate National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 21-25.
Applications for this year’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program are due on the EPA online portal by 4 p.m. EST on Jan. 9, 2025. Applicants can request up to $325,000 per bus for up to 50 buses per application, an increase in the total buses per project in response to stakeholder feedback for larger projects to help achieve faster fleet turnover. Funds can be used to cover bus and infrastructure costs for awardees requesting electric school buses, as well as eligible training costs for bus drivers, electricians, and others working with the new buses or infrastructure.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Information Technology will host E-Rate training sessions, Oct. 14-18, across the state.
The next KSDE’s Information Technology (IT) webinar will be at 1 p.m., on Oct. 16. This month’s topic is on data breaches.
The Accreditation and Design team is hosting the KESA monthly virtual update, 10:30-11:15 a.m., on Oct. 14.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s virtual monthly science collaborations for the 2024-25 school year start this month.
Mark your calendars for these monthly meetups for curriculum leaders, science teachers and new science teachers in a professional learning community (PLC). Get updates from KSDE, meet colleagues, ask questions and share resources.
The deadline for submitting online applications for 2024 Summer EBT program benefits is 5 p.m., on Oct. 15. This is a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.
The deadline to register for this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” is Friday, Oct. 11.
This year’s conference is focused on the Four Fundamentals and supporting structures necessary for KESA implementation and school improvement. There will also be sessions on safe and secure schools and technology.
Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity for your leadership team to attend. Teams of four will receive a discount on registration.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is accepting nominations for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Every school district is encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award.
Not only does participating in this program demonstrate that your district values exceptional teaching, you will be providing critical professional development opportunities for your nominees. Participants say year after year this program is life-changing and has made them better teachers.
Kansas Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment is offering an in-person, no cost training session on Nov. 19 for attendees to learn a 5-step research-based behavior intervention protocol to implement across classroom environments.
Pre-K-12 educators are invited to participate in training sessions in October to develop students’ language, understanding, fluency and problem solving across Kansas math standards.
Kansas Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) math specialists and Kansas Math Project facilitators will help participants do the following:
Many districts have virtual hours that they can use to schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
1-17: CommonApp open for quarterly ESSER reporting. Email esser@ksde.org with questions.
11: Introduction to the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)® training, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., on Zoom. Register at ksdetasn.org/events.
14: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link.
14: E-Rate training, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Greenbush South, Girard. Register here. Contact Jenni Marlatt, jmarlatt@ksde.org, with questions.
15: Deadline for Summer EBT program food benefits online application. Click here for more information that can be shared with families by school districts.
Already a life-long advocate of teachers and the teaching profession, Liz Anstine knew when her name was called as the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year, the real work was about to begin.
“At that moment, I thought, ‘Well, here we go. I need to keep advocating.’”
The Leavenworth High School business teacher was chosen from a field of eight regional finalists on Sept. 28, in Wichita.
“I think I was picked for a reason,” Anstine said when reflecting on the moment when Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson and 2024 KTOY Taylor Bussinger announced she would be the next Kansas Teacher of the Year. “I didn’t come from privilege. I wasn’t always recognized even when I worked hard. I’ve never had this experience, not even in the corporate world.”
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will receive the Kansas State Department of Education’s 2023-24 annual report from Education Commissioner Randy Watson during their October meeting, Oct. 8-9, in Topeka.
Dr. Watson will highlight Kansas education accomplishments, including the spring 2024 state assessments. He also will update board members on progress made on the Kansans Can outcomes of kindergarten readiness, social-emotional growth, civic engagement, individual plans of study (IPS), academically prepared for postsecondary, graduation and postsecondary success.
If you were to walk the halls of Berryton Elementary School in Shawnee Heights Unified School District 450 on a special day or near a holiday, you may find someone in a Cat in the Hat or Santa Claus costume.
The man behind the costume is likely head custodian Austin Smith.
Smith has been a custodian for about 18 years, working in USD 450 for 11 years.
He started doing it as an after-school job in high school, then continued it through college while he got his associate’s degree from Washburn University, in Topeka.
“I really like the changes from the immediate gratification of dirty to clean, not shiny to shiny,” he said. “That instant gratification does it for me.”
October kicks off the Kansas State Department of Education’s virtual monthly science collaborations for the 2024-25 school year.
Mark your calendars for these monthly meet-ups for curriculum leaders, science teachers and new science teachers in a professional learning community (PLC). Get updates from KSDE, meet colleagues, ask questions and share resources.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will host E-Rate training sessions this month. Don Dietrich and Lori Thompson from BTU Consultants will conduct five in-person sessions across the state to discuss the E-Rate program's opportunities and requirements.
Throughout October, the KSDE Information Technology staff will share tips to help you protect your digital life and understand the importance of cybersecurity in our world.
Most school districts should have received printed copies of the Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS). These also are available online with accompanying resources at kels.ksde.org. The standards are now available in Spanish.
The Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team is providing a free, one-day event that will engage preschool teachers in understanding the importance of standards-based activities for their classrooms.
This hands-on, make and take event will help Pre-K teachers create standards-based, small group activities for preschool students that align with educational standards while also catering to the developmental needs and interests of young children.
Technical assistance sessions are scheduled in October and November to provide K-12 school districts with the tools to support the implementation of a high-quality Individual Plan of Study (IPS) process.
Topics will include the Students’ Right to Know Act, Kansas degree statistics, Kansas Training Information Program (K-TIP), potential earnings of the U.S. military, Kansas Department of Labor’s labor market information and other information relevant to the students’ understanding of potential earnings.
Child Nutrition and Wellness is excited to launch the Kansas Harvest of the Month program, a celebration of Kansas grown commodities, in October.
Completed nomination applications for the 2025 Kansas Horizon Award recognition program honoring first-year classroom teachers must be postmarked no later than Oct. 10.
Sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, this program recognizes and rewards first-year teachers who have served as examples of excellent teaching in their elementary or secondary classroom. Nominated teachers must have completed their first year of teaching and be starting their second year.
Nominations for the Presidential Scholars and Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education (CTE) must be postmarked by Oct. 10.
The Presidential Scholars program recognizes and honors high school seniors who have demonstrated high achievements academically or in the arts — some having to overcome special challenges or hurdles to do so.
Applications for the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) are due Oct. 10. The students selected will be notified after Dec. 1.
Any high school junior or senior is eligible for the program as long as they have not previously been a delegate to Washington Week and have not received a USSYP scholarship. The student applicant must hold a high-level leadership position in any student government, civic or educational organization during the entire 2024–25 academic year.
The Oct. 11 deadline is fast approaching to register for this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward.”
Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity for your leadership team to attend. Teams of four will receive a discount on registration. The deadline to register is Oct. 11.
The Curriculum-Based Measures(CBM)math Concepts & Applications (CAP) and CBMmath process are two optional probes within the FastBridge math assessment suite often overlooked. Who might benefit from administering one of these assessments, and what types of data do they generate?
Kansas Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment is offering an in-person, no cost training session in November for attendees to learn a 5-step research-based behavior intervention protocol to implement across classroom environments.
Veteran educators, anyone considering a career in education, and anyone in between is invited to Bethany College’s education conference, Feb. 8, 2025.
Click this link to register by Jan. 18: https://www.bethanylb.edu/education-conference
4: CTE technical assistance session, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., ESSDACK, Hutchinson. Click here to register. Registration is $35 and lunch is included. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351 with questions.
7: CTE technical assistance session, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Southwest Plains, Sublette. Click here to register. Registration is $35 and lunch is included. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351 with questions.
8-9: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka.
Four Kansas elementary schools were named 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona announced Monday, Sept. 23.
The schools are part of 356 schools across the country that are part of this year’s National Blue Ribbon cohort. The following Kansas schools were recognized in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category:
The Post-Award Reporting and Recording forms for capital improvement projects are due Sept. 30.
These reports are mandatory for capital project in which federal funds were used for ANY portion of the project. This includes any ESSER funding stream, such as ESSER I, ESSER I SPED, ESSER II, ESSER II SPED, ESSER II True Up, ESSER III, or ESSER III True Up.
The ESSER quarterly reporting will open on CommonApp on Oct. 1, and will close at the end of the day, Oct. 17. This is a cumulative report, so use last quarter’s spreadsheet to add expenditures.
This report should include all ESSER expenditures (reimbursed and planned) and will be the last of the state quarterly reporting for ESSER. Remember, even if you haven’t had any expenditures this past quarter, you are still required to submit a report.
The federal annual performance reporting will continue into 2026.
The fiscal year 2025 Perkins Reserve grant applications for the Human Services, Marketing and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics clusters are due Friday, Sept. 27.
The approved Kansas State Plan for Career and Technical Education (CTE) includes a Perkins Secondary Reserve Fund, established to provide support for innovative CTE programs, program delivery and/or CTE program expansion to meet critical workforce development needs. Reserve funds are distributed through a competitive grant process.
KSDE Accreditation and Design staff have recently finalized two important resources as it pertains to KESA and school improvement:
Action Plan Guide: The major outcome for each system this year is to submit an action plan that is clear, aligned with the school improvement model, and data-driven. This resource will help systems develop such an action plan.
Data Review Guide: This resource will help a system analyze its data at a deep level using existing databases. This guide will be referenced during your School Improvement Day and can drive the discussion among your District Leadership Team on data before, during, and after the School Improvement Day.
During the 2024-25 school year, schools and districts can leverage a new, advanced assessment for K-8 math. The IXL LevelUp® math benchmark assessment is scientifically advanced, can be administered in no more than an hour (typically less), has enhanced reporting, and is available in Spanish. It can also be used in real-time mode to refine students’ scores and recommendations in between benchmark windows.
Click here for more information about the two diagnostic assessments that will be offered beginning this fall.
The deadline to finalize all Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot (ASQ) data for the 2024-25 school year is Friday, Sept. 27.
To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. Schools should have administered both the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2) to all incoming kindergarten students by Sept. 20.
All data must be entered in ASQ Online by Friday, Sept. 27.
This hands-on, make it-take event will help Pre-K teachers create standards-based, small group activities for preschool students that align with educational standards while also catering to the developmental needs and interests of young children.
Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity for your leadership team to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward.”
This year the conference is focused on the Four Fundamentals and supporting structures necessary for KESA implementation and school improvement. There will also be sessions on safe and secure schools and technology.
Teams of four will receive a discount on registration. The deadline for registration is Oct. 11.
September
27: District test coordinator mandatory training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Smoky Hill, Salina. Register here. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey at cpelfrey@ksde.org or (785) 296-0040 with questions.
27: KESA 2.0 information meeting, Greenbush, Lawrence. In-person; registration required. (Click here to register for the 9:30-11:30 a.m. session; click here to register for the 12:30-2:30 p.m. session.) Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, RHuereca-Retana@ksde.org, for more information.
27: FastBridge assessment system information session, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Courtyard by Marriott, Junction City. Click here to register: https://www.ksdetasn.org/mtss/trainings. Contact Todd Wiedemann at todd@kansasmtss.org with questions.
27-28: Kansas Teacher of the Year conference, Wichita.
30: CTE technical assistance session, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Smoky Hill, Salina. Click here to register. Registration is $35 and lunch is included. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351 with questions.
Like many of her classmates, Raegann McDonald is going on college visits and making the most of her senior year in high school as an athlete and leader. But this Clay County Community High School student is also making it her mission to address the root causes of why several of her peers committed suicide in a short period of time in 2023.
“You can’t just address the problem, you have to address why the problem is going on,” McDonald said. “It’s important that we break the stigma.”
The Fall Vacancy Report (accessed in the Educator Data Collection System) and the list of mentor teachers (entered in the Mentor Stipends system) are due Wednesday, Sept. 25.
For the purpose of this requirement, capital expenditures means expenditures to acquire capital assets or expenditures to make additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations, or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life.
The ESSER quarterly reporting will open on CommonApp on Oct. 1, and will close at the end of the day, Oct. 17. This is a cumulative report, so use last quarter’s spreadsheet to add expenditures. This report should include all ESSER expenditures (reimbursed and planned) and will be the last of the state quarterly reporting for ESSER.
Remember, even if you haven’t had any expenditures this past quarter, you are still required to submit a report.
Registration is now open for the second quarterly meeting of administrators of Local Consolidated Plans (LCP).
The Kansas State Department of Education is committed to supporting districts that serve students who are experiencing homelessness. Live, virtual McKinney-Vento trainings will be offered on the following dates and times:
Contact Maureen Tabasko, mtabasko@ksde.org, (785) 296-1101, or Roxanne Zillinger, rzillinger@ksde.org, (785) 296-7260, for access to the Zoom link for each training and/or additional information on the program.
Grant applications for the Fiscal Year 2025 Perkins Reserve grants are now available on the KSDE Carl. D. Perkins Webpage.
The National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security, hosted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), will be Sept. 25-26, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CST, each day.
This virtual event brings together school safety experts, practitioners and leaders to discuss and share actionable recommendations that enhance safe and supportive learning environments in K-12 schools. Through expert panels, sessions and keynote addresses by leaders in the field, the summit explores current threats and issues in school safety and considers research-informed strategies for addressing security challenges.
On Sept. 18, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fifth and final installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters.
Important reminder: To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. The 2024 Snapshot window closes Friday, Sept. 20.
The KSDE Early Childhood Team is excited to announce 6,551 hard copies of the recently updated Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) have begun arriving in districts. The Kansas Early Learning Standards provide information regarding what young children birth through kindergarten should know and be able to do as a result of engagement with caring knowledgeable adults, evidence-based curriculum, and developmentally appropriate activities.
Hosted by Kansas students, the fourth season of Cool Careers is now available here from HirePaths.
The new episodes feature a human resources specialist, emergency dispatcher, commercial driver and IT network installer. Downloadable, free worksheets have also been developed to go along with each episode.
The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October for various topics including Career Cluster and Pathway Program of Study Applications (CPPSAs), Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) information and resources, industry recognized credentials, Students’ Right to Know Act and more.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has extended the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program. Applications for the new federal program, designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer, are being accepted until 5 p.m., on Oct. 15.
Did you know there are more than 300 different national sign languages? Each year for International Day of Sign Languages, celebrated on Sept. 23, the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) encourages public buildings, landmarks and more, to be spotlighted in a blue light to promote and recognize these languages.
The “Shine a Blue Light on Sign Languages” campaign aims to unite the world, its citizens, communities and societies through the blue light. Be on the lookout on KSDE’s social media channels leading up to Monday, Sept. 23, for a video from students from the Kansas School for the Deaf.
Don’t forget to register your leadership team to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward, Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.
KSDE is encouraging districts and buildings to bring a leadership team to learn together. Each district will be slightly different according to size and district needs.
Teams of four will receive a discount on registration.
Every district must have a district test coordinator and each district test coordinator is required to attend annual security and ethics training before training all other district staff involved in administering state assessments.
Each training session will be 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Many districts have virtual hours they can use to schedule a consultant-led FastBridge or Star session. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire. Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information and/or schedule sessions here.
If you are interested in a FastBridge session below, but would be unable to join, use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5.
24: KESA 2.0 information meeting, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2:30 p.m., ESSDACK, Hutchinson. In-person; no registration required. Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, RHuereca-Retana@ksde.org, for more information.
24: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., FastBridge assessment system information session; Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City. Click here to register: https://www.ksdetasn.org/mtss/trainings. Contact Todd Wiedemann at todd@kansasmtss.org with questions.
24: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Osborne High School auditorium, north door. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.
25: KESA 2.0 information meeting, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2:30 p.m., Smoky Hill, Hays. In-person; no registration required. Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, RHuereca-Retana@ksde.org, for more information.
25: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Greenbush, Ottawa board office. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.
Members of the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time have met four times to date, reviewing research and discussing the issues that will form the basis for a recommended policy regarding the non-academic use of cell phones and other technology by Pre-K-12 Kansas students.
The 36-member task force, appointed by the Kansas State Board of Education in July, is focusing on the following areas:
Members of the task force include students, classroom teachers, administrators, two legislators, and two members of the state board.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education received an update during their September meeting on what districts will have to include in their at-risk accountability plans, the at-risk pilot initiative and the status of the list of evidence-based programs.
The Kansas State Department of Education submitted its annual budget request on Friday, Sept. 6, to the Division of the Budget of the Kansas Department of Administration.
This year’s budget request included a revised estimate for state fiscal year 2025 and an initial estimate for FY 2026. The state fiscal year lasts from July 1 to June 30. A summary of the budget is provided below. The agency’s full budget request can be found on the KSDE website at Fiscal Services and Operations.
The ESSER quarterly reporting will open on CommonApp on Oct. 1, and will close at the end of the day, Oct. 17.
As a follow-up to the annual Counting Kids workshops, KSDE’s Fiscal Auditing Team will offer six “Ask an Auditor” Zoom-based sessions to help answer 2024-25 Counting Kids questions. The sessions will be on the following dates:
A new tool, “Checklist for School Districts’ Annual KSDE Audit,” clearly identifies documents required for the audit, including a short list of items to upload in advance of your district’s scheduled audit.
The checklist is available on the KSDE Fiscal Auditing webpage under the heading, “Audit Guides.” The checklist will also be previewed and discussed during this fall’s Counting Kids workshops.
Call (785) 296-4976 or email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
Is vaping an issue at your school? Are you ready to address it and get students connected to the help they need? If yes, enroll in the Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program for the 2024-25 school year by Sept. 13.
The Kansas State Department of Education is committed to supporting districts that serve students who are experiencing homelessness. There are live trainings that will be offered on the following dates and times on this topic:
Grant applications for the Fiscal Year 2025 Perkins Reserve grants are now available on the KSDE Carl. D. Perkins webpage.
KSDE’s Information Technology (IT) team is offering a series of webinars hosted by experts to assist school technology directors and staff members, along with superintendents, principals and others who are interested, navigate the complex and critical practices of cybersecurity and data privacy. These 60-minute webinars will take place at 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month starting this month.
The following are reminders for KESA-related trainings as well as in-person and virtual information sessions in September:
KESA facilitator in-person trainings available at education service centers
Training sessions are open to any Kansas educator interested in serving as a School Improvement Day facilitator for KESA. There is still time to register for these September sessions at the following locations:
Next Friday, Sept. 20, is the deadline for all elementary schools to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ).
To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. The 2024 Snapshot window closes Sept. 20. Schools should administer both the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 questionnaires to all incoming kindergarten students by Sept. 20.
All data (including pending Family Access screenings and finalized manual screenings) must be entered in ASQ Online by Sept. 27.
Early childhood special education administrators should review and finalize their early childhood outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year by Sunday, Sept. 15.
The Outcomes Part B Web System (OWS) is the online data collection system that Kansas uses to collect the assessment data for Indicator 7 for Part B, one of the 17 indicators reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Hosted by Kansas students, the fourth season of "Cool Careers" is now available here from HirePaths.
Do you want to recognize and reward first-year educators in your district? The Kansas Horizon Award program offers school districts the opportunity to honor outstanding teachers after their first year in the classroom.
The program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, recognizes and rewards first-year teachers who have served as examples of excellent teaching in their elementary or secondary classroom.
Horizon Award winners receive special recognition during the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) state education conference which takes place annually in February, in Topeka.
The Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education (CTE) program also offers recognition of high-achieving students who have demonstrated excellence in CTE. This program started in 2016.
These two separate programs require separate nomination forms.
Applications are being accepted for the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) and are due Oct. 10. The students selected will be notified after Dec. 1.
The KSDE TASN School Mental Health Initiative is excited to share the following professional development opportunity: Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom
Teams of four will receive a discount on registration. *Please note: The hotel room block at the Wichita Hyatt Regency is filling up quickly.
Every district must have a district test coordinator and each district test coordinator is required to attend annual security and ethics training before training all other district staff involved in administering state assessments. Each training session will be 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Kansas Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment announces the upcoming Kansas MTSS & Alignment Leadership Institute, a dynamic, one-day professional development event tailored for building and district leaders in November.
Districts with virtual learning to complete now have until Dec. 31 to schedule your session(s). Check this recording at the 1:37 time stamp to see if this deadline applies to your district. Districts can use their allotted virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
13: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Hiawatha USD 415 High School Auditorium. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
17: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Arkansas City, Avery Learning Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.
17: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Great Bend, Front Door Community Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s teacher licensure program has recently made some updates to a frequently asked questions (FAQ) fact sheet for the licensure literacy requirement that will go into effect in 2028.
Those updates are as follows:
As part of a social studies methods class to learn how to teach content that involves history and military service, Washburn University hosted a group of veterans and education majors during an event on the Topeka school’s campus this past week.
“Our veterans get to tell their stories and our students get to listen to those stories,” said Cherry Steffen, a professor of education and chair of the Washburn University School of Applied Studies. “It’s ‘let me hear your voice and what message should I be sharing with my students?’”
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education will consider approving American Sign Language (ASL) as part of the higher education educator preparation standards for Pre-K-12 world languages during their monthly meeting, Sept. 10-11, in Topeka.
A committee of ASL educators and world languages educators convened to review the world languages preparation standards and revise them to include features of ASL, such as expanding references to speaking to include signing, and identifying a minimum proficiency level for ASL educators. This was after the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) received inquiries from an ASL task force about Pre-K-12 ASL teacher qualifications as a content area for which the KSDE teacher licensure program didn’t have an established license.
KSDE will host a webinar from 11-11:30 a.m., on Sept. 12, to review important updates to the recording and reporting requirements for all districts that used federal funds for capital improvement projects or materials, or for services for capital improvements.
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) will open Oct. 1. Districts should validate data across all K-12 levels between now and Oct. 1 to ensure accurate reporting for the DGSR.
Whether you are new to the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) or just want a refresher, these trainings are for you. Each session, either in-person or by Zoom, will cover the same information.
EDCS For Beginners (in-person)
Sept. 6: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Chanute USD 413; district board office, 321 E. Main Street
Facilitator: Kelly Colter
The Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) is currently seeking applicants for several open positions. The council consists of about 40 education professionals who represent a variety of roles and perspectives in Kansas education. This group provides input and recommendations to KSDE and advises KSDE staff on accreditation related topics.
On Sept. 4, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fourth installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit https://agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and view past newsletters.
Early childhood special education administrators should review and finalize their early childhood outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year by Sept. 15.
The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October. Click on the education service center links below to register. Registration is $35 and includes lunch.
A free, online professional development resource is available to view for preschool through middle school educators.
Click here to access the virtual session, hosted by HirePaths. Speakers include Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson, educators from across the state and others, who share how to incorporate career exploration into the classroom. You will find tangible tips, and a certification for continuing education credit may be downloaded.
In partnership with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), the Kansas Department for Children and Families identified more than 117,300 Kansas school-aged children who were eligible to receive benefits to offset the cost of groceries during the summer break. The families of these children were automatically issued benefits in July.
Schools can share Summer EBT Fact Sheets (available in English and in Spanish) so that families who did not automatically receive benefits may access this program.
Families who didn’t receive Summer EBT benefits but believe they have an eligible child may apply through the DCF online self-service portal at https://cssp.kees.ks.gov/apspssp/ssp.portal until Sept. 11.
The KSDE TASN School Mental Health Initiative is excited to share the following professional development opportunity:
Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom
If students are gaining decoding skills and STILL struggling with comprehension, what might be the problem? Join us to learn from a leading scholar about Developmental Language Disorder, or DLD.
KSDE will host a free webinar with Dr. Tiffany Hogan to teach educators about DLD, 4-5 p.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 24. (registration link below). You will learn what this disorder looks like alongside dyslexia; how it may present without dyslexia; and how we might identify it with our youngest of students and get them the help they need before they struggle with comprehension as they get older.
There will be a follow-up panel discussion with Dr. Hogan and Kansas educators and specialists, 4-5 p.m., on Oct. 8.
Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information, schedule sessions here, and/or join Sheleena Clark for professional learning office hours for assistance on Sept. 19 in the morning or afternoon.
6: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Maize USD 266 Performing Arts & Aquatic Center. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
6: Curriculum leader meeting, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Fort Hays State University Union Ballroom. Questions? Contact Pat Bone, pbone@ksde.org or (785) 296-2303.
9: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, Girard. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
9: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Mark your calendars for these future Zoom meetings: Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12.) Email accreditation@ksde.org with questions.
10-11: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka.
As another school year begins, three generations of educators in southeast Kansas – one retired and two in the classroom – share what experiences and advice they’ve given and received over the years that helped make them the teachers they are today.
KSDE will host a webinar from 11-11:30 a.m., on Sept. 12, to review important updates to the recording and reporting requirementsfor all districts that used federal funds for capital improvement projects or materials, or for services for capital improvements.
A new tool, “Checklist for School Districts’ Annual KSDE Audit,” clearly identifies documents required for the audit, including a short list of items to upload in advance of your district’s scheduled audit. The checklist is available on the KSDE Fiscal Auditing (ksde.org) webpage under the heading, “Audit Guides.” The checklist will also be previewed and discussed during this fall’s Counting Kids workshops.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will host E-Rate training sessions in October. Don Dietrich and Lori Thompson from BTU Consultants will conduct five in-person sessions across the state to discuss the E-Rate program's opportunities and requirements.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a cybersecurity pilot program that will allocate up to $200 million to selected schools and libraries. Schools must apply and be chosen to participate in this three-year initiative.
Training sessions are open to any Kansas educator interested in serving as a School Improvement Day facilitator for KESA
If you were unable to join KSDE’s Accreditation and Design on Aug. 12 for the first KESA monthly update, here are the slides and a recording of the meeting.
The next monthly update is scheduled for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Sept. 9. Slides and recordings of these monthly updates are available on this webpage after every meeting.
Make plans to attend the in-person KESA 2.0 information sessions this fall for updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the new accreditation process.
KSDE’s Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Jay Scott host these events to ensure districts and systems are prepared for the 2024-25 school year. Attendees will be able to ask questions, share feedback and network with fellow educators.
Registration is not required for these sessions. However, the Greenbush locations will conduct registration for the districts in their service areas.
The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will host verification training from 1:30-3:30 p.m., on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Verification is the process school nutrition program (SNP) sponsors must conduct annually to confirm households are eligible to receive free and reduced-price school meals. The training will cover the purpose and focus of verification and review the steps required to complete verification within all established deadlines.
Are you looking for a specialized professional development opportunity for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators in your district? This two-day training in Salina, Sept. 9-10, is tailored directly to the needs of FCS educators in Kansas and will cover topics like work-based learning in the FCS classroom, managing an effective Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter, methods for running a high-quality FCS program, and much more.
Whether you are a new or veteran test coordinator, make plans to attend one of the mandatory trainings held across the state beginning in September.
Every district must have a district test coordinator and each district test coordinator is required to attend annual security and ethics training before training all district staff involved in giving state assessments.
Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education Conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25 in Wichita, by clicking here to register, make room reservations, access the schedule and see the list of titles, strands and audiences for the breakout sessions.
Chris Perry, co-founder and executive director of Cultivate Education, an educational consulting company based in Baldwin City, will be the keynote speaker on Oct. 23.
College credit is now available for attending this conference. Click here for information.
FastBridge screening assessment measures give instructional teams a wealth of data. Yet, how do teams harness that data to inform instructional practice at the ground-level?
During this free, one-day event, the Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment team will guide districts in navigating several key FastBridge reports to make sense of the data and connect it to specific practices that ultimately impact student learning.
Click this link to register: https://www.bethanylb.edu/education-conference
2: KSDE offices closed in observance of Labor Day.
3: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Kansas City USD 500 Central Office. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
4: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Olathe USD 233 Instructional Resource Center. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
5: Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time, 4-5:30 p.m. Click here to access the livestream.
5: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Andover USD 385 District Office Board Room. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
5: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, Topeka. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.
As the new school year gets underway for Kansas schools, the Kansas State Department of Education is reminding districts of updates to at-risk funding, including an updated list of evidence-based programs and practices, and an at-risk accountability plan pilot.
Is vaping an issue at your school? Are you ready to address it and get students connected to the help they need? If yes, enroll in the Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program for the 2024-25 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will be hosting E-rate training sessions in October. Don Dietrich from BTU Consultants will conduct five in-person sessions across the state to discuss the E-rate program's opportunities and requirements.
Information regarding registration and costs will be posted on each service center's website so check their websites periodically for information. KSDE will distribute registration details once they are provided by the service centers.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a cybersecurity pilot program that will allocate up to $200 million to selected schools and libraries. To participate in this three-year initiative, schools must apply and be chosen.
Do you have questions about the new school improvement model? Click here to access information about the model itself, the school improvement facilitator guide, definitions of the Four Fundamentals and what a school improvement day looks like.
All curriculum leaders are invited to attend the quarterly meetings scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. These sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing following their conclusion.
Training sessions are open to any educator wanting to serve as a school improvement day facilitator for KESA.
If you missed out on Accreditation and Design’s KESA monthly update on Aug.12, here is a recording of the meeting as well as the slides Dr. Jay Scott presented.
The next KESA monthly update will be 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., Sept. 9. Click here for the link to join. If you’d like reminders about these monthly updates, email accreditation@ksde.org to join KESA’s listserv and receive reminders.
These events are hosted by Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Jay Scott, of KSDE’s Division of Learning Services, to ensure districts and systems are prepared for the 2024-25 school year. Attendees will be able to ask questions, share feedback and network with fellow educators.
Early childhood teachers and administrators have multiple opportunities for professional learning and collaboration in the next several months.
On Aug. 21, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the third installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Are you looking for a specialized professional development opportunity for Family and Consumer Sciences educators in your district? This two-day training in Salina is tailored directly to the needs of FCS educators in Kansas and will cover topics like work-based learning in the FCS classroom, managing an effective FCCLA chapter, methods for running a high-quality FCS program, and much more.
Every district must have a district test coordinator. It also is required that each district test coordinator attend annual security and ethics training before training all district staff involved in giving state assessments.
Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education Conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25, by clicking here to register, make room reservations, access the schedule and see the list of titles, strands and audiences for the breakout sessions.
Veteran educators, anyone considering a career in education, or anyone in between is invited to Bethany College’s education conference, Feb. 8, 2025.
Attention teachers and other district staff: Please share with your future educators the 11th annual northeast regional Educators Rising Kansas conference will be 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 6.
This conference takes place at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. More information will be shared later this month.
During a no cost, one-day event, the Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment team will guide districts in navigating several key FastBridge reports in order to make sense of the data and connect it to specific practices that ultimately impact student learning.
Calling all school districts – time is of the essence! Check this recording at the 1:37 time stamp to see if your school or district has virtual learning to schedule. You can use yourvirtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You can hold the session(s) at any point in the school year, but you do need to schedule it before Sept. 1 so that it does not expire.
August
26: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center, Oakley. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
27: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Dodge City USD 443 district office building. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
28: KESA 2.0 facilitator training, in-person, Southwest Plains, Sublette. Click here to register. Contact Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org for more information.
29: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m., Auburn-Washburn USD 437 district office building. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.
29: KESA 2.0 facilitator training, in-person, Northwest Plains, Oakley. Click here to register. Contact Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org for more information.
During the Kansas State Board of Education’s August meeting, members identified the topics and individuals who will serve on the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Screen Time in Schools.
The 36-member task force, approved by board members in July, will discuss the following areas:
Kansas students, teachers and staff are headed back to school. That means it’s time to view the 2024-2025 Back-to-School video!
Kansas parents appear to be more positive than they were five years ago about their children’s pursuit of career and technical education during high school according to the parent perception survey conducted by HirePaths, a career exploration company based in Manhattan.
“I think this is a pat on everybody’s back here,” Kristin Brighton, founder of HirePaths, told members of the Kansas State Board of Education during their August meeting. “I think that is an exciting thing to celebrate.”
For the Paola Unified School District 368 robotics team, it is about more than just building robots.
“I really love this program because of the emphasis on growing the whole person,” said Mary Ure, one of the mentors of Team 1108 Panther Robotics, at the August Kansas State Board of Education meeting. “We’re making robots, yes, but we are making citizens who will be productive, inspiring to others, kind, considerate and ready for the workforce.”
Beginning July 1, 2028, Kansas veteran educators serving in the positions listed below will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the science of reading to renew their professional license. This knowledge may be demonstrated by completing state-approved training or passing a state-approved literacy exam.
KSDE’s School Transportation Unit will host school transportation meetings/forums for the 2024-25 school year at 15 locations in September.
School transportation professionals are encouraged to attend one of these meetings. This may be the only occasion during the year where you have an opportunity to attend a meeting at a close, convenient location to your district. All meetings are 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Each meeting will be held 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. There is a $25 registration fee.
Each year, a school system’s district leadership team (DLT) will participate in a one-day collaboration on continuous school improvement with a small number of like-system district leadership teams.
The KESA facilitator training sessions are in-person training sessions that are held at regional service centers. You only need to attend one training session. Registration - which is required - will close one week prior for each site.
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9wxTQm6z5zZA1qBF_vRiNoXCbMfYOLusVOPL9x5BQT89Whw/viewform?usp=sf_link
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team has resumed the KESA virtual monthly updates for the 2024-25 school year. These virtual updates are 10:30-11:15 a.m. on the second Monday of each month.
The next monthly update will be Monday, Sept. 9. Click here for the Zoom link. No passcode is required.
School districts and systems are invited to attend in-person KESA 2.0 information sessions this fall for updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the new accreditation process.
Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25, by clicking here to register, make room reservations, access the schedule and see the list of titles, strands and audiences for the breakout sessions.
NEW: College credit is now available. Click here for information.
Calling all school districts – time is of the essence! Check this recording at the 1:37 time stamp to see if your school or district has virtual learning to schedule. You can use the remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You can hold the session(s) at any point in the school year, but you do need to schedule it before Sept. 1 so that it does not expire.
Reach out to scheduling@renaissance.com for more information or schedule your time here.
When Akshay Nair found out he had been accepted to a prestigious science camp this summer, he thought his days would be filled with elaborate laboratory experiments and lectures from world-renowned scientists and leaders in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields.
“More than science camp, it felt like a life boot camp,” said the senior at Blue Valley West High School, Blue Valley Unified School District 229. “The life skills you learn, more than the content and the science, helped me the most.”
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education during their August meeting will finalize the framework for the blue-ribbon task force charged with developing recommendations for K-12 students’ digital device use during and outside of school hours.
During their July meeting, board members authorized Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Education Commissioner, to form the working group charged with creating guidance for addressing several areas regarding the use of digital devices by K-12 Kansas students.
The deadline for completing the Pathways Student Data Management application is Thursday, Aug. 15.
Anyone needing assistance to complete the application can participate in a Zoom session at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 12. Click here for the Zoom link: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/85724484528. Meeting ID: 857 2448 4528
The Enrollment Handbook for 2024-25 is available and posted under the headline "Audit Guides" on Fiscal Auditing (ksde.org). This handbook is updated annually and is a resource to assist schools in reporting data for student enrollment in the KIDS system (KIDS ENRL).
Registration is open and registration deadlines are approaching for KSDE’s annual Counting Kids workshops presented in advance of the state’s official student count day on Friday, Sept. 20. Each year, KSDE Fiscal Auditing Director Laurel Murdie updates school districts on the information needed to enter for funding purposes.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Transportation Unit will be holding school transportation meetings/forums for the 2024-25 school year at 15 locations in September.
We understand you are busy but please consider attending one of these meetings. This may be the only occasion during the year where you have an opportunity to attend a meeting at a close, convenient location to your district. All meetings are 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Currently, local education agencies (LEAs) are limited only to entering potential mentor teachers in the mentor stipends system.
Each year, a school system’s District Leadership Team (DLT) will participate in a one-day collaboration on continuous school improvement with a small number of like-system district leadership teams.
The KESA facilitator trainings are in-person sessions at regional service centers. You only need to attend one session. Registration - which is required - will close one week prior for each site.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team is resuming the KESA virtual monthly updates for the 2024-25 school year beginning Aug. 12. These virtual updates will take place 10:30 am to 11:15 a.m. on the second Monday of each month.
The first monthly update will be next Monday, Aug. 12, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. No passcode is required.
The Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund board adopted the updated All in for Kansas Kids strategic plan for early childhood on Aug. 2. Updates to this plan continue years of work and collaboration between state agencies to collaboratively improve our state's early childhood programs and services.
On Aug. 7, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) Online users received the second installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit https://agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters.
The KSDE required dyslexia training modules have been updated and are available for all districts to use in training new teachers and teachers new to teaching in Kansas based on teacher licensure (see link below for details).
There are five modules included in the training, and all are accompanied by supportive materials, a slide deck with presentation video, and a facilitation guide.
Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25, by clicking here to register.
For room reservations for the Hyatt Regency Wichita, click here. For the Fairfield Inn and Suites room reservations, click here.
NEW: Click here to see the conference draft schedule.
NEW: Click here for a list of titles, strands and audience for each of the breakout sessions. Stay tuned for more details on these sessions in the near future.
Calling all school districts! Check this recording at the 1:37 time stamp to see if your school or district has virtual learning to schedule. You can use the remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You do not need to hold the session by Sept. 1, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire.
11: Conclusion of Sunflower Summer, a program of Kansas Tourism. For a complete list of participating locations and more information about the program, click here. Have questions? Email sunflower.summer@ks.gov.
12: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Mark your calendars for these future Zoom meetings: Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12.) Email accreditation@ksde.org with questions.
13-14: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, in Topeka.
Kimberly Gilman, a history and social studies teacher at Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee Mission Unified School District 512, has been named the 2024 Kansas History Teacher of the Year. This prestigious award, given by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, recognizes extraordinary elementary and secondary educators for their contributions to the teaching of American history.
What actually constitutes kindergarten readiness? Knowing a child’s skills and level of development when they enter kindergarten is important, but it takes more than that to be kindergarten ready.
“Kindergarten readiness is also how ready does each family feels for the start of the kindergarten year,” said Amanda Petersen, director of KSDE’s early childhood team. “It’s also about what a school has done to build a relationship with a family so as they get ready for kindergarten and as the year goes on so they can really be partners in each child’s learning.”
Kansas is one of 29 states and two territories seeking to create a standardized agreement and data sharing protocol with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) that would allow states to access accurate, secure and standardized data on military service.
In November 2023, Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson led the effort to have other state education officers sign an open letter to the DOD to ask the military to provide states with the data to be able to count enlisted military in postsecondary success.
Currently, local education agencies (LEAs) are limited only to entering potential mentor teachers in the mentor stipends system. LEAs cannot submit stipend requests at this time. The deadline for entering mentor teachers is 5 p.m. CST on Sept. 25.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Professional Development (PD) Planning program has received numerous questions from districts regarding the use of PD points for movement on the district salary schedule. Specific guidance is embedded within the PD plan review process to distinguish awarding PD points for renewal and districts’ policies toward salary movement based on PD points.
The goal of this information is to provide clarity regarding the KSDE’s role and responsibilities relating to the awarding of PD points for license renewal versus salary schedule movement.
Local education agencies (LEAs) are now able to enter and submit the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR). The deadline for submitting the FVR is 5 p.m. CST, on Sept. 25. LEAs also are able to start entering data for the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR), which can be submitted through March 1, 2025.
KESA facilitator trainings are scheduled for dates in August and September. These are in-person training sessions and will be held at regional service centers. You only need to attend one training session. Registration - which is required - will close one week prior for each site.
These meetings are recorded and posted along with other materials on the Accreditation and Design (KESA) webpage which is currently under construction. Click here for the Zoom link. No passcode is required.
The KSDE required dyslexia training modules have been updated and are available for all districts to use in training new teachers and teachers new to teaching in Kansas based on teacher licensure (see link below for details). There are five modules included in the training, and all are accompanied by supportive materials, a slide deck with presentation video, and a facilitation guide.
Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25, by clicking here.
NEW: Click here for a list of titles, strands, and audience for each of the breakout sessions. Stay tuned for more details on these sessions in the near future.
If your district previously used or is currently implementing Star Assessments, you may have virtual learning to schedule. Schools can use their remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You do not need to hold the session by Sept. 1, but you do need to schedule it by then so that it does not expire. Reach out to scheduling@renaissance.com for more information.
6: ASQ® Training for School Leaders, 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Visit ksdetasn.org/events to register.
Teaching is not for the faint of heart.
“Teachers make 1,500 decisions a day,” said Kara Belew, a 2020 Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist. “It can be exhausting. But if you set your expectations, people will meet them.”
Belew, who teaches government at Andover Central High School, Andover Unified School District 385, was one of three certified teachers leading a group of registered teacher apprentices during an academy this week in Topeka. The event was at the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning & Careers, or TCALC, part of Topeka USD 501.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Professional Development (PD) Planning program has received numerous questions from districts regarding the use of PD points for movement on the district salary schedule. Specific guidance is embedded within the PD plan review process to distinguish awarding PD points for renewal and districts policies towards salary movement based on PD points.
Training sessions have been scheduled for new and veteran administrators responsible for their Local Consolidated Plans (LCP) for special education. These plans are necessary for the completion of federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
On July 23, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the first installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are now able to enter and submit data for the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR) that is due Sept. 25 and begin entering data for the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) that is due within the Jan. 1–March 1, 2025, window.
School districts and systems are invited to attend KESA 2.0 information sessions this fall for updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the new accreditation process.
The Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) revision team is excited to announce the KELS website is officially live.
For sponsors who have not yet completed procurement training, the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting one more session from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. Join the training here: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/86257503993?pwd=dFRmRFJvQmRVaXF5QWZmS1MvTGhadz09 (Passcode: 192661).
The Kansas State Department of Education announces the postponement of all upcoming English Language Arts (ELA) and English Learners (EL) professional development sessions scheduled to occur between July 20 and Oct. 30.
Training for the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) Screeners to engage with families and prepare classrooms for kindergarteners will be presented by KSDE, Kansas MTSS & Alignment, and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, and at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The Kansas State Department of Education is looking for six to eight high school students to participate in a panel discussion at the KSDE Great Ideas in Education: Lighting the Path Forward conference. This discussion will take place during a general session at the conference, Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.
July
30: Deadline to apply for Patterson Family Foundation’s School Districts and Community-Based Centers grants for rural child care programs. Contact Denise Schuele, denise@pffkc.org, Patterson Family Foundation program officer, with questions.
30: ASQ Training for School Leaders, 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Visit ksdetasn.org/events to register.
Preschool-aged children with autism in the Lansing Unified School District 469 early childhood program have begun building stronger connections among themselves and their neurotypical peers.
“Once I read a little bit about it, I jumped on board,” Dr. Rebecca Dalton, principal of early childhood at USD 469, said of the Peer Inventions for Preschoolers with Autism, or PIPA, a research project of Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at The University of Kansas. The interventions that are part of the research began last fall at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.
The window closes on Friday, July 19, for school districts/systems to submit quarterly reports for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds on CommonApp.
The Kansas early childhood systems-building webinar on July 10 featured presentations about recent updates to two important Kansas early childhood resources.
Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year.
All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2). This Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot is an accreditation requirement and an impactful strategy as part of an overall system of school improvement.
It is time for early childhood special education administrators to review and finalize their Early Childhood Outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year.
Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are now able to enter and submit data for the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR) that is due Sept. 25 and begin entering data for the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) that is due within the Jan. 1 – March 1, 2025, window.
The dates and locations for the 2024 KESA 2.0 facilitator trainings are set. These sessions are in-person at the regional service centers. Attendance at one training session is sufficient. Registration will close one week prior to each of the sessions.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team will resume the KESA 2.0 monthly updates on the second Monday of each month beginning Aug.12.
Middle and high school students from across the state of Kansas had various opportunities to put their academic, technical, and employability skills to the test at seven national and international CTSO conferences this summer.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a required procurement training for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors on July 30.
Newly-hired School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness for the Jump Start fall kick-off, on Wednesday, July 31, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., in Hays.
The Kansas State Department of Education is looking for six to eight high school students to participate in a panel discussion at the KSDE Great Ideas in Education: Lighting the Path conference. This discussion will take place during a general session at the conference, Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.
Star Assessment learning sessions:
If your district previously used or is currently implementing Star Assessments, you may have virtual learning to schedule. Schools can use their remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You don’t need to hold the session by Sept. 1, but you do need to schedule it by then, so it doesn’t expire. Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information.
19: Window closes for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds quarterly reporting in CommonApp. Email esser@ksde.org for questions or more information.
23-24: School Bus CDL Proxy Testing and ELDT Theory event at Southeast of Saline USD 306; Note: ELDT Theory will be administered on July 23; Register here: https://events.ksde.org/sf/CDLTESTING3.aspx
For me, “cell phone” is a misnomer. It’s rarely used to call people.
In my generation, when we hear the word “phone,” we think of talking on a device. For more than 100 years, that’s what we used it for. But these devices aren’t being used to call your friend or call home but rather to access a variety of information, videos and social media. They’re actually a smart computer device and it’s in the hands of every kid.
The Kansas State Board of Education has directed the creation of a blue-ribbon task force charged with making recommendations for student cell phone use in the classroom.
During their July meeting this week, board members asked Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson to form the group, which is expected to be comprised of two board members, students, teachers, principals and other education representatives.
They will be asked to provide recommendations for a policy or guidance for the non-academic use of cell phones during instructional time.
Using a support model of cohorts to maximize resources, coaching and training, Kansas districts and private schools are set to implement the second iteration of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation, known as KESA 2.0, this fall.
“We want to focus on fewer priorities and do those well,” said Dr. Ben Proctor, Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) deputy commissioner for learning services. “We want our students to know more and be able to do more which will give them more options and opportunities as they go through school and ultimately graduate and go on in life."
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education approved the school improvement model for KESA 2.0 during their July meeting in Topeka.
Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families, and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year. All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2). This Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot is an accreditation requirement and an impactful strategy as part of an overall system of school improvement.
It is time for early childhood special education administrators to review and finalize their Early Childhood Outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year. A new monitoring report (Missing Entry and Exit Report) makes it easier for districts to determine missing child entry and exit data reported in the Outcomes Web System (OWS) Part B authenticated application. As of July 3, 2021, school districts have missing entries or exits.
Registration is open for the annual Counting KIDS workshops led by Laurel Murdie, KSDE director of fiscal auditing.
The window is open for school districts/systems to submit quarterly reports for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds on CommonApp.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team announces the KESA monthly updates will begin on the second Monday of each month beginning in August. These meetings will be from 10:30 -11:15 a.m. and will be recorded and posted along with other material on the KSDE Accreditation and Design webpage currently under construction.
Anyone interested in serving as a facilitator one or two times per year for KESA 2.0 school improvement days, please fill out this form: https://ksde.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eakt1Fs8ToGG8tw
New School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness for the Jump Start fall kick-off, on Wednesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., in Hays.
If your district previously used or is currently implementing Star Assessments, you may have virtual learning to schedule.
1-19: Window open for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds quarterly reporting in CommonApp. Email esser@ksde.org for questions or more information.
17: School Bus Reasonable Suspicion Training for CDL supervisors at the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), in Topeka; Register here: https://events.ksde.org/sf/AlcoholandDrugTraining.aspx Note: This is mandated training for anyone who supervises CDL holders. This is free training and the KSDE School Bus Safety Unit offers it once a year.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education are expected to vote on the adoption of the model for KESA 2.0, the second iteration of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation, during their monthly meeting on July 9-10, in Topeka.
Make plans to attend one of the in-person sessions conducted at 11 locations – including two new host sites – to learn more about counting kids on the official count day Sept. 20, and the information needed to enter for funding purposes.
The window is now open for school districts/systems to submit quarterly reports for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds on CommonApp.
Reminder: Attention district webmasters, web content creators and coordinators!
Make sure you are using the correct KSDE logo on your website.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team is excited to announce the upcoming fall KESA 2.0 district and system information sessions.
Hosted by Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Jay Scott, of KSDE’s Division of Learning Services, these sessions are designed to provide districts and systems with updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the KESA 2.0 process, ensuring districts and systems are well-prepared for the 2024-25 school year. These meetings will provide an opportunity to ask questions, share feedback and network with fellow educators.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a joint School Nutrition Program (SNP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) administrative training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9.
If your district previously used or is currently implementing Star Assessments, you may have virtual learning to schedule. Schools can use their remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You don’t need to hold the session by Sept. 1, but you do need to schedule it by then so it doesn’t expire. Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information.
1-19: Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds open in CommonApp. Email esser@ksde.org for questions or more information.
4: KSDE offices closed in observance of Fourth of July.
9: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Joint School Nutrition Program (SNP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) administrative training, hosted by the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team. Join the training here: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/89730050845?pwd=SlBIWWQ0akhUeUc0N0tBUTNOOHMxZz09(Passcode: 259874)
9-10: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka.
Several education-related bills, passed during the 2024 Kansas legislative session, will go into effect Monday, July 1. The following highlights some key changes districts need to be aware of as the 2024-2025 school year approaches, including reporting requirements.
With a sense of urgency, the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy advisory committee took the first of many steps this week in continuing the Kansas State Board of Education’s commitment to improving the reading levels of Kansas students.
Access to high-quality, safe and consistent child care is a key element of thriving rural communities. The Patterson Family Foundation has a grant program to help public school districts and nonprofit community-based child care centers enhance their child care capacity.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open in CommonApp on Monday, July 1, and will close on Friday, July 19.
The window to submit chronic absentee data closes this Sunday, June 30, and is submitted on the End of Year Assessment (EOYA) record. However, chronic absentee data is not final until all EOYA records have been submitted.
As part of Kansas’ dyslexia initiative, all systems are reminded to upload their spring screening data for K-3, and eighth-grade student readers to the Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) system no later than this Sunday, June 30.
The following are the dates for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) facilitator training. These are in-person training sessions and will be held at regional service centers. You only need to attend one training session. Registration is required.
The KSDE Accreditation and Design team is excited to announce the upcoming fall KESA 2.0 information sessions for districts.
Hosted by Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Jay Scott, of KSDE’s Division of Learning Services, these sessions are designed to provide updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the KESA 2.0 process, ensuring districts are well-prepared for the 2024-25 school year. These meetings will provide an excellent opportunity to ask questions, share feedback, and network with fellow educators.
HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through eighth-grade educators on Aug. 1. Keynote speakers will include Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson and other Kansas educators.
Would you like to serve free meals to all students during the 2024-25 school year?
If your district previously used or is currently implementing Star Assessments, you may have virtual learning to schedule. Schools can use their remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. You don’t need to hold the session by Sept. 1, but you do need to schedule it by then so it doesn’t expire. Reach out to scheduling@renaissance.com for more information.
June
28: 1-3 p.m., Pittsburg Public Library, Large Meeting Room; the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research and KDHE’s Maternal and Child Health program will host an open house to gather information about beliefs about systems of care for women, infants, children and adolescents across Kansas. Contact Ashley Lafond at alafond@ku.edu or kucppr-mch@ku.edu for more information.
Using humor mixed with tough love, Mary Alice Kelly wants young Kansans to know they can stop vaping.
“I tell them (students) that lung transplants aren’t pleasant,” said Kelly, a nurse at Shawnee Mission North High School. “I also let them know they’re not alone.”
Access to high-quality, safe, and consistent child care is a key element of thriving rural communities. The Patterson Family Foundation announces a grant program to help public school districts and nonprofit community-based child care centers enhance their child care capacity.
The following are some reminders about chronic absentee data uploads:
As part of Kansas’ dyslexia initiative, all systems are reminded to upload their spring screening data for K-3, and eighth-grade student readers.
Three and 4-year-old students who meet an at-risk criterion for the preschool-aged at-risk program and who are enrolled and attending a program that meets preschool-aged at-risk program requirements on Count Day, will automatically count as a ½ student (0.5 FTE) in calculating a district’s enrollment and accompanying weightings.
Beginning July 1, 2024, the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) will go cashless and there will NO longer be toll tickets and toll booths.
The Kansas State Department of Education is looking for six to eight high school students to participate in a panel discussion at the KSDE Great Ideas in Education: Lighting the Path conference.
Mark Perna, a national expert on workforce and education, will be at Topeka West High School to speak during the Education and Industry Summit on July 25.
HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through 8th grade educators on Aug. 1.
Sponsors, a school, or a group of schools within the sponsor electing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year must complete the CEP application in KN-CLAIM by June 30.
Districts with Star Assessments should be sure to schedule their customized virtual learning before it expires in September.
25-26: School Bus CDL Proxy Testing and ELDT Theory event, at Maize USD 266; ELDT will be administered on June 25; Register here: https://events.ksde.org/sf/CDLTesting2.aspx
25: FastBridge Lightning Round, 1-2 p.m., on Tuesday, June 25, virtual. Register here.
Some educators in Kansas will have until 2028 to become trained or pass a test to show they are complying with the science of reading structured literacy requirements to renew their license. Members of the Kansas State Board of Education voted to approve the licensure renewal requirement this week during their June meeting in Topeka.
Family, each student matters and the joy of teaching were the main themes that emerged this week during a presentation by members of the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year team to the Kansas State Board of Education.
Three and and 4-year-old students who meet an at-risk criterion for the preschool-aged at-risk program and who are enrolled and attending a program that meets preschool-aged at-risk program requirements on Count Day, will automatically count as a ½ student (0.5 FTE) in calculating a district’s enrollment and accompanying weightings.
Starting July 1, 2024, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation will increase the costs of providing fingerprint-based record checks to state agencies.
The window to submit chronic absentee data is open until June 30 and is submitted on the End of Year Assessment (EOYA) record. However, chronic absentee data is not final until all EOYA records have been submitted.
As part of Kansas’ dyslexia initiative, all systems are reminded to upload their spring screening data for K-3, and eighth-grade student readers to the Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) system.
Does your district have concerns about vaping policies, practices or procedures?
Dates have been set for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) facilitator training. These are in-person training sessions and will be held at regional service centers across the state.
HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through eighth-grade educators on Aug. 1.
Sponsors of a school or group of schools within the sponsor electing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year must complete the CEP application in KN-CLAIM by June 30.
Join Renaissance for a webinar to learn more about eduCLIMBER, Renaissance’s interactive system for integrating whole child data.
The last session of KSDE Information Technology (IT) team’s cybersecurity series, “Disaster Recovery Plans for IT,” is scheduled for 1 p.m., on Wednesday, June 19.
Are you a Kansas educator who wants to integrate STEM and literacy in your elementary classroom?
17-22: School Bus Train the Trainer event, in Topeka; Register here: https://events.ksde.org/sf/TraintheTrainer.aspx
18: (repeated session) 9-11 a.m., KSDE is hosting a free, virtual workshop for Kansas educators who want to integrate STEM and literacy in their elementary classrooms. This session is for kindergarten through second grade. Click here to register.
19: KSDE offices closed in observance of Juneteenth.
Kassidy Gallagher and her three kids initially came to Bonner Springs Elementary School this week for the Kids and Big Rigs event, hosted by Bonner Springs Unified School District 204 and Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation. When she saw free lunch was being offered to kids 18 years old and under, she decided to utilize that opportunity.
Join Renaissance for a webinar to learn more about eduCLIMBER, Renaissance’s interactive system for integrating whole child data into a single platform.
Topeka – Members of the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) are expected to decide during their June meeting how most of the additional $75.5 million in special education state aid is going to be distributed to the state’s school districts.
The Kansas State Board of Education approved funding for preschool-aged at-risk programming for 2024-25 for 266 school districts during their May 15 meeting.
The window to submit chronic absentee data is open until June 30 and is submitted on the End of Year Assessment (EOYA) record.
As part of Kansas’ dyslexia initiative, all systems are reminded to upload their spring screening data for K-3, and eighth-grade student readers to the Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) system no later than June 30.
Dates have been set for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) facilitator training.
10-11: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Learning through the Arts workshops, Wichita Northwest High School, in Wichita. Click here to register.
11: 9-11 a.m., KSDE is hosting a free, virtual workshop for Kansas educators who want to integrate STEM and literacy in their elementary classrooms. This session is for grades 3-5. Click here to register.
11-12: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka.
As a former superintendent and new to his position as KSDE’s deputy commissioner of fiscal and administrative services for the Kansas State Department of Education, Frank Harwood can relate to the cliché, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Harwood and Dale Brungardt, KSDE’s director of school finance, are preparing for this summer’s round of budget workshops for superintendents, business managers, clerks and other district officials June 12-26 in eight locations. As has been tradition, there will be a one-day session devoted solely to superintendents new to their position on July 2, in Salina.
As part of Kansas’ dyslexia initiative, all systems are reminded to upload their spring screening data.
Kansas Preschool Pilot (KKP) grantees need to submit their end -of-year survey in the Early Childhood Foundations for School Success authenticated web application by Friday, May 31, as required by program assurances.
Final reminder: The deadline to apply to be a KESA facilitator is 5 p.m., Friday, May 31.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting School Nutrition Program (SNP) Administrative Training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. At least one representative from each sponsor must complete this training.
Districts with Star Assessments should schedule their customized virtual learning before it expires in September.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting a free two-day Learning Through the Arts workshop for all K-12 teachers, June 10-11, at Wichita Northwest High School, 1220 N. Tyler, in Wichita.
Researchers at the Center for Public Partnerships and Research at the University of Kansas (KU-CPPR) are teaming up with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Maternal and Child Health Program to learn more about beliefs about systems of care for women, infants, children and adolescents across the state.
The 2024 Sunflower Summer season runs through August 11 and will include more than 220 tourism attractions.
5: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Playful Learning Across the Day in Pre-K, Emporia State University Memorial Union, in Emporia. Click here to register.
6: 9 a.m -3 p.m., Playful Learning Across the Day in Pre-K, Hilton Garden Inn, in Salina. Click here to register.
Making peer-to-peer and community-level connections is one way Kansas teens are trying to help each other navigate the complexities of mental health and substance use.
There will be a special meeting of the Kansas State Board of Education at 10 a.m., Friday, May 24.
The window to submit chronic absentee data is now open until June 30 and is submitted on the End of Year Assessment (EOYA) record.
There is one week left for Kansas Preschool Pilot (KKP) grantees to submit their end of year survey in the Early Childhood Foundations for School Success authenticated web application. These must be submitted by May 31 as required by program assurances.
ESSER staff will host online office hours on Wednesday, May 29, beginning at 10 a.m., to address any ESSER related questions.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit wishes to thank the school districts who participated in the Kansas One Day Stop Arm Violation Count which was conducted on April 17, 2024.
The Kansas School Transportation Safety Conference and State Driving Competition will be held June 5-7, at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, in Wichita. During this three-day event, school transportation professionals will connect and learn how to improve operations and safety for their transportation teams.
Forms for bus and school vehicle inspections have changed.
The KSDE School Bus Safety Unit is strongly recommending district transportation directors, or someone on the transportation staff, take time this summer to check the CDL status and medical self-certification category for all district bus drivers.
The Environmental Protection Agency anticipates awarding up to $932 million in competitive grant funding under the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Thank you to all who have signed up to be facilitators for the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA). All who have applied will play a role.
We have reopened the application until 5 p.m., Friday, May 31, to allow anyone else interested to be a part of the process.
Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.
Registration is open for the 2024 KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward.
KSDE’s Information Technology (IT) team has assembled a team of experts to help school technology directors and staff members, along with superintendents, principals and others who are interested, navigate the complex and critical practices of cybersecurity and data privacy.
The 2024 Sunflower Summer season, operated by Kansas Tourism, will run May 25 through August 11 and will include more than 220 tourism attractions.
27: KSDE offices closed in observance of Memorial Day.
Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday, May 15, signed House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 into law.
The bill fully funds K-12 education, including special education.
Nine different bills were added into House Sub for SB 387 during the 2024 Kansas Legislative session.
At nearly 100 years old, Randolph Elementary in Topeka Unified School District 501 is the only continuously operating school building that was part of the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case.
The colonial style building was one of the all-white schools that Topeka children attended prior to 1954.
Take a look in a modern-day classroom and you’ll see children of varying races, integrated and working toward the same goal of earning an education. Seventy years ago and beyond, that was not the case.
Despite being a free state, Kansas allowed segregation of elementary schools in cities with populations of 15,000 or more. Parents began to challenge these laws as early as 1881.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education approved amendments to state regulations, K.A.R. 91-31-35, governing minimum graduation requirements during their May business meeting. The new minimum requirements will go into effect this fall for the graduating class of 2028.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) have approved amendments to the Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R.). that govern new minimum high school graduation requirements that will go into effect for the class of 2028, this fall’s incoming freshmen.
ESSER staff will host online office hours beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29, to address any ESSER related questions systems may have.
The window to enter data into the Early Childhood Foundations for School Success authenticated web application is open.
As the end of the 2023-2024 school year quickly approaches, the KSDE School Bus Safety Unit is providing the following information about events and workshops:
The Kansas School Transportation Safety Conference and State Driving Competition will be held June 5-7, at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, in Wichita.
A virtual KESA 2.0 informational session has been scheduled for anyone who was unable to attend an in-person session this spring.
The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting two required trainings for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors.
Body Venture is KSDE’s traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5. This exciting exhibit has been updated and can visit approximately 100 schools during the 2024-25 school year.
Click here to register for the 2024 KSDE Great Ideas in Education conference, Oct. 23-25. Hotel reservation information is also posted on this site.
Summers in Kansas are an exciting time thanks to Sunflower Summer! Entering its fourth year, the program offers Kansas K-12 students and their families a way to explore and fall in love with Kansas by providing complimentary access to tourism attractions across the state.
You can help shape the future of health services for Kansas families!
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring several professional learning opportunities. Now is a great time to start planning and scheduling your back-to-school professional learning! The fall calendar will fill up before you know it.
May
25: The 2024 Sunflower Summer season opens on May 25 and runs through August 11. For a complete list of participating locations and more information about the program, click here.
30-31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Science Summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process at Maize South High School, 3701 N. Tyler Road, in Wichita.
Recognizing the skills current paraprofessionals and other district staff have to become teachers is the first step in the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, or RTAP, that is wrapping up its first year.
Nine Topeka Unified School District 501 high school students recently signed letters of intent to pursue teaching careers. In addition to the letter of intent each student a signed contract, guaranteeing them a teaching job in the district when they graduate college.
After six years under the direction of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) will be under the umbrella of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) as of July 1, 2024.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) are expected during their May meeting to act on proposed amendments to Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R.). reflecting new minimum high school graduation requirements. They are also expected to take final action on literacy requirements for teacher licensure.
Educate Kansas https://educatekansas.org/ has shared free marketing materials for the past several weeks leading up to Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, to help support your teacher recruitment efforts and promote the teaching profession.
As the end of the 2023-2024 school year quickly approaches, the KSDE School Bus Safety Unit is providing the following information about events and workshops.
The early bird registration deadline is Friday, May 10.
Assignments for KSDE’s School Improvement Days are now available. These days are full-day and in-person to maximize collaboration and will be facilitated by those who have volunteered and been selected and trained in the School Improvement Model.
The Kansas Instructional Leaders’ Association (KILA), formerly known as the Kansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (KASCD), is seeking nominations for an outstanding curriculum leader.
Applications are due by Sunday, May 12.
Registration is now open! https://events.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=771
The 2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward, will focus on the tools necessary to strengthen school improvement efforts to support each Kansas student. Through professional development and networking opportunities, the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference will help school personnel improve policies and strategies to produce safe learning environments and quality teaching and learning practices for each student.
Submissions for the 2024 KSDE Great Ideas in Education conference’s student art contest must be postmarked by Friday, May 24.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting a free two-day Learning Through the Arts workshop for all K-12 teachers,June 10-11, at Wichita Northwest High School, 1220 N. Tyler, in Wichita.
14-15: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, in Topeka.
14: The Sunflower Foundation, Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board in the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, and The University of Kansas Center for Public Partnership and Research (KU-CPPR) are hosting a webinar, “Intergenerational Response to Substance Use Prevention,” from noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting a free two-day professional learning workshop for all K-12 teachers on June 10-11 at Wichita Northwest High School, 1220 N. Tyler, in Wichita.
Juggling long hours, building maintenance emergencies and staff and student issues, can all take a toll on a principal’s physical and mental health.
When Mac Carr was five weeks old, his parents began noticing his eyes were making different movements that weren’t typical for a child his age.
His mom, Nicole, called an ophthalmologist to get him checked out. He was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia, which Nicole said means someone could be sighted, otherwise seemingly typical, or totally blind and anywhere in between. They also did functional vision assessments, but that didn’t indicate blindness. So, it was a game of wait and see.
Educate Kansas https://educatekansas.org/ is sharing free marketing materials every week through the first full week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week, to help support your teacher recruitment efforts and promote the teaching profession. These resources are shared through a Canva link, with the ability to edit and share on your own media platforms.
Does your district have concerns about vaping policies, practices, or procedures? Then you are cordially invited to engage with the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) team to engage in a year-long process to learn more about vaping education and best practices for cessation.
Assignments for KSDE’s School Improvement Days are now available.
High-Quality Instructional Materials Survey
Thank you to everyone who completed the high-quality instructional materials survey. The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is reviewing and summarizing the data for review. The data will be used to help KSDE determine next steps that will be taken to support districts in their selection of high-quality instructional materials.
This annual award recognizes an individual currently serving in an educational-related position (curriculum director, supervisor, administrator, college instructor, etc.), for outstanding leadership in curriculum and supervision of instruction in his/her respective educational-related occupation.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m., on Thursday, May 9, to discuss the School Nutrition Program (SNP) renewal process for the 2024-2025 school year.
The 2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward, will focus on the tools necessary to strengthen school improvement efforts to support each Kansas student.
Safe Kids Kansas and the Topeka Zoo are partnering to host a family safety day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday, May 4, to help teach children and their grown-ups how to be safe and healthy throughout the year. This year’s theme is “Building a safer world for Kansas kids.”
The Sunflower Foundation, Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board in the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, and The University of Kansas Center for Public Partnership and Research (KU-CPPR) are hosting a webinar, “Intergenerational Response to Substance Use Prevention,” from noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring several professional learning opportunities.
KSDE has opened applications statewide to districts for the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship (RTA) program. To assist districts in learning more about the program and its potential, KSDE is hosting an informational Zoom meeting for districts to gain more information about the program.
4: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Kansas Safe Kids “Building a Safer World for Kansas Kids” family safety event at the Topeka Zoo. For more information, go to safekidskansas.org or follow Safe Kids Kansas on Facebook and Instagram.
Melinda Eddington joined Goddard Unified School District 265’s Parents as Teachers (PAT) program before her son, Jordan, was born in 2012.
“It was definitely a blessing because I probably wouldn’t have gotten him referred as soon as I did,” Eddington said.
Legislators returned to the Kansas Statehouse Thursday, April 25, as the veto session is underway. As of Thursday, the governor has signed five education-related bills into law.
Always on-the-go as an assistant principal at Andover High School, Andover Unified School District 385, Laura Scaglione gets her days started at 4 a.m. with a run even before she hits her school’s doors.
The Kansas School Transportation Safety Conference & State Driving Competition will be held June 5-7, at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, in Wichita. During this three-day event, school transportation professionals will connect and learn how to improve operations and safety for their transportation teams.
This is a reminder that the deadline to apply for Star Recognition is 5 p.m., Friday, May 3. This deadline is for any system wishing to apply or reapply for recognition in kindergarten readiness, social-emotional growth, or individual plan of study.
Educate Kansas https://educatekansas.org/ is sharing free marketing materials every week through the first full week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week, to help support your teacher recruitment efforts and promote the teaching profession.
There’s still time for graduating Kansas seniors to participate in the “Kansans Can, and I Am” social media campaign. The Kansas State Department of Education needs your help to promote these accomplished students through your district’s social media channels and tagging KSDE in your posts beginning May 1.
In partnership with IXL, the Kansas State Department of Education is providing IXL’s math curriculum at no local cost to Kansas districts. This renewal marks another year of empowering Kansas educators and students with our comprehensive math curriculum.
The KSDE Mentor Stipends web application (formerly know as Mentor Programs) is currently open to qualifying Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that entered mentor teachers by Sept. 25, 2023.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit thanks all the school districts and bus companies that participated in the Kansas One-Day Stop Arm Violation Count initiative on Wednesday, April 17.
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) requires states to set their own state determined performance levels (SDPLs) following specific criteria and processes outlined in the law. Kansas is required to establish 2024-2025 SDPLs to continue receiving the federal funding under Perkins V.
Assignments for KSDE’s School Improvement Days are now available. The School Improvement Days are full-day and in-person to maximize collaboration.
In support of school improvement, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is collecting data on instructional materials used in Kansas schools. This data will help KSDE understand statewide material usage and inform resource allocation.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m., on Thursday, May 2.
The Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence is hosting the 17th Annual Civic Engagement and Election Conference for Kansas teachers, July 24-26.
Kansas students have two opportunities to be showcased during the 2024 Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Conference.
April
25: 4 p.m., KSDE’s Teacher Licensure team is hosting an informational Zoom meeting to assist districts in learning more about the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program. The meetings can be accessed here: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/89518729747.
Whether its parents, grandparents or community volunteers, children will always gain more from having caring, compassionate adults working in their classrooms.
A simple suggestion by his superintendent now has Rich Yamamoto in the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship (RTA) program. The 21-year-old instructional assistant and 2021 graduate of the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) in Kansas City, Kansas, said he started looking into the program after Jon Harding, KSSB’s superintendent, had a conversation with him about it.
To highlight April as Financial Literacy Month, Misty Poe, a business teacher at Centralia High School in Vermillion USD 380 answered a few questions about what she does to make learning about money and finance fun and meaningful to her students.
Legislators will return to the Kansas Statehouse on Thursday, April 25, where they will have a couple of bills to consider for passage and any bills that are vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly. The veto session is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 29.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is excited to celebrate Kansas high school graduates once again with the “Kansans Can, and I Am” social media campaign. We are asking for your help to promote these accomplished students through your district social media channels and tagging KSDE in your posts beginning May 1.
Educate Kansas is sharing free marketing materials every week through the first full week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week, to help support your teacher recruitment efforts and promote the teaching profession.
What does this mean for you? In partnership with IXL, the Kansas State Department of Education is providing IXL’s math curriculum at no local cost to Kansas districts. This renewal marks another year of empowering Kansas educators and students with our comprehensive math curriculum.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close on the CommonApp on Friday, April 19.
KSDE’s ESSER team will be offering a webinar covering updates on required capital improvement reporting and monitoring for all districts. This information pertains to all districts that expended ESSER funds for a renovation, major remodel, construction, or real property project.
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) requires states to set their own state determined performance levels (SDPLs) following specific criteria and processes outlined in the law.
Assignments for KSDE’s School Improvement Days are now available. The School Improvement Days are full-day and in-person to maximize collaboration. These days will be facilitated by those who have volunteered and been selected and trained in the School Improvement Model to guide the conversations.
A goal of KSDE’s Accreditation and Design team is to make accreditation synonymous with school improvement, resulting in teachers being able to see their role clearly in the work of accreditation.
Reminders on Core Instructional Materials Support
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on May 2.
Applications are still being accepted for the 17th annual Civic Engagement and Election Conference at the Dole Institute of Politics at The University of Kansas. The event, July 24-26, is for Kansas government, history and social studies teachers.
Are you a Kansas educator who wants to integrate STEM and literacy in your elementary classroom? Learning straight from award-winning NSTA Press authors Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, this introductory workshop will help you build a solid understanding of STEM and literacy integration and the 5E Model through participation in engaging picture book-inspired lessons, lively discussion, and interactive learning tasks.
KSDE has opened applications statewide to districts for the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program. To assist districts in learning more about the program and its potential, KSDE will be hosting a series of informational Zoom meetings over the next several weeks for districts to gain more information about the program.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting a free two-day professional learning workshop for all K-12 teachers this summer.
19: Brown v. Board of Education 70th Anniversary Conference, in Lawrence and Topeka. The registration for this event at Burge Union on KU’s Lawrence campus is full; however, click here to be put on a walk-up list for no-shows for this event that will also be live-streamed. The community discussion will take place on Friday, April 19, at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Museum, 1515 S.E. Monroe, in Topeka.
In March, students at Bonner Springs High School, Bonner Springs Edwardsville Unified School District 204, competed at a regional robotics competition, the school’s first official team to do so.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education during their April business meeting signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formally establish the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education (KACIE). This is a partnership with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) and the state’s four Native American tribes.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) announced the eight finalists and semi-finalists for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year (KTOY) award during regional banquets attended by more than 500 educators from across the state on April 6-7.
Kansas legislators are on a three-week break, after they reached First Adjournment last week. They will return to the Kansas Statehouse Thursday, April 25. When they return, they will have a couple of bills to consider for passage and any bills that are vetoed by the Governor. The veto session begins Monday, April 29.
Please share the following message with all parents and guardians of Kansas K-12 students. This short survey is designed to measure how parents/guardians define postsecondary success for their children.
The KSDE Mentor Program web application is currently open to qualifying Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that entered mentor teachers by Sept. 25, 2023.
Educate Kansas is sharing free marketing materials every week through the first full week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week, to help support your teacher recruitment efforts and promote the teaching profession. These resources are shared through a Canva link, with the ability to edit and share on your own media platforms.
KSDE’s ESSER team will be offering a webinar covering updates on required capital improvement reporting and monitoring for all districts.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit is seeking assistance from all Kansas school districts during the Kansas One-Day Stop Arm Violation Count initiative on Wednesday, April 17.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open in the CommonApp on Monday, April 1, and will close on Friday, April 19.
Core Instructional Materials Support
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting informational webinars on the Kansans Can Star Recognition Program: Individual Plan of Study (IPS).
KSDE has opened applications statewide to districts for the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program. To assist districts in learning more about the program and its potential, KSDE will be hosting a series of informational Zoom meetings over the next six weeks for districts to gain more information about the program.
13: Innovative Next Steps in Pre-K-12 Learning Education Conference, Bethany College, in Lindsborg. The registration fee of $40 for teachers and $10 for high school students includes lunch. College credit is available for $150 per credit hour (total of two hours). Register at https://bethanylb.edu/education-conference.
Brooke Applegate, a Head Start classroom teacher at Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Center, Dodge City USD 443, and her husband Eli, a physical education teacher at Ross Elementary School, USD 443, started their autism journey when their son, Andrew, was diagnosed at 2 ½ years old, right before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Members of the Kansas State Board of Education are expected to act on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) to establish the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education (KACIE). This action, expected during the board’s April meeting, will formalize the partnership among the State Board, KBOR and KACIE for consultation related to Indigenous education in Kansas. The four tribal nations in the state – Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska - have endorsed the proposed MOU that was signed by the regents on March 21, 2024.
To recognize April as the Month of the Military Child, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a proclamation on March 27 with families and administrators from two of the five Purple Star school districts in Kansas.
Two Wichita-area teachers and one in Olathe have been named finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) announced this week.
The Kansas Statehouse was busy with conference committees during week 13 of the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session.
The KSDE web application for mentor programs is currently open to qualifying Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that entered mentor teachers by Sept. 25, 2023.
The Fall KSDE 2023 Vacancy report indicated that Kansas had 1,810 certified openings, with the highest numbers being in elementary education and special education.
KSDE’s ESSER team will be offering a webinar covering updates on required capital improvement reporting and monitoring for all districts. This information pertains to all districts that expended ESSER funds for a renovation, major remodel, construction or real property project.
Applications are now open for the 2024 Renew America’s School Prize, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Renew America’s Schools Team. The team was created to promote the implementation of clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country. It aims to help school communities make energy upgrades that will decrease energy use and cost, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments.
By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract, school districts are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. IXL has provided a reporting webinar to learn how to save and submit the reports.
Adaptive Schools training will again be offered to schools in the 2024-2025 school year.
School Improvement and Accreditation Timeline for progress
The KSDE School Improvement Workgroup and members of the Accreditation and Design team will share the following information with the Kansas State Board of Education during its April 9 meeting.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) invites districts that provide child care to participate in the 2024 Kansas Child Care Market Analysis Survey.
The KSDE Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) will host an in-person, full-day Kansas Early Childhood Outcome (ECO) Rating Process Workshop in Hays on April 5.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting the Safe and Supportive Schools Conference April 15-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Colleagues from across Kansas will present on topics to empower, inspire and motivate your staff, and provide information and new ideas to take back to your schools.
KSDE’s Information Technology (IT) team put together a team of experts to help school technology directors and staff members, along with superintendents, principals and others who are interested, navigate the complex and critical practices of cybersecurity and data privacy.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, the University of Kansas and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park will host an event series and conference April 18-19.
The KSDE Kansas Technical Assistance System Network’s (TASN) School Mental Health Initiative (SMHI) is hosting Trauma-Responsive School Community: Facilitation Workshop.
5: All programs that want to be funded for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval must submit forms by April 5. The Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval form for the 2024-2025 school year is available on the Early Childhood Preschool Programming Webpage.
Military families from Ft. Leavenworth USD 207 and Derby USD 260 school districts visited the Kansas Statehouse on Wednesday, March 27, for a proclamation signing with Gov. Laura Kelly to recognize April as the Month of the Military Child.
Several education-related bills were passed in both the House and Senate chambers during week 12 of the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session, including one that will now go back to the Senate to concur or non-concur to changes made to the bill.
Teacher mentor programs are now open. Districts that entered potential mentor teachers into the system by the fall deadline will now: (1) validate the list of mentors; (2) enter mentees; (3) enter assignments by assigning mentors to mentees; and (4) submit the final stipend request.
Teachers are encouraged to use the updated Professional Development Plan guidance with template on the KSDE PD Planning webpage to ensure that their five-year professional development plan meets all requirements established by the Kansas State Board of Education and Kansas statutes and regulations.
Please continue to encourage all parents and guardians of Kansas K-12 students to participate in this year’s Parent Perception Survey. This short survey is designed to measure how parents/guardians define postsecondary success for their children.
All Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval Forms for the 2024-2025 school year are due by Wednesday, April 3. The link to this form can be found on the Early Childhood Preschool Programming Webpage.
April is Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month. The Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) has provided a tool kit, social media content, graphics and other ideas for promoting awareness and participation in CAP Month. The theme of this year’s campaign is, “Building a Hopeful Future, Together.”
Save the date for the 2024 Kansas State Department of Education Great Ideas in Education Conference.
As recently announced, KSDE has opened applications statewide to districts for the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program. To assist districts in learning more about the program and its potential, KSDE will be hosting a series of informational Zoom meetings over the next six weeks for districts to gain more information about the program.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission and Emporia State University School of Humanities + Social Sciences are excited to announce the 2024 Civic Engagement Conference. The conference will be held Wednesday, April 10 at Emporia State University Memorial Union, in Emporia. The theme of the conference is “Empowering Kansas through Civic Engagement.”
The Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment is hosting this year’s final in-person session of the Kansas Math Project.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting the Safe and Supportive Schools Conference scheduled for April 15-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Colleagues from across Kansas will present on topics to empower, inspire and motivate your staff, and provide information and new ideas to take back to your schools.
The Kansas State Department of Education is hosting a free two-day professional learning workshop for all K-12 teachers this summer.
3: All programs that want to be funded for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval must submit forms by today. The Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval form for the 2024-2025 school year is available on the Early Childhood Preschool Programming Webpage.
The House passed HB 2731 during week 11 of the Kansas Legislative Session. HB 2731 as amended would require the Kansas State Board of Education, on or before Jan. 15 of each year, to prepare and submit a report to the Kansas Legislature on students who have taken the statewide assessments
Maya Smith spent the first year of high school taking classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic. She got her start in journalism her sophomore year, taking an interest in photography, which she said helped her connect with her school after a year of isolation.
Episode #20 of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series is now available.
Teacher mentor programs will open at 9 a.m. Friday, March 22. Districts that entered potential mentor teachers into the system by the fall deadline will now: (1) validate the list of mentors; (2) enter mentees; (3) enter assignments by assigning mentors to mentees; and (4) submit the final stipend request.
Beginning July 1, 2024, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation will increase the costs of providing fingerprint-based record checks to state agencies to $57.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) reports have been added to KSDE’s Data Central.
By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract, school districts are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. IXL has provided a reporting webinar to explain how to save and submit the reports.
Recommendations for Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cluster Review Committees are open for public review and comment.
Wamego Unified School District 320 earned gold in the Turnip the Beet Award, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) training opportunities.
22: 9 a.m. to noon, Introduction to Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Training.
Results of the 2023 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey show Kansas teachers feel significantly less engaged than they did in 2021 and are at a higher risk of leaving the profession.
One bill was passed in the House Chamber and the contents of seven bills were added into SB 387, now referred to as House Sub for SB 387, in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget during week 10 of the Kansas Legislative Session.
The Kansas State Department of Education has reviewed all programs and practices from the 2022-2023 approved list. Those that are no longer on the state at-risk list for the 2024-2025 school year will not be eligible for state at-risk funding without provisional approval from KSDE. To see a list of approved evidence-based practice and programs, click here.
Teachers are encouraged to use the updated Professional Development Plan guidance with template on the KSDE PD Planning webpage to ensure that their five-year professional development plan has the minimum components required based on the criteria established by the Kansas State Board of Education and Kansas statutes and regulations.
Starting on July 1, 2024, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation will increase the costs of providing fingerprint-based record checks to state agencies.
Please encourage all parents and guardians of Kansas K-12 students to participate in this year’s Parent Perception Survey. This short survey is designed to measure how parents/guardians define postsecondary success for their children.
Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC) recently made a commitment to invest back into local PAT programs by awarding a limited number of grants to programs across the country. The grants were highly competitive and five Kansas PAT programs were successful in their bid for funding for special community projects.
The Kansas State Department of Education announced an agency-sponsored interpersonal curricula that is free to Kansas elementary, middle and high schools.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on March 21. The main topic of the town hall will be the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) renewal process for 2024.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a professional development event that addresses a balanced assessment system and structured literacy on March 19.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a new Introduction to ASQ training to be offered virtually.
Bethany College is hosting its first Bethany College Education Conference on April 13. It's an opportunity for teachers to pick up some more tools for their classroom, collaborate with teachers from across the state, get reinvigorated about teaching, gain professional development points and earn graduate credit hours.
19: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., KSDE’s “CLUES: What Do We Do with All of This Data?” Greenbush Service Center, Lawrence. $35. Register HERE.
Kansas State Board of Education members will hear presentations on teacher retention and bus safety; will hold a public hearing on the Professional Practices Commission (PPC) regulations; and will hear a presentation on state assessment development and the need for data literacy and analysis in a balanced assessment system.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission has announced the Youth Civic Engagement mini-grant, which supports the civic engagement of youth in grades K-12. For this grant, applicants must engage youth in the planning and implementation of grant activities. Priority will be given to applications that include youth-led and youth-initiated projects.
The KSDE School Bus Safety Unit is offering a five-hour informational workshop for any mechanic performing the Part I Mechanical School/Activity Bus Safety Inspection. This workshop is designed to provide information to assist mechanics who perform this inspection, which is required by KSDE School Bus Regulations. Class instructors will be personnel from the Kansas Highway Patrol Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
Applications for School Improvement Days Facilitators open
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the new accreditation model, KESA 2.0, will involve school systems meeting together once per year for School Improvement Days.
The Kansas State Department of Education has announced an agency-sponsored interpersonal curricula that is free to Kansas elementary, middle and high schools.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on March 21.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is currently seeking proposals for presenters and vendors for the Safe and Supportive Schools Conference scheduled for April 15-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Colleagues from across Kansas will present on topics to empower, inspire and motivate your staff, and provide information and new ideas to take back to your schools.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Is offering a new Introduction to ASQ training to be offered virtually.
11-12: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka. Click here to watch the live stream.
Around 135 educators from across the state attended the 2024 Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) State Education Conference Feb. 22-23 in Topeka.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has scheduled a statewide tornado drill for 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 6. This falls during Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which is March 4-8.
For more information on Preparedness week check out the link below: https://www.weather.gov/eax/SevereWeatherPreparednessWeek
Episode #19 of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series is now available.
Read Across America Day is set for Saturday, March 2. Read Across America Week is set for March 2-6, beginning on the birthday of author Dr. Suess.
The legislature was not in session Monday, Feb. 26, or Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The Kansas State Department of Education is once again asking for the participation of all parents and guardians of Kansas K-12 students in KSDE’s Parent Perception Survey. This survey is designed to measure how parents/guardians define success for their children.
The Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) is due by 5 p.m. Monday, March 4, 2024.
The KSDE School Bus Safety Unit (SBSU) is offering a five-hour informational workshop for any mechanic performing the Part I Mechanical School/Activity Bus Safety Inspection. This workshop is designed to provide information to assist mechanics who perform this inspection, which is required by KSDE School Bus Regulations. Class instructors will be personnel from the Kansas Highway Patrol Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
KSDE’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team is hosting their Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update from 9-9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
KSDE’s Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) has released the Kansas Math Project (KMP) via Moodle. The website enables Kansas math teachers, Pre-K-12, to begin their asynchronous KMP journey.
KSDE is providing important information and resources as districts finalize Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway applications for the 2024-2025 school year. All pathway applications should be in at least “Approved by District” status prior to the March 1st deadline. Please note that if an application requires correction, it will be considered to have been submitted on time if the initial submission occurred prior to, or on March 1st, 2024.
Evidence Based List and Provisional At-Risk Program Application
KSDE will provide school districts with an application process to submit programs and practices that are not currently on the approved evidence-based practices list but meet the statutory definition for a provisional at-risk educational program.
Through March 4: Educator Data Collection System is open now through March 4 for submission of Licensed Personnel Report.
Asher Swank started his freshman year in 2020 at Southeast of Saline High School, Southeast of Saline Unified School District 306, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, spending a lot of time at home. That’s when he decided to join Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).
Around 135 educators from across the state attended the first day of the 2024 Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) State Education Conference on Thursday.
Four bills were passed on either the House or Senate floors during week seven of the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting on March 21 at 2pm. The main topic of the town hall will be the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) renewal process for 2024. Information will be provided about changes to the sponsor and site applications and new guidance for summer 2024. Join the town hall meeting on March 21 at 2pm at https://ksde.zoom.us/j/87204779621?pwd=NEhrcHloRjBobGtOZTJEWFJtR0tUQT09 (Meeting ID: 872 0477 9621 Passcode: 746337).
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is once again asking for the participation of all parents and guardians of Kansas K-12 students in the Parent Perception Survey. This survey is designed to measure how parents/guardians define success for their children.
Applications for the Increasing Equitable Access to CTE Grant are now available.
KSDE’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted its Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update on Tuesday, Feb. 13. If you were unable to join, click here to view the meeting recording.
Provisional At-Risk Program Application
Science Practice Tests are now available in the Kite® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is currently seeking proposals for presenters and vendors for the Safe and Supportive Schools Conference scheduled for April 15-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission and Emporia State University School of Humanities + Social Sciences are excited to announce the 2024 Civic Engagement Conference. The conference will be held Wednesday, April 10 at Emporia State University Memorial Union, in Emporia. The theme of the conference is “Empowering Kansas through Civic Engagement."
The Kansas State Board of Education at its February meeting approved recommending to the legislature that the five-year research requirement within the current definition of evidence-based instruction be removed from K.S.A. 72-5153.
The Kansas House of Representatives on Thursday passed House Bill 2499. The bill prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle; and prohibits anyone from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle in a school zone at a time when a reduced speed limit is enforced and in a road construction zone while workers are present. HB 2499 was passed 86-30. It will now go to the Senate.
KSDE’s School Bus Safety Unit (SBSU) has a few training opportunities coming up in February and March.
The Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) team partnered with seven regional planning organizations across Kansas to sponsor opportunities to join peers and partners to learn about new CDBG programs that can strengthen your community. The last Road Show will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Atchison.
E-Rate 470 deadlines are just around the corner! Anyone who missed the in-person or Zoom sessions on Funding Year 2024 E-Rate can view a recording of the Zoom session.
Peer collaboration, when done well, is a critical component to continuous improvement. For the 2023-2024 school year, all systems have three options for a peer review (formerly OVT). During this Learning Year for KESA, as a transition, systems have three options for a peer review.
As KSDE prepares to roll out KESA 2.0 in the 2024-2025 school year, there are several projects the agency is undertaking this spring.
The Accreditation and Design (AD) team began meeting individually with systems in mid-January for what is called a “KESA Check-in." This is one of the new supports the team is implementing as part of KESA 2.0, which officially begins in the 2024-2025 school year.
Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, the new accreditation model, KESA 2.0, will involve school systems meeting together once per year for School Improvement Days. As part of this process, KSDE is recruiting teams of facilitators to lead these sessions. The facilitators will be in teams of three and will lead school leadership teams through data conversations, reflective questions, and action planning. KSDE is recruiting interested educators for these roles over the next few months and will conduct training sessions later this spring.
PACK Act Survey Information
The PACK Act, Sub HB 2466, enrolled effective July 1, 2022, requires that each secondary school operated by a district in Kansas offer a computer science course beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. Please see the act's legislative page at this link: Legislative page for HB 2466.
Science Practice Tests are now available Kite® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) standards that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.
The updated Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) were approved by both the Kansas State Board of Education and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. These standards serve as a guide for what we want children to know and be able to do as a result of engagement with caring knowledgeable adults, evidence-based curriculum, and developmentally appropriate activities.
In 2024-2025 Kansas will begin an updated system of accreditation, focused on structured literacy, a balanced assessment system, standards alignment, and high quality instruction.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a professional development event that addresses a balanced assessment system and structured literacy.
21: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., KSDE: Meaningful Feedback to Fuel Instruction. Greenbush, Lawrence. Cost is $35. Meals provided. In person. To register, click here.
Two Kansas teachers on Thursday, Feb. 8, received the surprise of a lifetime when they were presented with a national Milken Educator Award by the Milken Family Foundation. The prestigious recognition comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize and honors outstanding educators across the country for excellence in and out of the classroom.
Seventeen education-related bills were introduced and three bills were passed out of committee during week five of the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session.
Kansas State Board of Education members will hear a presentation on artificial intelligence; receive an overview of a four-day school week; and hear proposed amendments to the Professional Practices Commission (PPC) regulations.
The 2024 School Bus Safety Poster Contest, co-sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit and the Kansas State Pupil Transportation Association, is open to all Kansas students interested in participating.
The Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) team has partnered with seven regional planning organizations across Kansas to sponsor opportunities to join peers and partners to learn about new CDBG programs that can strengthen your community.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the deadline to apply for the second rebate funding opportunity available through the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program to 3:00 p.m. on February 14.
The Preschool-Aged At-Risk Program provides school districts with funding for preschool-aged students.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team will be holding their Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update from 9:00-9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
The Accreditation and Design (AD) team began meeting individually with systems in mid-January for what is called a “KESA Check-in". This is one of the new supports the team is implementing as part of KESA 2.0, which officially begins in the 2024-2025 school year.
Science Practice Tests are now available in the Kite® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) standards that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.
Evidence-Based List and At-Risk
The Kansas State Board of Education at its February meeting will receive recommendations on potential statutory adjustment on Feb. 13, 2024, with possible action to be taken on Feb. 14, 2024. A review of the current list has been conducted. A process for districts and vendors to submit provisional programs and practices is being developed. Districts should expect to hear more developments on this work Spring 2024.
By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract to receive IXL Math at no local cost, district and school administrators are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. Two built-in IXL reports will allow you to create and submit your KSDE reporting in less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is conducting a 2024 Kansas Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grant competition. The 21st CCLC grant provides funds for out-of-school time programs serving students that attend a school with a 40% or higher free/reduced lunch population. The Request for Application can be found at: https://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=740.
The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is now in its fifth year of recognizing school districts for the great work taking place to help the state achieve its vision of leading the world in the success of each student.
The Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment is offering Playful Learning Across the Day in Pre-K, a professional development opportunity.
5-9: National School Counseling Week.
School mental health professionals on Wednesday, Jan. 31, gathered for the 8th Annual School Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Kansas State Capitol to learn more about each other’s work and to raise awareness about the mental health needs of students.
Ten education-related bills were introduced and several bills underwent hearings during week four of the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session.
February is Career and Technical and Education (CTE) Month.
Episode #18 of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series is now available.
The 2024 School Bus Safety Poster Contest, co-sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit and the Kansas State Pupil Transportation Association, is open to all Kansas student interested in participating.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team needs your help verifying how many alternative schools or programs are in operation this school year.
The Kansas State Board of Education at its November meeting approved new graduation requirements. Now, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is developing a new fact sheet to help educators and administrators transition to the new requirements.
House Bill 2085, passed in the 2021 legislative session, created the Students Right to Know Act to provide information on postsecondary education options.
Updates to the Kansas Early Learning Standards were approved by the Kansas State Board of Education at their January meeting. As KSDE’s Early Childhood team prepares to print and distribute copies of these updated standards, they need to know how many are needed for each district.
To provide a broader opportunity for all teachers to get questions answered, brainstorm solutions and for Kansas State Department of Education staff members to help, changes have been made to the KSDE Early Literacy/Dyslexia Literacy Lifeline for 2024.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is conducting a 2024 Kansas Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grant competition. The 21st CCLC grant provides funds for out-of-school time programs serving students that attend a school with a 40% or higher free/reduced lunch population.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child begins kindergarten. Join the Kansas State Department of Education from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, to discuss the 2024-2025 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program for Kindergarten Readiness. KSDE staff will review the 2024-2025 Kindergarten Readiness Rubric, which has been updated to simplify the self-assessment process. Attendees will be invited to share success stories and ideas with their peers.
The Spring Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program will be offered online between Feb. 12-April 12.
Six education-related bills were introduced and the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year team was recognized on the House and Senate floors during week three of the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session.
Eight of the top educators in Kansas came to Topeka earlier this week to learn about and discuss education issues with education leaders; develop strategies for becoming effective communicators; and be recognized by the Kansas House and Senate, as well as the House and Senate Committees on Education.
Basehor-Linwood Unified School District 458 has welcomed volunteers into their schools for several years. It was around 1999, when Tammy Potts…then district coordinator of the school’s volunteer program, decided to take it one step further. That is when the Basehor-Linwood Mentors and Care Cats program was born.
Members of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Teacher Licensure and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teams; Kansas Office of Apprenticeship; business and industry representatives and others participated in the first Kansas Youth Registered Apprenticeship Champion Training to learn how to build and grow the program.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) launched a new webpage for the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program. The new page is a one-stop site that provides resources for district personnel and potential apprentices who are interested in participating in the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission has announced the Mentoring Capacity Building mini-grant, which supports youth mentoring initiatives that implement or enhance one or more of the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring (EEPM) and its supplements.
The 2024 School Bus Safety Poster Contest, co-sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit and the Kansas State Pupil Transportation Association, is now open for any Kansas student.
Jan. 31 is the submission deadline for Application Text-to-Speech checklists for students who are blind, visually impaired or a nonreader to receive text-to-speech for the English language arts passages on the Kansas assessment.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Sept. 28 the second rebate funding opportunity available through the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program.
The Accreditation and Design team has started facilitating meetings called KESA Check-ins with systems in the West, Central and Eastern regions of Kansas, as well as with special purpose schools and urban, suburban and private systems.
Jean Rush, current Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) employee, has been named the East Region KESA executive and began her new role on Monday, January 22. For the Central region KESA executive position, Mindy Bruce, former superintendent at Renwick USD 267 will temporarily fill that role until July 1, 2024, when a permanent executive is named.
Updates to the Kansas Early Learning Standards were approved by the Kansas State Board of Education at its January meeting. As KSDE’s Early Childhood team prepares to print and distribute copies of these updated standards, they need to know how many are needed for each district.
Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families, and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year. All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2).
School districts are invited to participate in an informational session about hosting a Visiting International Teacher (VIT) in the 2024-2025 school year. The webinar will be held from 12-1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the Visiting International Teacher webpage afterwards. Access the webinar at: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/86185961234.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child begins kindergarten. Join the Kansas State Department of Education from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, to discuss the 2024-2025 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program for Kindergarten Readiness. KSDE staff will review the 2024-2025 Kindergarten Readiness Rubric, which has been updated to simplify the self-assessment process.
The Kansas Digital Learning Conference is scheduled for Feb. 15-16 at the Andover eCademy, 1411 N. Main in Andover.
Through March 4: Educator Data Collection System is open now through march 4 for submission of Licensed Personnel Report.
When teacher Margo Ellerman first looked at the rules and guidelines for the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness Local Foods Recipe Challenge, she thought it would serve as a good final to test her students' capabilities and knowledge.
Thirty-two educators from Kansas are being recognized for their outstanding teaching skills through the 2024 Kansas Horizon Award program.
Six education-related bills were introduced during week two of the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session and House Committee on Education members held a hearing on one bill that would require schools to have cardiac emergency response plans in place.
Join Leslie Bruton, data systems coordinator for KSDE’s Teacher Licensure, for an in-person training on the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) and the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reminds people that the deadline for submissions for the Kansas Clean Diesel Program is Monday, Jan. 22.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close on the CommonApp on Friday, Jan. 19.
KSDE’s Accreditation and Design team hosted its KESA Monthly Update on Tuesday, Jan. 9. If you were unable to join, click here to view the meeting recording.
The Spring Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program will be offered online Feb. 12-April 12.
19: Quarterly reporting for ESSER funds on CommonApp closes.
Dr. Frank Harwood, a former teacher, principal and superintendent with 30 years of experience in public education, will begin his duties as Deputy Commissioner of Fiscal and Administrative Services at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) on Friday, Jan. 12.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will oversee an $8.4 million federal grant awarded to the state to create the Kansas Youth Transition Network, a statewide initiative that will help students with disabilities make the transition from education to employment.
Cold temperatures and snow didn’t deter student representatives from several Kansas Career and Technical Student Organizations from gathering in Topeka for the 2024 Citizenship Day.
Two Kansas students have been selected as delegates to the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will take place March 2-9, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Eighteen-year-old Reylli Lopez most likely would have been on a different career path had he not taken a step outside of his comfort zone and become the first-ever, state-paid youth apprentice.
Four days into the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session, six education-related bills are in the works and Gov. Laura Kelly released her budget, proposing to fully fund K-12 public schools, including special education.
A special task force created by the legislature to study the existing funding formula for special education met Friday, Jan. 5, at the Kansas Statehouse to develop recommendations to send to the Kansas Legislature.
Friday, January 5, was the first weekly Educator Data Collection System (EDCS)/Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) training offered via Zoom to help districts and new Licensed Personnel Report Contacts (LPRCS) successfully submit their LPR at the beginning of March.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reminds people that the deadline for submissions for the Kansas Clean Diesel Program is Jan. 22.
Applications for 2024-2025 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grants to provide preschool services are due at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15.
Submission deadlines for quarterly and annual reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds are quickly approaching.
Quarterly reporting for ESSER funds opened on the CommonApp on Tuesday, Jan 2, and will close Jan. 19.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), in conjunction with BTU Consultants, will provide two additional opportunities for E-Rate training via Zoom this month.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) will be the topic of the first workshop of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Professional Development Webinar Series that kicks off at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17.
Through March 4: Educator Data Collection System open now through March 4 for submission of License Personnel Report.
12: Submission deadline for fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.
The Kansas State Board of Education at its first meeting of the year approved the Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS), received an update on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation Framework and learned how the fentanyl crisis is impacting Kansas.
Kansas State Board of Education members will hear a presentation on the fentanyl crisis; receive an update on the new Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) framework, also known as KESA 2.0; and are scheduled to act on the Kansas Early Learning Standards during their January meeting.
A task force required by law to study and make recommendations for changes in the existing funding formula for special education will meet for the first time on Friday, Jan. 5, to hear testimony.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) opened Monday, Jan. 1, for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR).
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds opened on the CommonApp on Tuesday, Jan 2, and will close Jan. 19.
The following spring 2024 ACT and WorkKeys updates are being offered for test coordinators by Lee Jones, ACT/WorkKeys assessment coordinator for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE):
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design will offer Kansas Educational Systems Accreditation (KESA) updates via Zoom from 9-9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Applications for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Association of Educational Office Professionals (AEOP) Margaret Van Horn Scholarship must be postmarked by Friday, Jan. 12.
Experts from across Kansas will help attendees of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) 2024 Summer Academy learn evidence-based methods and strategies that can help positively impact instruction and assessments.
Register now for the Kansas Annual Career and Technical Education Conference in order to lock in discounted pricing.
The Spring Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program will be offered online between Feb. 12-April 12
The deadline to register for the 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference (KDEC) is quickly approaching.
5: Deadline for test coordinators to submit requests for accommodations for ACT.
5: Deadline to submit accommodations requests for ACT through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA). It takes time for approval, so please submit requests early.
The end of the calendar year is always a time for reflection for me. Did I accomplish what I’d hoped? Am I satisfied with my efforts? Did I do everything in my power to ensure Kansas students are positioned for success?
Kansans witnessed positive changes to our educational system, celebrated accomplishments and achievements and also overcame challenges throughout 2023.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Information Technology (IT) team has put together a team of experts to help school technology directors and staff members, along with superintendents, principals and others who are interested, navigate the complex and critical practices of cybersecurity and data privacy.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) will open on Monday, Jan. 1, for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR).
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open on the CommonApp on Tuesday, Jan 2, and close on Jan. 19.
Register now for the Kansas Annual Career and Technical Education Conference to lock in discounted pricing.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring two in-person trainings next month. There is no cost to attend either training.
The Spring 2024 Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program will be Feb. 12-April 12, 2024.
“Inclusion Matters” is the theme for the 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference (KDEC).
CALENDAR
1: KSDE offices closed in observance of New Year’s.
1-March 4: Educator Data Collection System open for submission of Licensed Personnel Report (LPR).
2: Star Assessments Regional Training. Star educators can join the session at Waconda USD 272. Learn more and register here.
Two Kansas school district leaders have been selected as 2023 Superintendents to Watch, an award offered through the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) that honors innovative and effective use of technology to engage and inform the school community.
The Kansas State Board of Education has established meeting dates for 2024 and 2025, following the traditional schedule of meeting the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month.
Do you have ideas regarding evidence-based methods and strategies that can positively impact instruction and assessments? What about ways to invigorate those who are involved in the delivery of education or services provided to Kansas students?
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) will open Jan. 1 for submission of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR).
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open on the CommonApp on Tuesday, Jan 2, and close Jan. 19.
The Kansas State Department of Education School Bus Safety Unit will be holding Transportation Basics Workshops for transportation directors/supervisors from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, in Great Bend.
WorkCTE, like ChatGPT, is becoming even more technical, automated and essential for the future. How are Kansas students being prepared for that? Find out more about WorkCTE at the Kansas Annual Career and Technical Education Conference, scheduled for Feb. 5-7 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring two regional in-person trainings early in January 2024. There is no cost to attend either training.
Bethany College has announced registration is now open for its 2024 education conference, Innovative Next Steps in Pre-K-12 Learning.
Registration is now open for the 2024 Virtual Health Care Career Day, which is scheduled for 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 1.
The Spring 2024 Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program is an eight-week course beginning Feb. 12 and concluding on April 12, 2024.
The 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) Conference offers attendees an opportunity for professional growth and through an array of sessions, networking experiences and other activities.
25: KSDE offices closed in observance of Christmas holiday.
The Kansas State Board of Education at its December meeting approved changes to the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model that will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year.
On Monday, Dec. 11, the Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force adopted its final report and presented it to Gov. Laura Kelly. This report outlines recommendations for how Kansas can streamline and strengthen administration of early childhood programs.
A new tool has been launched to help guide policy and measure the impact of early childhood services in Kansas.
Feedback is being sought on State Determined Performance Levels (SDPLs) before they are released to the general public for a 60-day comment period.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, is the deadline for schools to submit Emergency Safety Intervention Data Collection for reporting period one in the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) application.
Friday, Dec.15, is the deadline for Kansas school counselors to participate in a survey that will help determine spring professional development opportunities.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted a Kansas Educational Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update via Zoom from 9-9:45 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Learning Forward Kansas is hosting Marcia Tate and her presentation “Sit and Get Won’t Grow Dendrites: 20 Professional Learning Strategies that Engage the Adult Brain” from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Feb. 7.
Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, has been announced as one of the featured speakers at the First 1,000 Days Kansas Summit.
The 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference (KDEC) offers attendees an opportunity for professional growth and an array of sessions, networking experiences and other activities.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Kansas Crime Stoppers Association collegiate scholarships.
Celebrate Access! is a new event that explores the unique ways people with visual impairment access the world, and it also celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Braille code.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE)’s Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) staff members are offering KIDS staff training in person and via Zoom in December and January.
The Kansas State Department of Education School Bus Safety Unit will be holding a Transportation Basics Workshop for transportation directors/supervisors from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, in Great Bend.
Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment will host one-day free trainings to help expand understanding of the FastBridge assessment system.
15: Deadline for Kansas counselors to submit feedback survey on 2023 fall professional development.
19: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) training, via Zoom. To register, visit the KSDE Training Portal. You must have an account to register. Upon login, click KIDS and KIDS Training to access courses. The course will focus on using KIDS data, understanding submission types and methods and be more hands-on than in previous years.
Kansas State Board of Education members are scheduled to act on proposed changes to the current accreditation model, legislative priorities for the 2024 legislative session and more during their December meeting.
James Kingsbury was just 12 years old when his father died in 2018.
“I was grieving with that and not seeing a future for myself,” said Kingsbury, now a senior at Larned High School, Fort Larned USD 495. “I thought, ‘Why do it if he’s not there?’ “
In a competition that pits eight states against each other to help celebrate local produce, support local agriculture and recognize the importance of healthy eating, Kansas received fifth place and won two top prizes.
The tables are being turned this week as early childhood educators in Kansas are being taught instead of teaching.
The Kansas State Department of Education Teacher Licensure team has released the Content Test Appeal Application for those who have completed an initial Kansas teacher preparation program and took the content exam twice without achieving a passing score.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking applications for 2024-2025 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grants to provide preschool services.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) currently has a school bus award opportunity open to districts that own and operate their own fleets.
The submission deadline for the fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is Jan. 12, 2024.
Dec. 20 is the deadline for schools to submit Emergency Safety Intervention Data Collection for reporting period one in the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) application.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are available to help with questions or problems and can be contacted through the Literacy Lifeline.
Below are a few steps to help test coordinators prepare for WorkKeys and ACT testing in the spring.
A Kansas Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsor used federal funds from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Farm to School Grant to provide labor-saving equipment and education to 140 CACFP home day cares.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) school counselor leader coordinators invite Kansas school counselors to participate in a survey that will help determine spring professional development opportunities.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting the December town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14.
The Innovative Next Steps in Pre-K-12 Learning Education Conference will take place April 13 at Bethany College and will feature several leaders in education.
As Renaissance begins planning professional learning opportunities sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), the company is seeking educator input.
Kansas Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) and Alignment will host one-day free trainings to help expand understanding of the FastBridge assessment system.
The KSDE Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) will host in-person, full-day Kansas Early Childhood Outcome (ECO) Rating Process Workshops in 2024.
Stakeholders are invited to attend an event focused on better understanding surveys administered to students in Kansas schools.
The University of Kansas has announced the Spring 2024 Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program for Feb. 12-April 12, 2024.
8: 4-5 p.m. KSDE’s monthly math meeting. Topic: Tier Intervention. Zoom: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/88043941824. For more information, contact KSDE’s Jennifer Hamlet via email at jhamlet@kse.org or by phone at 785-296-6823.
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Craig Neuenswander has a way of making people feel supported and at ease. Maybe it’s the kindness he shows everyone who crosses his path, his calm demeanor or the brilliance he’s shared with numerous administrators to help solve financial conundrums during his past 11 years at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
Attendees of the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together, which took place Oct. 25-27 in Wichita, are reminded to complete an evaluation to help KSDE staff members plan for the next conference.
Ornaments featuring artwork by students throughout the United States, including Kansas, will once again adorn trees at the National Christmas Tree site in Washington, D.C.
The United States Department of Education, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is offering free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to interested local educational agencies (LEAs).
Thirteen Kansas school districts have been announced as recipients of the 2022-2025 Stronger Connections grant.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE)’s Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) staff members will offer training sessions in December and January.
Jan. 12, 2024, is the submission deadline for the fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.
School districts and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are annually required to electronically file their CPA Audit Report and/or Single Audit Report with the Kansas Department of Administration, Municipal Services Municipal Services | Kansas Department of Administration (ks.gov).
In celebration of National Career Development Month, which is November, and Individual Plans of Study for each student, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is releasing the following resources developed by REL Central to support IPS implementation in Kansas:
As the state moves to a regional/cohort of support and accountability for Kansas Educational Systems Accreditation (KESA), the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design team recently reconfigured the regions/cohorts map, moving from four regions to three regions and creating two new cohorts of systems.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting two virtual town hall meetings in coming months.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design team recently shared the recording of the monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) update, which took place Tuesday, Nov. 14, via Zoom.
The notification date for the fiscal year 2023 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) equipment assistance grants has been moved back because of the overwhelming number of applications received by the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team.
On Oct. 23, 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) request to waive the requirement for the annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) election deadline and date used to determine the identified student percentage (ISP) for the 2023-2024 school year.
Each sponsor that operates a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is asked to complete the Farm to School Census, regardless of participation in Farm to School activities.
The 2024 Kansas Health Care Virtual Career Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 1.
The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) and the Child Outcome Summary (COS) process were developed to capture the impact of early childhood special education services on young children with disabilities.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will host Science Regional Professional Learning Communities in February and April 2024.
The Association of Teacher Educators of Kansas (ATE-K) is currently accepting session proposals for the 2024 ATE-K/Kansas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (KACTE) Spring Conference.
4: 4-4:30 p.m., Coffee with Counselors, Ugly Sweater Party, Zoom. Connect with KSDE school counselor leader coordinators to celebrate the holidays. Registration Link.
Kansas State Board of Education members at their November meeting received proposed changes to the current accreditation model that Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members say will better connect school improvement and accreditation, allow for a rapid, personalized response to system needs, and increase accountability and support.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has announced the dates for the 2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference.
In the 17th episode of the HirePaths’ Cool Careers video series, host Audrey packs her backpack and heads to preschool to learn all about early childhood education.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program was recognized as the 2023 Outstanding New Program by the Kansas Department of Commerce on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Kansas is leading an effort to create a standardized agreement and data sharing protocol with the Department of Defense (DoD) that would allow states to access accurate, secure and standardized data on military service.
Two Kansas schools are being nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement in 2023.
The Davis-Bacon Compliance requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors who work on construction contracts in excess of $2,000 financed by federal assistance funds to be paid wages not less than those established for the locality of the project (prevailing wage rates) by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE)’s Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) staff members will offer training in the northeast part of the state in December.
Organizations and entities have until 5 p.m. Dec. 18 to apply for $38 million in grants that will help expand on Kansas’ efforts to create new licensed child care slots while adding space to enable work, health monitoring and education supports.
Fifty-eight Kansas Parents as Teachers program coordinators gathered Nov. 6-7 in Wichita for a two-day meeting focused on supporting Kansas families and children through high-quality PAT home visiting services.
A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) updates webinar recording, presentation slides and resource guide are now available online, according to Melanie D. Scott, a Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) school counselor leader coordinator.
The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) hosted an online fall retreat for members of Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) on Nov. 3.
The Kansas Seal of Biliteracy score spreadsheet has been updated and is now available on the Kansas Seal of Biliteracy website.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays through December.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design team hosted a monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) update on Tuesday, Nov. 14, via Zoom.
KSDE will host A Zoom webinar from 11 a.m. - noon on Tuesday, Nov. 28, to discuss the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Reintegration and Postvention Toolkit.
Four Kansas Parents as Teachers affiliates have been named Blue Ribbon affiliates by the Parents as Teachers National Center.
There are two remaining FastBridge and Star trainings for the month of November, said Sheleena Taylor, a Renaissance customer success manager for Kansas.
20: Last day to request December federal funds (Form 240) if funds are available. More information, Rose Ireland, 785-296-4973.
20: 3-3:30 p.m., Coffee with Counselors, Connecting Rural Counselors, Zoom. Connect with rural counselors to discuss topics related to being a counselor in a rural area. Registration Link
23-24: KSDE offices closed in observance of Thanksgiving.
Kansas State Board of Education members will receive proposed changes to the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model and will act on the Kansas Standards for Library and Information Literacy during their November meetings.
The fifth free conference in a series geared toward teachers of all grade levels and content areas brought 170 educators together in Topeka for networking, fun and learning.
A recipe challenge hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness team afforded students from West Elk Unified School District 282 the chance to learn about school nutrition guidelines and how tasty items made with sorghum truly can be.
In 2003, Hanna Kemble Mick’s mother was named a Kansas School Counselor of the Year. Now, two decades later, Kemble Mick is “humbled and honored” to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Mary Kane, who has served as the Kansas FFA Association executive secretary for more than 30 years, was recently recognized by the National Association of Supervisors of Agricultural Education (NASEA) as the 2023 Outstanding Executive Secretary.
Have you filled out the survey for KSDEweekly yet? If not, please click here to answer a few brief questions.
All district state aid requests for December must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 10.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting three in-person meetings for annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) report training.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE)’s Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) staff members will offer training in the southwestern part of Kansas in November and in the northeast part of the state in December.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team will present an updated Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model to the Kansas State Board of Education next week.
Please see the information below for a quick overview of what ACT and WorkKeys test coordinators need to do in the following weeks to prepare for the Spring 2024 WorkKeys and ACT tests:
A Zoom webinar scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10, to discuss the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Reintegration and Postvention Toolkit has been rescheduled for later this month.
The goal of Safe Routes to School is to increase the number of K-12 students in Kansas who walk, bike and roll to school, improve safety, and increase physical activity through policies, programs and projects, said Ann Marie Katt, coordinator of the program.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is seeking feedback to help inform its Farm to Plate team of local food purchasing in school nutrition programs across the state.
The fiscal year 2024 United States Department of Agriculture Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant request for applications (RFA) is now available by clicking here.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Commission Innovation Awards sponsored by America’s Service Commissions (ASC).
The Kansas Volunteer Commission, which is a program of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), is one of three finalists in the Innovation in Civic Engagement and Volunteerism category, according to the ASC website.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Early Childhood team and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) are partnering for an online training on the Ages and Stages Questionnaires ® Third Edition (ASQ:3) and Ages and Stages ®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ: SE-2).
Additional details have been released regarding the Kansas Digital Learning Conference, which is scheduled for Feb. 15-16 at the Andover eCademy, 1411 N. Main in Andover.
Nominations for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9.
Each FastBridge user has access to FASTflix through a state partnership, said Sheleena Taylor, a Renaissance customer success manager for Kansas.
Through Nov. 10: Testing window for PreACT 8/9.
Through Nov. 10: Request for State Foundation Aid for December. More information, contact Rose Ireland at 785-296-4973.
10: KSDE offices closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Shannon Wedel, an elementary school art teacher for Great Bend Unified School District 428, has been named the 2023 Overall Outstanding Art Educator of the Year by the Kansas Art Education Association (KAEA).
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson, along with Deputy Commissioner Dr. Ben Proctor and Accreditation and Design Director Dr. Jay Scott, spent about three hours on Friday, Oct. 27, giving updates and sharing new information with attendees of the Great Ideas in Education Conference.
Updated information for the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be shared from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, during a lunchtime webinar.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Teacher Licensure team has the following message for Licensed Personnel Report Contacts (LPRCs):
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available via Zoom from 10-11 a.m. Nov. 8, to answer questions and discuss the intricacies of migrant student reporting.
The fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds opened Wednesday, Nov. 1 and the deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 2024.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit offers this important reminder about district-owned vehicle markings:
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team has scheduled the following meetings for November:
Kelly Chanay, who has recently served as assistant director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team, has been named the team’s new director.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) counselor leader coordinators have scheduled a variety of professional development opportunities for school counselors throughout November and December.
The KSDE TASN School Mental Health Initiative has announced a self-paced professional development opportunity called Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom eLearning Course.
Applications are available for the Healthier Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Award, which is a recognition system that supports the wellness efforts of child care providers, day care center staff members and home providers participating in CACFP.
The nomination deadline for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year is Thursday, Nov. 9.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Family Leadership Team is seeking parents who would like to participate in one of two roundtable sessions in November.
The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is hosting an online discussion from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, about demographic shifts and the impact they have on Kansas schools.
Each FastBridge user has access to FASTflix through the state partnership, said Sheleena Taylor, a Renaissance customer success manager for Kansas.
3: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., IPS Technical Assistance Opportunity, Greenbush, 947 W. 47 highway, Girard. Click here to register.
8: 10-11 a.m., KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions via Zoom about migrant student reporting. Join the Zoom meeting here. The meeting ID is 894 3382 3936 and the passcode is 388813.
8: Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program, Part 5.
It has been more than a year since the creation of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) external newsletter, KSDEweekly.
More than 500 educators gathered this week in Wichita for the 2023 Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together.
The submission window for the Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) closes Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available via Zoom from 10-11 a.m. Nov. 8 to answer questions and discuss the intricacies of migrant student reporting.
The fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open Nov. 1, and the deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 2024. Completing this report is mandatory to ensure districts continue receiving federal funds without interruption.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking public comment on the proposed Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS).
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE)’s Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) staff will offer training in the southwestern part of Kansas in November.
The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI) is hosting a learning opportunity about teacher recruitment and retention.
Career and technical education (CTE) instructors, coordinators and administrators are invited to attend the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCEER) CTE New Skilled Trades Instructor Workshop Conference on Nov. 8 at the Wichita Airport Hilton DoubleTree.
Two different dates and locations are set for the Kansas MTSS (Multi-Tier System of Supports) and Alignment Reading Roadshow.
Renaissance has announced upcoming FastBridge and Star trainings, said Sheleena Taylor, a Renaissance customer success manager for Kansas.
1-31: National Bullying Prevention Month.
1-31: National Farm to School Month.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Early Childhood team and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) are partnering for an online training on the Ages and Stages Questionnaires ® Third Edition (ASQ- 3) and Ages and Stages ®: Social-Emotional, Second Education (ASQ: SE-2).
Compassionate. Passionate. Supportive. Amazing. Exceptional leader. Those are just a few of the words used by colleagues and friends to describe Cheryl Johnson, the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) director.
Dr. Michelle Hubbard, Shawnee Mission Unified School District 512’s superintendent, has been named the 2024 Kansas Superintendent of the Year, the Kansas School Superintendents Association (KSSA) announced Tuesday, Oct. 17.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) recognized 242 public school districts and eight private systems through the 2023 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program, the highest number since the program’s inception in the 2019-2020 school year.
The fiscal year 2023 annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open Nov. 1 and the deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 2024. Completion of this report is mandatory to ensure districts continue to receive federal funds without interruption.
Mental Health America of the Heartland (MHAH) is pleased to partner with PAXIS Institute and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services to offer fully funded FREE PAX Tools Workshops to parents and caregivers in Kansas.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom Thursday, Oct. 26, to answer questions about Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) reporting.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds closes Friday, Oct. 20.
As the first cycle of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) wraps up, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team wants to share this summary:
Career and technical education (CTE) instructors, coordinators and administrators are invited to attend the National Center for Construction Education and Research CTE New Skilled Trades Instructor Workshop Conference on Nov. 8 at the Wichita Airport Hilton DoubleTree.
Renaissance has announced a new Kansas Landing Page where educators can go for updates, resources and avenues for support, said Sheleena Taylor, a Renaissance customer success manager for Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s math team will host monthly math meetings to go over topics educators wanted to learn more about.
The Kansas State Board of Education at its October meeting received the Kansas State Department of Education’s Annual Report highlighting the state’s educational successes and challenges over the past year.
Kansas state assessment results for math are the highest since 2017, and overall, more students are scoring at proficient levels in math and English language arts than last year.
Kansas school bus drivers helped 191,379 Kansas students roll safely to their destinations during the 2022-2023 school year.
Episode 16 of the HirePaths Cool Careers video series highlights dairy farmers.
Mental Health America of the Heartland (MHAH) has partnered with PAXIS Institute and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services to offer free PAX Tools Workshops to parents and caregivers in Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Teacher Licensure team will be sending out a survey next week to school systems to gather information about their leadership mentoring programs.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team is asking building and district leaders to fill out a survey to gauge participation and interest in the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program.
If you missed the Sept. 29 Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) question and answer session with DGSR and KIDS staff members, it can be found at Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) (ksde.org). There is a link to the slide deck presented and a checklist of items to be considered when looking at the data for the DGSR.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom on Thursday, Oct. 19, and Thursday, Oct. 26, to answer questions about Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) reporting.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close Friday, Oct. 20.
All districts must submit State Aid Request for November by Friday, Oct. 13.
Kansas State Department of Education early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays.
The Kansas State Department of Education Child Nutrition and Wellness team will host a Town Hall meeting via Zoom at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted the first Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) meeting of the 2023-2024 school year on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Kansas's first Apply Free Days will be held Nov. 7-9 for Kansas residents.
Save the date for the Kansas Digital Learning Conference in February.
Join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and Andover Unified School District 385 for an Elementary Science Summit centered around the best thematic units.
The deadline to register for the Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together is Friday, Oct. 13.
Visit Kansas Safe Routes to Schools for ways to get more kids walking, biking, and rolling to school, improve route safety, and increase health and physical activity. Safe Routes to Schools programs can decrease the number of families driving to school, which can reduce traffic, improve air quality, and reduce costs for families.
The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) School Mental Health Initiative (SMHI) is hosting a Trauma-Responsive School Community Facilitation Workshop in January 2024.
The Kansas Senate and House of Representatives are adjourned until Jan. 8, 2024. However, interim committees are already preparing for the upcoming session.
Scott Thellman said he was destined to wear a suit and tie and have a career in the grain trade. Instead, he became a first-generation farmer in Douglas County who is helping introduce Kansas students to fresh, healthy foods by selling his produce to schools.
Teams from West Elk Unified School District 282 and Valley Falls USD 338 have been announced as the winners of the Local Foods Recipe Challenge, which required teams comprised of students, educators, school nutrition professionals and local farmers to develop recipes featuring Kansas-grown products.
Kansas State Board of Education members will review a report from a firearms safety curriculum survey report, hear a presentation on Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training and be introduced to a new accreditation framework.
The deadline to recognize outstanding Kansas students and exemplary first-year teachers is fast approaching.
More than 1,000 Kansas children and students will have opportunities to get up close and personal with airplanes and learn more about aviation when the Fly Kansas Air Tour makes stops across the state.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team is asking building and district leaders to fill out a survey to gauge participation interest in the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Sept. 28 the second rebate funding opportunity through the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close Oct. 20.
One of seven Cluster Review Committees for Career and Technical Education (CTE) charged with reviewing CTE Arts, AV and Communications Cluster met Wednesday, Oct. 4, in Topeka to discuss Graphic Design, Web and Digital Communications, and Digital Media Pathways.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team will host the first Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) meeting of the 2023-2024 school year from 9-9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
*This article appeared last week with a misprint about what group met. It should have stated that it was the Accreditation Advisory Council that had its first quarterly meeting.
Educators and students across the sunflower state wore pink this week to stand up to bullying.
It is officially October, which means it’s crunch time.
Kansas has received an allocation of $252,243 to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including those operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
The United States Department of Agriculture published a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 26, 2023, to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) participation threshold from 40% to 25%.
Are you ready for National School Lunch Week? This celebration runs from Oct. 9-13.
Representatives from colleges, businesses, military and certification programs will be on hand to talk to students about career opportunities during the sixth annual ESSDACK Career Expo.
The Kansas State Department of Education has several Science Regional Professional Learning Communities planned around the state in February 2024.
If you haven’t registered for the Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together, do it soon because registration closes on Oct. 13.
Several FastBridge and Star trainings are scheduled throughout the month of October.
2-6: Kansas Anti-Bullying Awareness Week.
The past week has been a whirlwind of activity for Taylor Bussinger, a social studies teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School, Olathe Unified School District 233.
Shannon Bohm, an architect and president of Schaefer Architecture in Wichita, is a firm believer in career and technical education.
The 2023-2024 Pictorial Directory of Superintendents is now available online.
The Kansas State Department of Education is challenging you to wear pink on Tuesday, Oct. 3, to stand up to bullying.
Dayna Richardson dedicated her life to Kansas education. Her list of service to Kansas and its students is long.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) Online users received the fifth and final installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom on Thursday mornings through Oct. 26 to answer questions about Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) reporting.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available to answer Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund questions on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) will open on Monday, Oct. 2.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open on the CommonApp on Monday, Oct. 2 and close Oct. 20.
The Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) held its first quarterly meeting of the 2023-2024 school year during which members learned about Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) priorities and provided feedback on the four fundamentals of school improvement and Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) expectations set for districts.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team is in the process of scheduling in-person Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) check-ins.
Below are important updates on WorkKeys, PreACT 8/9 and ACT:
Kansas is participating in the fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off on Oct. 12 and needs your help to reach its goal of 50,000 crunches statewide.
The Kansas Digital Learning Conference will take place Feb. 15-16 at the Andover eCademy, 1411 N. Main in Andover.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) administers several award programs for districts to recognize outstanding students and teachers throughout the state.
The 71st annual Fall Conference for School Counselors, slated for Nov. 17, will feature a keynote presentation from award-winning educator Brandi Heather.
Several FastBridge and Star trainings are scheduled throughout the month of October, including a fall Star Regional training on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Presenters are needed for the 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference, which is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Wichita Airport in Wichita.
29: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., CTE Technical Assistance opportunity, Orion, 13939 Diagonal Ave., Clearwater. Click here to register.
29: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register.
The Kansas State Department of Education is sponsoring a Star regional training on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
With the first day of school several weeks behind us and fall looming, staff members from Kansas schools were busy on Wednesday, Sept. 20, counting students for Enrollment Count Day.
Four Kansas elementary schools have been designated 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona announced Tuesday, Sept. 19.
This is an exciting weekend for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and eight of the state’s top educators. On Saturday, Sept. 23, KSDE will announce the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year during the Dale Dennis Kansas Teacher of the Year Banquet in Wichita.
Reminder: Anyone who drives a school bus and/or activity bus with a passenger rating of 16 or more (including the driver) and/or a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, per federal and state law, is required to have a commercial driver’s license with a school bus and passenger (P&S) endorsement.
The Fall Vacancy Report (FVR), which is accessible in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS), is due by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25.
To be considered for 2023-2024 mentor stipends, mentor teacher information needs to be entered into the Mentor Programs application by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25.
District leadership teams wanting to enroll in the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Adaptive Schools Training need to do so by Friday, Sept. 22.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is offering you a firsthand look at Kansas farms as part of the Farm to Plate program.
22: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., CTE Technical Assistance opportunity, Greenbush, 1104 E. 1100 Road, Lawrence. Click here to register.
22: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Kansas MTSS and Alignment Regional FastBridge training session, DoubleTree by Hilton, 200 McDonald Drive, Lawrence. Click here to register. Space is limited. The training sessions are sponsored by Kansas MTSS and Alignment.
22: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register. This series will conclude Friday, Sept. 29.
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Kansas State Board of Education approved licensure test changes.
Aspiring Kansas educators seeking a standard initial teaching license will no longer have to take the Principle of Learning and Teaching (PLT) pedagogy exam as a requirement for licensure.
Maehlee Her, a fifth-grade student at McCarter Elementary School, Topeka Unified School District 501, was all smiles as she exited the new inflatable Body Venture exhibit on Thursday, Sep. 7. Maehlee Her, a fifth-grade student at McCarter Elementary School, Topeka Unified School District 501, was all smiles as she exited the new inflatable Body Venture exhibit on Thursday, Sep. 7.
The Kansas Corporation Commission this week is joining utility regulatory commissions nationwide in observing Digital Connectivity and Lifeline Awareness Week.
The 15th episode of HirePaths’ Cool Careers video series just dropped.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) submitted its annual budget request on Friday, Sept. 8.
The Fall Vacancy Report (FVR), which is accessible in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS), is due Monday, Sept. 25.
Kansas statute designates Sept. 20 as Enrollment Count Day, the date that is used to determine the number of students regularly enrolled for funding purposes.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fourth installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s science team has been working hard at piloting a Science Standards Unpacking Tool.
District leadership teams wanting to learn how to foster innovation while maintaining and supporting foundational practices that have proven to be impactful are encouraged to sign up for the Kansas State Department of Education’s four-day Adaptive Schools Training.
You are invited to get a firsthand look at what’s happening out “in the field” of Farm to Plate as the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team announces regional farm tours across Kansas.
Seven additional Kansas schools will receive hydroponic farm classrooms thanks to a two-year, $1,052,000 Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Community Capacity Grant that Gov. Laura Kelly announced earlier this week.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Safe Routes to School program is providing planning assistance and kick-start grants to schools and communities interested in Safe Routes to School.
It may be several months away, but now is a great time to add the 42nd annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference to your calendar.
Last week, the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund announced a new grant opportunity. The Capital Projects Fund Accelerator will award $38 million in construction-only grants for community multi-purpose facilities to expand on the state’s efforts to create new licensed child care slots while adding space to enable work, health monitoring and education supports.
Participants of the Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports and Alignment’s pre-K make-and-take trainings will learn how to intentionally plan for centers and small group instruction within the preschool classroom.
15: 8:30 a.m.-noon, Counting KIDS Workshop, Cimmaron High School Auditorium, 400 N. 5th in Cimmaron. https://learning.ksde.org/.
Topeka High School Drumline members pounded out a rhythmic cadence Tuesday morning in front of the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC) as a bright blue tour bus pulled into a circular drive in front of the school.
Kansas State Board of Education members will act on licensing test change recommendations and receive a recap of the success of the 2023 Sunflower Summer program during their monthly meeting next week.
Rachel Swearengin, a fifth-grade teacher at Manchester Park Elementary School, is amongst the 10 finalists for the 2023 National History Teacher of the Year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute announced this week.
The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund announced a new grant opportunity Tuesday.
During the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Kick Off event on Aug. 10, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team outlined three expectations that exist for every system during the 2023-2024 school year.
The sixth annual Kansas Vision Symposium will be Oct. 27 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, 400 West Douglas Ave. in Wichita.
The 2023 Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together offers three outstanding keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and the chance to meet like-minded educators from across the state.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring an upcoming panel discussion and a fall Star regional training.
A four-week, text-dependent book study can assist English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and general education teachers in understanding language acquisition; planning, teaching and assessing English language lessons; and using evidence-based skills and activities.
Kansas school districts are encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year award program.
The Kansas State Department of Education is hosting a 10-week professional development study via Zoom focusing on structure literacy interventions.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the School-Based Mental Health 2023-2024 ECHO series is gearing up to equip and empower school-based professionals with resources to address suicide in their school communities.
8: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register. This series will conclude Friday, Sept. 29.
8: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., CTE Technical Assistance opportunity, Smoky Hill Education Service Center, 605 E. Crawford St., Salina. Click here to register.
“Joe and I were thrilled to welcome educators, students and families to the White House to celebrate the start of a new school year – one filled with possibility and discovery,” first lady Jill Biden posted Aug. 26 on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
A new monitoring report created by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is making it easier for districts to determine missing child entry and exit data reported in the Outcomes Web System (OWS).
Last week, Child Care Aware of Kansas released the 2023 Child Care Supply Demand Report.
Accreditation regulations authorize districts to apply for waivers to extend the number of days an individual may serve on a substitute license.
The Kansas State Department of Education will be sending out a link to an online scheduling calendar by Sept. 8 to districts that had professional development plans expire July 31, 2022, or July 31, 2023, so that an in-person PD review meeting can be scheduled.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking information from districts about leadership mentoring programs.
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a live webinar to walk through required reporting for Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grantees.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the third installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Below is some valuable information from ACT regarding the state paid PreACT 8/9:
Author and presenter Dr. Carol Brooks Simoneau will lead the Kansas State Department of Education’s four-day Adaptive Schools Training during the 2023-2024 school year.
Remembering four simple steps to handle food safely can help save your life or the life of a friend or family member. Clean. Separate. Cook. Chill.
It’s crunch time!
A four-week text dependent book study can assist English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and general education teachers in understanding language acquisition; planning, teaching and assessing English language lessons; and using evidence-based skills and activities.
If you haven’t already registered to attend one of this year’s Counting KIDS workshops, there is still time to sign up for one of the September sessions.
Kansans are invited to celebrate literacy Sept. 4-10, which Gov. Laura Kelly has proclaimed Kansas Literacy Week.
There are several IXL Math resources available to help teachers and students have a successful 2023-2024 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is providing Individual Plan of Study (IPS) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Technical Assistance training opportunities this fall at educational service centers across the state.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering free access to videos and support documents from four professional development sessions provided this summer.
Teachers who are comfortable expressing honest opinions and concerns are four times more likely to be excited about their future careers in education, according to a survey by the Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations (QISVA).
Back by popular demand, the Fresh Look at Phonics text-based professional learning opportunity will start at 5 p.m. Sept. 20.
31: 5 p.m., deadline for completed Stronger Connections Grant (SCG). Instructions and required forms are located in the Request for Application at the following link: https://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=792.
All Kansas school counselors are invited to join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Counselor Leader Coordinators for a meet and greet via Zoom from 4-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.
“More than 25,000 planes take off and land each day in the United States,” correspondent Maya shares in the first video of the third season of “Cool Careers.” “But did you know, most of these planes get their start in Kansas?”
Did you know the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) offers a variety of ways you can honor your peers, as well as students and your school?
College credit is being offered through Baker University and MidAmerica Nazarene University for the Kansas State Department of Education’s 2023 Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together.
With the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team wants to remind everyone of the process to add an endorsement to an initial or professional license.
The Kansas Every Child Can Read Act, K.S.A. 72-3262, provides a legislative statement of intent regarding the promotion of academic achievement in schools to ensure that all students move toward grade-level proficiency in literacy, especially by third grade.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available from 10-10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, via Zoom to answer Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) questions.
Strong instructional leadership is crucial to system change and continuous improvement. Leading a system through change and adaptive challenges requires intentionality and professional learning.
This fall, the U.S. Department of Education invites high schools to enter the Your Place in Space Challenge — a CTE Momentum challenge to create new solutions for space and inspire students to envision careers in the space industry.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering free access to videos and support documents from four professional development sessions that were provided this summer.
FastBridge screening assessment measures give instructional teams a wealth of data. However, how do teams harness that data to inform instructional practice at the ground level?
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) annual Counting KIDS Workshops begin Monday, Aug. 28, and continue on selected dates through Sept. 13, in advance of the Sept. 20 Count Day.
25: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register. This series will conclude Friday, Sept. 29.
28: 1-4:30 p.m. Counting KIDS Workshop, Oakley, Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center, 703 W. 2nd, Oakley. Register by Aug. 21 on the KSDE Training Portal at https://learning.ksde.org/.
29: 8:30 a.m.-noon, Counting KIDS Workshop, Cimarron High School Auditorium, Cimmaron USD 102, 400 N. 5th, Cimarron. Register by Aug. 21 on the KSDE Training Portal at https://learning.ksde.org/.
Over the span of four days, members of Gov. Laura Kelly’s Early Childhood Transition Task Force met with around 500 Kansans in nine Kansas communities to talk about early childhood across the state as part of the Community Engagement Tour.
A student is forced to provide sexual favors to a family member in order to receive food.
A sixth-grade student is choked out by her eighth-grade boyfriend, who records the incident and shares it. Within a few days, the boy has offers from more than 30 men who are willing to pay to sexually assault the young girl.
Before Dolly Parton’s father died, he told his daughter that her Imagination Library was one of the most important things the singer-songwriter had done during her lifetime.
Strands for the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together offer something for everyone.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the second installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Kansas Parents as Teacher (PAT) affiliates served 8,323 children and 6,178 families from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, statistics from affiliates’ annual reports show.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available from 10-10:30 a.m. Aug. 31 via Zoom to answer Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) questions.
Three Kansas school districts and two organizations were recently honored for outstanding practices in Child Nutrition and Wellness programs that help support the Kansans Can vision.
School counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists and administrators are invited to join the School-Based Mental Health 2023-2024 ECHO series for free.
Information provided during a Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) kickoff meeting last week is now available online.
All eligible students are encouraged to apply for the 2024 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP).
FastBridge screening assessment measures give instructional teams a wealth of data. However, how do those teams utilize that data to inform instructional practice at the ground level?
Calendar
18: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register. This series will conclude Friday, Sept. 29.
23: 9 a.m., School-Based Mental Health 2023-2024 ECHO series begins via Zoom. For more information, topics, dates and to register for this free opportunity, visit https://www.kumc.edu/community-engagement/our-divisions/project-echo/current-series/school-based-mental-health-echo.html.
Kansas State Board of Education members at their August meeting approved adjusting the current Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) cycle to allow systems to follow the KESA Learning Year timeline for the 2023-2024 school year.
Since 2004, 1,013 exemplary American history educators have been recognized as State History Teachers of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This year, Rachel Swearengin, a fifth-grade teacher at Manchester Park Elementary School, joins them.
The top three winners of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Art Contest have been announced.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson went head-to-head in a bus rodeo competition with Mollie Cornwell, a five-time State Safe Driver Competition winner and school bus driver at Derby Unified School District 260, for this year’s back-to-school video.
Kansas families have only a few days left to enjoy free access to museums, zoos, historic landmarks, outdoor locations and other attractions across the state. The 2023 Sunflower Summer program ends Sunday, Aug. 13.
Registration is now available for the next LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training cohort, which begins January 2024.
The Mentor Programs application system is now open for entering mentor teachers for stipend review.
This reminder is for Professional Development Councils (PDCs) in preparing professional development transcripts.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now open for submitting the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR) and entering the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) data.
Members of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team hosted two Zoom meetings Thurs., August 10, to share with systems what will be expected during the 2023-2024 KESA Learning Year.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) administers several award programs that can help districts recognize outstanding students and teachers throughout the state.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is providing Individual Plan of Study (IPS) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Technical Assistance opportunities this fall at educational service centers across the state.
Registration is open for the virtual Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education Summit, which will take place 9-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.
Kansas high schools are invited to register for the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) 2023 Apply Kansas Campaign.
11: Noon-1 p.m., KSDE weekly “ASQ Tips and Questions Session.” KSDE staff members will be available to answer questions and help with the ASQ. Visit the KSDE TASN Calendar at ksdetasn.org/events to register. This series will conclude Friday, Sept. 29.
13: Last day of Sunflower Summer program.
Kansas State Board of Education members will review guidelines for graduation requirements, present the Kansas State Department of Education Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) Kansans CAN 2022-2023 Best Practice Awards and more next week during their August meeting at the Landon State Office Building in Topeka.
The Kansas State Board of Education has established regular meeting dates for 2024 and 2025, following the traditional schedule of meeting on the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month.
The Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together will offer professional development to help school districts improve policies and strategies that ensure safer learning environments and even stronger teaching and learning practices for every Kansas student.
To help bring even more awareness to human trafficking – worldwide, almost 20% of all trafficking victims are children – the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and CareSource HealthAlliance are partnering to bring the film “Wake Up” to Kansas.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users receive the first installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
The due date for submitting the Stronger Connections Grant has been extended to 5 p.m. Sept. 15.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now open for submitting the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR) and Eentering the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) data.
The Accreditation and Design (AD) team will share a presentation on technical changes to the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model for the 2023-2024 school year during a KESA kickoff meeting Thursday, Aug. 10.
Applications for the 2024 Kansas Horizon Award program are now available.
As the state prepares for singer-songwriter Dolly Parton’s visit and students are preparing to return to school, it is a great time to remind families that every Kansas child from birth to age 5 can receive free books every month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) is offering several child abuse prevention and strengthening families training topics in August and September, including some evening opportunities.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS) are partnering to host a monthly virtual professional learning community for educators in their first through third years of teaching science.
8-9: Kansas State Board of Education meeting. View the live stream at https://www.ksde.org/Board/Kansas-State-Board-of-Education/Streaming-Media.
9: 1-1:45 p.m. Informational webinar on Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom E-Learning Course. Register for the informational webinar here.
Brook Train and Chelsea Warner were two of 15 aspiring teachers who made history on Tuesday, July 25, with the announcement of the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program.
Devin Garcia and L A Adams may have been the only two people from outside of Kansas to attend this year’s EdCamp Kansas event earlier this week, but that didn’t deter them from soaking up everything they could learn from the dozens of other educators in attendance.
Nearly 400 educators were brought together for the Kansas State Department of Education Special Education and Title Services (SETS) two-day Leadership Conference at Hyatt Regency Wichita and Century II Convention Center.
Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton is stopping in Kansas on Aug. 14 for a private event to celebrate the statewide success of her Imagination Library program.
The Kansas Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template can help districts estimate preschool revenue and budget across multiple funding sources. An updated version of this tool for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years is now available.
The Kansas State Department of Education will host an informational webinar at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, about the Stronger Connections Grant (SCG).
The Reasonable Suspicion Training on Wednesday, July 19, brought 85 commercial driver’s license supervisors to Topeka.
The Accreditation Review Council (ARC) plays a critical role in advancing the Kansas vision for education by assuring education systems are implementing effective continuous improvement processes that lead to improved student results.
Human trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest – after drug dealing - criminal industry in the world, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Several resources are available to support schools in engaging with the families of incoming kindergarteners to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ: SE-2).
28: KSDE will host a Zoom meeting to review the steps schools can take to prepare for a successful Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot. Click here to register for the Get Ready for the 2023 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot Zoom (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 28).
31: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in-person training appropriate for K-12 school counselors to set up 2023-2024 comprehensive school counseling program for success, Southwest Plains Conference Center, 810 W. Lark Ave. in Sublette. Registration is $25 per person, which includes lunch. For more information, click here. To register for the training, click here.
Final numbers show that 34 families comprised of 61 adults and 75 children – 136 in total – participated in this year’s Sunflower Summer Family Campout on July 13-14 at Eisenhower State Park.
The Kansas Highway Patrol will be working to ensure students are safe on their travels to and from school. Every July and August, KHP troopers partner with school districts across the state to check all school buses and ensure they are in proper working condition.
Gov. Laura Kelly recently announced that $4.1 million in Community Service Program (CSP) Tax Credits has been awarded to 36 nonprofit organizations across the state to boost fundraising efforts focused on improving local access to quality child care, health care, education, arts and housing.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Child Care Licensing Team is conducting a comprehensive review of Kansas child care licensing regulations. Visit the KDHE website to learn more about this work.
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success.
The updated protocol for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Dyslexia Initiative Universal Screening is now available for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will host an informational webinar at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, about the Stronger Connections Grant (SCG).
Registration is open for the annual Counting KIDS Workshops led by Laurel Murdie, director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Fiscal Auditing team.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close at the end of the business day on Friday, July 21.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team will host a Thursday Townhall meeting at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24.
As summer break comes to an end and everyone gears up for the beginning of the school year, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) After-School Meals and Snacks can again be served to children located in low-income areas.
The Accreditation and Design (AD) team will share a presentation on technical changes to the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model for the 2023-2024 school year during a KESA kickoff meeting in August.
The Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) is a critical partner with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). The AAC provides input and feedback to KSDE on accreditation documents, procedures and processes.
Eighty-two students from the SkillsUSA Kansas delegation competed in skilled trades and leadership competitions at the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Championships Conference from June 19-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gary Scott, of Olathe, has been selected as a Teacher of Excellence by the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) and the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA).
21: Quarterly reporting for ESSER funds closes on CommonApp.
24: 9-11 a.m., FastBridge Essentials: Progress Monitoring Day 1. Virtual. Get started with a quick tour of how to navigate the FastBridge system and then dive into assessments you can use to progress monitor students: CBM Automatically, CBM Reading and Early Reading Nonsense Words. Register here.
Kansas State Board of Education members during their July meeting approved lists of Career and Technical Education (CTE) credentials, received an update about teacher vacancies and learned about technical changes being made to the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) model for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has been granted Education Flexibility Program (Ed-Flex) authority from the United States Department of Education.
More than 100 people camped for free and learned all about the great outdoors July 13-14 at Eisenhower State Park thanks to the 2023 Sunflower Summer program.
The Kansas State Board of Education has requested all school districts complete an online survey to learn which school districts offer a firearms safety training program for students.
Kansas has appropriated $1 million for professional development to Kansas educators to support computer science program delivery and/or program expansion to meet critical technical workforce development needs.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will remain open in the CommonApp through Friday, July 21.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has these important reminders about Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds:
Registration for the 2023 Kansas Home Visiting Virtual Conference opened Monday, July 10.
17: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 2023-2024 School Year Kick-Off Event for Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Programs. Jump Start offers a blend of in-person, live virtual, on-demand and personalized training opportunities for new and aspiring school food service directors and managers. This training opportunity is for those with less than three years of experience. For more information about the program or event, contact KSDE’s Kelly Chanay at kchanay@ksde.org. All participants must register at https://ksde.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_577eu6HSSn2VhRk.
17: Registration deadline for Fort Hays State University’s Trauma-Informed Practices virtual workshop. The workshop is 9-11 a.m. July 25-26. The cost is $40. To register, contact Mary Cooper by email at mccooper2@fhsu.edu or by phone at (785) 628-4283.
Kansas State Board of Education members will hear about recommended technical changes to the accreditation process, review the legal provisions and State Board processes for the dissolution of a unified school district and more next week during their July meeting at the Landon State Office Building in Topeka.
The Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force stopped in nine cities across Kansas last week during its Community Engagement Tour, allowing more than 500 Kansans to share insight and feedback on the successes and challenges affecting the early childhood sector.
Gov. Laura Kelly last week signed House Bill 2292, legislation that promotes and expands apprenticeships with businesses, healthcare organizations, educational institutions and nonprofit groups through the use of tax credits and grants.
Thanks to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant, there are three regional Local Foods Culinary Workshops scheduled in July and August.
Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting the summer academy, “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.”
The Accreditation and Design (AD) team is scheduled to present to the State Board of Education from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.
Registration for the 2023 Kansas Home Visiting Virtual Conference will open Monday, July 10.
Melanie Scott, a Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) school counselor leader coordinator, is facilitating a training on July 31 that can help each school counselor set up their 2023-2024 comprehensive school counseling program for success.
7: 11 a.m. to noon, Kansas counselors group chat. Watch for an email from KSDE’s Kent Reed for a link to this event.
9: Deadline for applications to become a HirePaths teacher ambassador. For more information, email info@hirepaths.com. Learn more and apply here: https://hirepaths.com/for-educators/become-a-hirepaths-ambassador.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) announced Thursday, June 29, that the state of Kansas has met special education compliance reuirements on its state level of determination.
Fifty-five years ago, then-Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis started a tradition of hosting summer workshops to help school district personnel with school budgets. The tradition has been kept alive.
The Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force Community Engagement Tour is underway this week. The task force is visiting nine cities across the state to discuss successes and challenges affecting the early childhood sector.
Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund earlier this week announced funding awards to 52 statewide organizations, including several affiliated with school districts, for the purpose of creating new and sustainable high-quality licensed child care slots and to accelerate capacity building in support of families, businesses and economic development.
School nutrition programs around the country have faced significant challenges in recent years, including supply chains for food and labor.
Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting their second and final summer academy, “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.”
Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit is hosting free Transportation Basics Workshops for transportation directors and supervisors in July.
Friday, June 30, is the deadline for systems to submit and correct chronic absentee data via the End of the Year Assessment (EOYA) record.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a kickoff event for the Jump Start program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka.
Reasonable Suspicion Training for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Supervisors will be offered for free from 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the Kansas Association of School Boards, 1420 S.W. Arrowhead Road, in Topeka.
Thanks to a United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant, there are three regional Local Foods Culinary Workshops scheduled in July and August.
The Kansas Parents as Teachers Association (KPATA) hosts a variety of professional development for early childhood providers and members, including monthly trainings that are topic specific.
The University of Kansas School of Medicine’s virtual fall 2023 Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training will be Aug. 14-Oct. 13.
30: Deadline for Child Nutrition and Wellness KANSANS CAN 2022-2023 Best Practice Awards. One-page nomination form is available here.
30: Deadline to submit and correct chronic absentee data via the End of the Year Assessment (EOYA) record.
A total of 70,686 adults and children have visited Sunflower Summer venues from May 26-June 18. This is an increase of 30,306 people – or 43% – over the same time frame in 2022.
Gov. Laura Kelly’s Early Childhood Transition Task Force will host community engagement sessions June 27-30.
More information about the Kansas State Department of Education’s Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together from Oct. 25-27 at the Wichita Hyatt and Convention Center is now available.
Kansas educators are invited to sign up for the 2023 Keep It Clean, Kansas (KICK) Outreach Challenge sponsored by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Bureau of Waste Management.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Technical Assistance System Network’s (TASN) School Mental Health Initiative is hosting an e-learning course and e-coaching series.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is helping thousands of children across Kansas access nutritious meals and snacks this summer.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members who work with Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) are available via Zoom on Thursday, June 29, regarding end-of-the-year collections.
The deadline for systems to submit and correct chronic absentee data via the End of the Year Assessment (EOYA) record is Friday, June 30.
Kansas educators are invited to apply to become a HirePaths teacher ambassador and earn a $2,000 stipend.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Child Care Licensing Team is conducting a comprehensive review of Kansas child care licensing regulations.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) are partnering to offer Reasonable Suspicion Training for commercial driver’s license (CDL) supervisors from 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the Kansas Association of School Boards, 1420 S.W. Arrowhead Road, in Topeka.
The deadline to register for the Kansas State Department of Education’s New Superintendents Budget Workshop is 4 p.m. Friday, June 23.
The University of Kansas School of Medicine has announced its fall 2023 Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training, which will be Aug. 14-Oct. 13.
Fort Hays State University is hosting three workshops via Zoom this summer designed for school counselors and K-12 educators.
23: 4 p.m., registration deadline for New Superintendents Budget Workshop. The workshop will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Salina District Office, 1511 Gypsum Ave. in Salina. Registration is limited to new superintendents and first-year board clerks or business managers. Register by contacting Deborah Howard via email at deborah.howard@usd305.com or via phone at 785-309-4727. There is a $15 fee to cover a meal and refreshments.
The Kansas State Board of Education in 2015 announced a new vision for education – Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.
“This is the greatest experience ever,” Sydney Parcell told her teammates and team captain as she took a break from brainstorming ideas for the Make48 collaborative inventor challenge at the Kansas School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kansas, on Friday, June 9.
Thirty-seven educators who will for the first time be at the helm of Kansas school districts during the 2023-2024 school year had the opportunity to network, build new relationships, ask questions and share concerns during the 2023 Kansas School Superintendents’ Association New Superintendent Workshop.
Professional Development Councils (PDCs) can now accept work from Idaho State University’s Albion Center if the activity meets the definition of “in-service education,” the Kansas State Department of Education’s Teacher Licensure team has announced.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members who work with Kansas Individual Data on Students are available via Zoom on Thursdays through the end of June regarding end-of-the-year collections.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available to answer questions and help with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) topics via Zoom from 10-10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 22.
Systems have until June 30 to submit and correct chronic absentee data via the End of the Year Assessment (EOYA) record.
The updated final stipend amounts for 2023 qualified mentors are listed below:
Educators are invited to learn more about IXL Math in Kansas through webinars being offered on Tuesdays in June.
It isn’t too late to register for a 2023-2024 Kansas State Department of Education Budget Workshop.
19: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. KSDE Budget Workshop, Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, 947 West 47 Highway, Girard. Register here by June 16. Registration fee is $25, which includes lunch.
20: 10-11 a.m. FastBridge FastTrack 101: Grades 4-5. Virtual. This KSDE-sponsored professional development opportunity will teach participants about universal screening with FastTrack Reading and Math at your grade level. This session will be an overview of assessments and reports for fourth and fifth grades. Register here.
Ask 15-year-old Abby Vandaveer what she wants to do after high school, and you will get a quick and definitive answer – an elementary special education teacher.
Although Kansas educators enjoyed fun activities like hiking, painting lessons, golf, team building activities and music during the Educators Recharge Retreat earlier this week, the focus was on mental health and well-being.
The Early Childhood Transition Task Force will embark on a statewide community engagement tour to discuss the challenges communities face in supporting children through their earliest years, Gov. Laura Kelly announced earlier this week.
Kansas State Board of Education members will hear a discussion about educational options for foster students, review the Every Child Can Read Act and more next week during their June meeting at the Landon State Office Building in Topeka.
Jennifer Farr, a fifth-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Junction City, has been named a 2023 Lowell Milken Center Fellow.
Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.”
Twenty-nine Kansas school districts/systems and service centers have professional development plans that expire Monday, July 31.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) staff members will be available to answer questions and help out with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) topics via Zoom from 10-10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 22.
The Base State Aid for Excellence amount for the 2023-2024 is:
The deadline to submit applications for the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) grant and the Safe and Secure Schools grant is 5 p.m. Friday, June 9.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission is hosting a civic engagement training opportunity.
The 2023-2024 KSDE Budget Workshops kick off Wednesday, June 14, at Southwest Plains Regional Service Center in Sublette.
12: 9 a.m.-noon, KSDE Summer School Counseling Virtual Academy. Registration required. For more information or to register, click here.
12-13: 9 a.m.-noon, KSDE and Phenomenon Elementary Science Education virtual training. There will be approximately two hours of additional asynchronous engagement before, during and after the training. Applicants will be asked to commit to engaging during this time. College credit is optional, and certificates of professional learning will be provided. There is no cost to participants. Please email mrichard@ksde.org with questions.
Two Kansas eighth graders competed this week in the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission has announced the Social Justice Capacity Building mini-grant, which is designed to help volunteer and mentor initiatives in Kansas build their capacity around social justice.
A program that aims to increase the number of first-generation, lower-income and underrepresented high school students who pursue postsecondary plans isn’t just impacting the lives of students, it is also helping adults from across the state determine their career paths.
Within the first six days of the 2023 Sunflower Summer program, more than 14,800 people visited venues across the state. With this pace, the program is on track to substantially exceed the number of participants from the first week of 2022.
The 2022-2023 school year may be over, but the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD) is looking to the next school year when it will host a national deaf basketball tournament, as well as a track and field conference meet during the spring semester.
A balanced assessment system, early learning, leadership, technology, and safe and supportive schools are just a few of the topics that will be discussed at the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together.
The Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) tool is now integrated into KN-CLAIM with information pulled from prior years to assist with completion.
Sponsors should make plans to attend a School Nutrition Program (SNP) administrative update training this summer.
Accreditation regulations authorize state-approved local education agencies (LEAs) to apply for waivers to extend the number of days an individual can serve on a substitute teaching license.
Attention superintendents, clerks and business managers of school districts: Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend a budget workshop presented by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Craig Neuenswander and Dale Brungardt, director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) School Finance team.
Kansas school counselors are invited to join the free KSDE Summer School Counseling Virtual Academy from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, June 12.
4: 3-5 p.m. Orientation session for Kodály Certification Courses at Wichita State University. To register, or for more information, visit www.wichita.edu/kodaly or email Steve Oare or Matt Hanne.
5-16: 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday) Kodály Certification Courses at Wichita State University. Cost for the noncredit workshop is $600. Courses also can be taken for graduate credit. Housing is available. All classes take place at the Duerksen Fine Arts Building on the Wichita State University campus. To register, or for more information, visit www.wichita.edu/kodaly or email Steve Oare or Matt Hanne.
An educational program that promotes learning and family engagement during the summer by allowing Kansas families free access to museums, zoos, historic landmarks, outdoor locations and other attractions will kick off May 26.
Angel Lira knows anything is possible.
In 2022, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Technical Assistance System Network (TASN), Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) and TASN Evaluation Team, developed and updated a free family engagement survey designed to inform district and building leaders about their district’s/building’s success at engaging parents in the education of children.
Character development is an integral part of the educational experience for students at Beloit Unified School District 273. Kansas, as well as the nation, are celebrating schools within the district that are doing an outstanding job helping students develop positive character traits.
Make plans now to join the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team for the 2023-2024 Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Program kick-off event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness team wants to remind school meal program operators that Sodium Target 1A, as promulgated by the Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium – Final Rule, goes into effect July 1 in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) only.
Sponsors serving summer meals through the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in July and/or August must complete and be approved for school year 2023-2024 operations before July 1.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is offering several training opportunities throughout the summer months.
The last day to enter data into the Early Childhood Foundations to School Success authenticated web application is Wednesday, May 31.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has these important reminders about Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) topics:
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team shared these updates and reminders:
Join Nick Hurd, Kansas’ IXL Professional Learning Lead, as he shares best practices and resources for using IXL this summer, both for summer school and for independent summer learning, on Tuesday, May 30.
Are you looking for a way to sharpen your teaching skills and musicianship? Or perhaps a way to renew yourself musically at the end of the year? Would you like to join a community of educators interested in refining their pedagogical processes?
Every year, the Kansas Art Education Association (KAEA) recognizes exemplary contributions, achievements and service to the profession by educations within the state of Kansas.
Mark your calendar and make plans to attend a budget workshop presented by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Craig Neuenswander and Dale Brungardt, director of KSDE’s School Finance team.
25: Due date for Remote Learning Report (spring semester).
23: 3:30-4:30 p.m., FastBridge Lightning Round. A space for collaboration, resources and asking questions. Exclusively for Kansas educators. Virtual event. Register here.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is currently seeking feedback and public comments on the Kansas English language arts (ELA) standards.
Jihyeon “Elly” Han, 14, doesn’t plan to pursue art as a career despite winning numerous state, national – and now, international – awards for her artwork.
A bill that fully funds K-12 schools and protects funding for schools facing declining enrollment was signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday, May 18.
Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday, May 15, signed Senate Bill 25 into law.
During the May 2023 Kansas State Board of Education meeting, amendments to regulations governing the use of Emergency Safety Interventions were approved by State Board members.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team has released additional information about the emergency substitute license temporary modification, which the Kansas State Board of Education voted to extend for two years.
The Patterson Family Foundation is offering grants for child care centers operated by public school systems.
The window to submit data for Early Childhood Foundations for School Success is quickly approaching.
Systems have until June 30 to submit and correct chronic absentee data via the End of the Year Assessment (EOYA) record, said Dr. Robyn Kelso, an education program consultant with the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessments Services (CSAS) team.
Is vaping an issue at your school? Are you ready to address it and get students connected to the help they need? If yes, then enroll now to take part in the Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program for the 2023-2024 school year.
After hearing from individuals in support of and opposition to proposed amendments to Emergency Safety Interventions (ESI) regulations, the Kansas State Board of Education on Wednesday, May 10, unanimously approved the amendments.
Outstanding Kansas seniors were honored Sunday, May 7, at the 40th annual Governor’s Scholars Award Program in Topeka.
In just a few short months, Gabriel Reyes-Gonzalez, a senior at the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB), will be navigating the campus of Wichita State University. Like most incoming freshmen, it’ll be a bit of an adjustment transitioning from high school to college. But for Reyes-Gonzalez, his adjustment will be different than most.
Two Kansas students are being recognized as 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.
Natalie Johnson-Berry, a dean of students and restorative justice facilitator at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City – and a member of the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team – recently received one of public education’s highest honors for her commitment to restorative justice and partnership building.
As 45 middle and high school student-athletes exited buses at Lawrence High School on May 3 in preparation for the Pat Grzenda Triathlon, dozens of spectators cheered in anticipation of the competition.
Did you know there are many opportunities to participate in the 2023 KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together?
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit has a variety of events planned for the 2023 summer months, said Keith Dreiling, director of the unit.
The Kansas State Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9, approved 79 Kansas Preschool Pilot Grant Awards to Kansas school districts and partners.
Remember that end-of-the-year reporting for Early Childhood programs includes the end-of-the-year survey for both Preschool-Aged At-Risk and Kansas Preschool Pilot funding sources.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to award about $400 million in competitive grant funding under the Clean School Bus Grant Program.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team will be publishing its calendar of events for the 2023-2024 school year in the coming weeks.
The Early Childhood Transition Task Force will have its second meeting next week on Tuesday, May 16.
Kansas teachers have been in the spotlight this week as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week from May 8-12.
The Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (KACTE) have announced that the deadline for the 2023 KACTE Summer Conference Perkins funds grant application has been extended to May 31.
Two free online science professional development opportunities are available for educators this summer.
12: Deadline for KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together session proposals. Proposal form: https://ksde.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eaL4WlfFowNIyz4.
16: 2 p.m., School Nutrition Program Renewal Training, at https://ksde.zoom.us/j/84920437369?pwd=dXgrdE5ickp6VVVHRTFWbkowN0FJUT09. KSDE will record this session and make the recording available to sponsors following the training if sponsors are unable to attend.
Kansas State Board of Education members will recognize one of the 2023 U.S. Senate Youth Kansas Delegates next week during their May meeting at the Landon State Office Building in Topeka.
More than 500 outstanding Kansas seniors will be recognized Sunday, May 7, at the 40th annual Governor’s Scholars Award Program in Topeka.
It’s hard to believe the school year is winding down. With May approaching, it’s time to celebrate Kansas’ senior students – the Class of 2023.
The Kansas Legislature on Friday wrapped up the 2023 session, passing several education bills. Below is a recap of bills passed and vetoed, and how they will affect Kansas students and educators.
The Kansas State Department of Education and its partners are excited to share that Sunflower Summer will return from May 26-Aug. 6 with even more attractions, museums, venues, events and more.
The window to submit chronic absentee data is May 15 through June 15, said Dr. Robyn Kelso, an education program consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education’s Career, Standards and Assessment Services team.
For 2022-2023, school districts are required to track and report students attending through remote learning. This information is due to KSDE twice a year – once for the fall semester and once for the spring semester. The due date for the spring report is Thursday, May 25, 2023.
The Kansas State Department of Education has these important reminders about Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) topics:
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success. Please make sure your school is kindergarten ready for the 2023-2024 school year by preparing to partner with families of incoming kindergarten students to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2).
The statewide curriculum leaders group met Friday, April 28, at the Bishop Professional Development Center in Topeka for a networking session and to give guidance to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
The Summer Assessment Review for English language arts (ELA), math and science will take place in person from July 17-21 in Salina and Lawrence.
The Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (KACTE) has announced that the deadline for the 2023 KACTE Summer Conference Perkins funds grant application has been extended to May 31.
The Kansas State Department of Education has canceled all Summer Academies because of low registration numbers.
5: Last day for early bird registration for Kansas School Transportation Safety Conference and State Driving Competition. The conference program, registration form and more can be found here.
Clovis Point Elementary School in East Wenatchee, Washington, has a lot in common with the Kansans Can vision statement of “Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.”
Brian Skinner, the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year, joined other 2023 State Teachers of the Year this week in Washington, D.C., for the National Teacher of the Year Program Washington Week, an event hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force has named 91 schools as recipients of the 2022 Challenge Awards.
Several lawmakers returned to the Kansas Statehouse on Monday for their wrap-up session. The full legislature returned Wednesday.
A bipartisan group of 13 educators with more than 300 years of combined experience are calling on legislators to pass a clean, policy-free school funding bill.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Bureau of Oral Health has provided the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) with a report of schools in various levels of compliance with state law K.S.A. 72-6252.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has these important reminders about Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) topics:
Districts/systems need to have all mentors, mentees and assignments entered in the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) web application, Mentor Programs, and submitted by 5 p.m. Monday, May 1, to ensure that mentor teachers are screened for earning the stipend.
A new deadline of May 31 has been established to submit all fully allocated Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) II plans.
As required by Program Assurance 20, Kansas preschool programs funded by Preschool-Aged At-Risk and/or Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) must enter data into the Early Childhood Foundations for School Success Authenticated web application.
Community Green Farms and Leafy Green Farms announced this week that Columbus Unified School District 493 will be the next school district in the state to receive a hydroponic farm classroom as part of a $10 million Farm to School initiative.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5 has been updated and can be scheduled now for the upcoming school year.
Nominations are being accepted for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW)’s 2023-2023 Kansans Can Best Practice Awards.
Funding from the Promoting Advancement in Computing Knowledge (PACK) Act has allowed the Kansas State Department of Education to partner with The College Board to provide training opportunities, many at no cost, to Kansas educators and administrators this summer.
April 2023 marks one year since Learning Forward released revised Standards for Professional Learning. Since then, educators have learned about standards through webinars, networks and professional learning communities, as well as how to use standards tools.
All Kansas educators are encouraged to make a reservation today for upcoming Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Summer Academies.
The Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) and Educate Kansas are co-hosting the #EpicEducators23 Summer Retreat on July 20-21 at the Alvin E. Morris Administrative Center, 903 South Edgemoor St. in Wichita.
The University of Kansas is hosting the 2023 GenCyber Summer Camp for Teachers from July 24-28.
1: Participant evaluation survey due for Youth Mental Health First Aid Community of Practice.
1: 5 p.m., KSDE Mentor Programs system closes.
Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 66, a bipartisan bill that allows Kansas to join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, making it easier for educators within the multi-state agreement to move to and work in Kansas.
OLATHE - Isaac Swindler stands out in a crowd because of his smile, engaging personality, kindness and genuine love for life.
Registration is open for the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together, which will take place Oct. 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita.
Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday signed House Bill 2322, which updates the Special Education for Exceptional Children Act to include dyslexia under the list of disabilities covered. Schools will now be required to provide additional resources and support to students with dyslexia.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to host a public hearing on a proposed rule that could impact heavy-duty engines and vehicles, including school buses.
After reports earlier this month from Fairfax, Virginia, about suspicious buses being used in attempts to pick up children, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) offers some general school bus and transportation safety tips.
Districts/systems still have time to enter mentees, mentor/mentee assignments and submit the stipend request form before the Mentor Programs system closes at 5 p.m. May 1.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds closes Friday, April 21.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has changed the office hours for Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) to 11:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday, April 25.
This year, 179 systems are going before the Accreditation Review Council (ARC) and the Kansas State Board of Education to receive an accreditation.
A teacher workshop scheduled for July 27-28 will allow attendees to investigate the pedagogical benefits of effective arts include across content areas while addressing deeper learning opportunities, fostering curiosity and exploring ways for increasing student engagement.
The 2023 Kansas Multi-Tier System of Support (MTSS) and Alignment Symposium will take place in person Sept. 12-14 at the Wichita Hyatt Regency.
If you have oversight responsibility for special education, school improvement, title services or early childhood, consider attending the 2023 KSDE Special Education and Title Services (SETS) Leadership Conference on July 26-27 at the Wichita Hyatt Regency.
A four-week Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) book study beginning June 8 will cover the nature and reading of dyslexia, diagnosing dyslexia, turning struggling readers into proficient readers and success after high school and beyond.
People who work for schools in Johnson County or for agencies that serve the public in Johnson County can pursue one of two certificate programs tuition-free through Emporia State University.
21: Quarterly reporting for ESSER funds closes. Please contact esser@ksde.org for any questions on this.
Kansas State Board of Education members are working with Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson to develop new strategic and targeted goals.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking recordings of student performances for the Great Ideas in Education Conference: Empowered Together, which will take place Oct. 25-27 in Wichita.
An eighth-grade student from West Franklin Unified School District 287 and a fifth-grade student from Frontenac USD 249 claimed the top two spots in the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Bus Safety Unit’s 2022-2023 School Bus Safety Poster Contest.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) announced that 261 Kansas high school seniors – the highest number ever - have been named 2023 Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholars.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted its monthly update on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) April 11 via Zoom.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Governing Board is currently in the process of reviewing and updating the NAEP Science Assessment Framework, which was last updated in 2005.
Districts/systems still have two full weeks to enter mentees, mentor/mentee assignments and submit the stipend request form.
Districts/systems now have another option for their annual Professional Development Council (PDC) member training requirement.
Program reviews help maintain strong educator preparation in Kansas and are a vital part of each college education unit’s accreditation process.
Beginning next week, IXL Math will host a series of 30-minute webinars to provide an overview of IXL Math to Kansas educators.
The Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment is hosting “Celebrating the Power of Voice by Developing Greater Partnerships and Purpose” from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 27.
The 2023 Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment Symposium will take place in person Sept. 12-14 at the Wichita Hyatt Regency.
Two different science collaboration meetings have been scheduled for this month.
Reserve your seat today for upcoming Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Summer Academies – coming soon to a location near you.
14: 3-6 p.m., Kansas State School for the Blind preschool open house. Irwin Building, 1100 State Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is required for the open house. To register or for more information, click here. For questions, contact Jeanne Goodin by phone at 816-808-6175 or by email at jgoodin@kssdb.org.
14: 9 a.m.-noon, Strategies for Supporting Deaf/Blind Individuals with Additional Disabilities, Envision, fifth floor, 610 N. Main St. in Wichita. Presented by Helen Keller National Center. This hands-on training will introduce communication systems; developing meaningful activities; human guide techniques; and simulation/experiential activities. Registration capacity is 30 people in person. There is no cost to attend. This workshop also will be made available virtually via Zoom. To fully participate in the simulation activities, in-person attendance is encouraged. To register: https://forms.office.com/r/2vRkD6LreN.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) team will have Zoom office hours from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 20.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds closes on Friday, April 21.
Friday, April 7, is the deadline for Kansas school districts that plan on offering alternative schools during the 2023-2024 school year to complete a Google form for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
The Education Kansas website (https://educatekansas.org) can help districts with staff recruitment, marketing and retention training and help connect you with potential employees.
The Kansas School Transportation Safety Conference and State Driving Competition will be May 31-June 2 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview in Wichita.
There are now two opportunities to learn how writing can be incorporated in a variety of settings for diverse student needs.
While comparing mentoring plans currently under review with those previously approved, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) noticed some inconsistencies that need to be addressed.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Summer Academies will take place in June and July at four schools across the state.
At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the Accreditation and Review Council (ARC) will say goodbye to six of its members who have completed the maximum length of service, which is two, three-year terms. Thus, new applicants are being sought to fill the open seats.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team will have its next monthly update on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, on Zoom (register here).
7: Deadline for districts that plan on offering an alternative school during the 2023-2024 to complete Google form at https://forms.gle/5sAidnRkpvb63pMc7.
11: 9-10 a.m., Star Assessments Spring Virtual Learning, sponsored by KSDE. “April Star Burst: Closing Out of the School Year with Star Assessments.” Learn more about the month’s topic or join the Office Hours Breakout Room. Registration: https://renaissance.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrd-yrqDMqHtQE3TXZAettbokJ6qRUdh3c.
After the Kansas HOSA 2023 Spring Leadership Conference on March 28-29 in Pittsburg, 150 individual students from across the state received invitations to attend the International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas.
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a proclamation designating April as Financial Literacy Month in Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit is seeking assistance from all Kansas school districts during the Kansas One-Day Stop Arm Violation Count initiative on Wednesday, April 12.
Eight of Kansas’ top educators will now vie for the title of 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year.
The Kansas State Board of Education on Tuesday, April 11, will learn more about a new registered apprenticeship program that can help address teacher shortages across the state; recognize districts, students and teachers; act on proposed amendments to accreditation regulations; and receive an update on emergency safety intervention (ESI) regulations.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission is excited to announce the Youth Civic Engagement mini-grant, which supports the civic engagement of youth in grades K-12.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) team wants to remind districts of the June 1, 2023, deadline to submit all fully allocated ESSER II plans.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Nondiscrimination Statement (NDS) is no longer available as a separate page on the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) website.
The application to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for school year 2023-24 is available at https://cnw.ksde.org, SNP, SNP What’s New.
The Kansas Online Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals will be available free of charge to sponsors for the 2023-2024 school year.
Summer Meals Programs are designed to fill the nutrition gap that occurs in the summer and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.
Eating breakfast is one of the best ways to ensure students are healthy and able to achieve their full potential.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting its Town Hall Tuesday via Zoom at 2 p.m. April 18.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is launching an optional Grade 2 Reading Assessment this spring.
Six outstanding Kansas educators were announced as regional finalists for the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year award during ceremonies this past weekend. And the final two regional winners will be announced Saturday, April 1, in Salina.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open on April 3 and close on April 21.
Friday, April 7 is the deadline for Kansas school districts that plan to offer alternative school during the 2023-2024 school year to complete a Google form.
Grant applications for Kansas Parents as Teachers SFY 2024 are due Friday, March 31, 2023.
The Approval Form for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Funding are due Monday, April 3, 2023.
The 2023 Kansas State Department of Education’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) Leadership Conference will take place in person on July 26-27 at the Wichita Hyatt Regency.
There are upcoming professional development sessions that can help with writing and reading comprehension.
Dr. Carol Salva, author of “Boosting Achievement for Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education,” will engage audiences with “Boosting Achievement for Interrupted Learners” from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 26 in Topeka.
The Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program is allowing school districts in Kansas to engage in a year-long process to learn more about vaping education and best practices for cessation.
31: Final deadline for systems entering year five of KESA to have on-site Outside Visitation Team visit.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Great Ideas in Education Conference, formerly known as the KSDE Annual Conference, will take place Oct. 25-27 in Wichita.
More than 120 teachers nominated for the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year program will be recognized at ceremonies across the state this weekend and next.
Nine Kansas students, ranging in age from 6-17, will be honored by Gov. Laura Kelly on March 30 for their artwork illustrating the importance of aviation.
The Kansas State Department of Education is hosting a student art contest for the 2023 Great Ideas in Education: Empowered Together! conference.
The Approval Form for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Funding are due April 3, 2023.
This year, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team has been hosting updates from 9-9:45 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month.
Mentor Programs, Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) web application, will now open early.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team, in coordination with its Special Education team, has updated the language of its special education endorsements.
Attention educator licensure contacts (ELCs): Licenses renewed based on professional development (PD) points require an official, itemized PD transcript to be uploaded by the school district to complete the application.
At the Feb. 14th, 2023, Kansas State Board of Education meeting, State Board members approved regulatory changes that allow for a driver’s education endorsement to be added to a license if the required driver’s education coursework is completed.
April 7 is the deadline for Kansas school districts that plan on offering alternative school during the 2023-2024 school year to complete a Google form.
Building and district leaders are encouraged to attend one of the 30-minute IXL webinars scheduled for next week.
25: 11 a.m., Kansas Teacher of the Year Regional Awards Banquet, Region 4, Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 E. Corporate Hills Drive.
Kansas State Board of Education members at their March meeting voted to support a bill that would allow Kansas to join the Interstate Teaching Mobility Compact.
Jihyeon “Elly” Han, an eighth grader at Altamont Grade School, Labette County Unified School District 506, received top honors in the 2023 U.S. Youth Aviation Art Contest.
Mallory Jacobs, a school counselor at Whitson Elementary School, Topeka Unified School District 501, was recognized as the School Counselor of the Year at the 2023 Kansas Counseling Association (KCA) and Kansas School Counselor Association (KSCA) Counseling Conference.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson was interviewed by Steve Kraske on Thursday, March 16, about Kansas education.
The Kansas Seal of Biliteracy Guidelines and scores spreadsheet have been updated and are available on the Kansas Seal of Biliteracy website at https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/World-Languages/Seal-of-Biliteracy.
This message is from the United State Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP):
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team is bringing Adaptive Schools Training to Kansas during the next three school years.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team will have office hours from 1-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21.
Mentor Programs, Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) web application, will be open April 1 through May 1 for districts to submit their mentor/mentee assignments.
The Kansas Children’s Cabinet Child Care Accelerator Grant Opportunity will support community-based teams - including early childhood providers and champions, employers and economic development leaders - in their efforts to create additional high-quality, attainable child care slots in their communities.
At the Feb. 14th, 2023, Kansas State Board of Education meeting, State Board members approved regulatory changes that allow for a driver’s education endorsement to be added to a license if the required driver’s education coursework was completed.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Safe and Secure Schools team wants to share the following information about new school safety-related funding opportunities that have been added to the Grants Finder Tool on SchoolSafety.gov.
The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) is offering the opportunity to join Barbara Kaiser for a deep dive into the science of childhood behaviors and what to do about them.
Music educators and students from across the state gathered at the Kansas Statehouse on Monday, March 13, to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month®.
21: 9-11:30 a.m., Progress Monitoring with FastBridge. Discover the basics of progress monitoring with FastBridge, including a working definition, purpose and available measures. Learn how to select students for monitoring, set up progress monitoring groups, choose the details needed for each group’s schedule, how to indicate the specific intervention and where to go to conduct monitoring. Use the Individual Progress Monitoring Report, such as the trend, goal and projection lines, as well as specific student errors, in order to interpret the data, evaluate intervention effectiveness and intensify interventions. Register here.
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a proclamation designating March 12-18 as National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week.
Kansas school districts celebrated School Social Work Week, which is March 5-11, and National School Breakfast Week, which is March 6-10, in a variety of ways through social media.
Ten Kansas educators met with Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson on Tuesday, March 7, to receive an update on program initiatives, discuss educational topics and give feedback as part of the Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Council.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Redesign team is excited to roll out a School and District Culture Survey.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now closed for the 2022-2023 Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report submissions.
To better track and support alternative schools in the state, the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is working to verify how many alternative schools will be in operation during the 2023-2024 school year.
The 2023 Kansas Federal Education Funds Administration Forum will begin at 8:30 a.m. March 30 at the Wichita Marriott, 9100 E. Corporate Hills Drive.
The Help Me Grow Kansas project is offering free virtual Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) trainings in March.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Summer Academies will take place in June and July. Choose an in-person option from four districts across Kansas.
10: Deadline for state-level School Bus Safety poster contest. Entries must be received in Topeka by this date to qualify for the contest.
A few years ago, only 50% of the child care needs in Coffey County were being met, said Craig Marshall, superintendent of Burlington Unified School District 244.
Has your district made plans for its tornado drill during March? Per K.S.A. 31-133, each school district must conduct a tornado drill during the month of March.
An event earlier this week allowed early childhood educators to learn how to embed children’s inquiry, cause-and-effect reasoning, problem-solving and literacy into a learning platform of play.
Students were at the Kansas Capitol on Thursday, March 2, for Theatre in Our Schools Advocacy Day. And what a perfect month for the event because March has two fine arts celebrations – Music in Our Schools Month ® and Theatre in Our Schools Month.
As part of the Kansans Can School Redesign Project, all redesign schools were asked to administer a School Culture Survey annually.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team at the Kansas State Department of Education has a few important reminders:
The Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report are due Friday, March 3.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) team wants to share how to address CARES Act fraud.
To better track and support alternative schools in the state, the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is trying to verify how many alternative schools will be in operation during the 2023-2024 school year.
Does your district have concerns about vaping policies, practices or procedures? Then, consider working with Project ECHO to engage in a year-long process to learn more about vaping education and best practices for cessation.
The deadline to nominate people for this year’s School Social Worker of the Year and Champion for Children awards is approaching.
The Kansas School Nurses Organization wants to emphasize the contribution of Kansas school nurses by recognizing one professional registered school nurse and one professional registered school nurse administrator who demonstrate excellence and professionalism in school nursing practice.
College Board is offering the following AP professional learning opportunities for Kansas teachers and administrators during the summer.
Save the date for Summer Academies. Choose an in-person option from four districts across Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education is looking for volunteers from pre-K-12 and higher education to review educator preparation programs.
Catherine Eastland, a senior at Wichita South High School, has known for a long time that she wanted to go into the medical field.
Gov. Laura Kelly earlier this week announced her appointments to the Early Childhood Transition Task Force, including Amanda Petersen, director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Early Childhood team.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team is launching its new website on Friday, Feb. 24.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families has created a quick and easy way for adults, families and schools to see what services are available.
Gardner Edgerton Unified School District 231 and Dodge City USD 443 have received the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Turnip the Beet award for the 2022 program year.
The Kansas Parents as Teachers (KPAT) program grant application packet for the 2023-2024 school year is now available online and will be emailed to all current PAT program coordinators, said Lisa Williams, Parents as Teachers consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team would like to congratulate Westview Elementary School, Olathe Unified School District 233, and Hillsboro Elementary School, Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh USD 410, for receiving ESEA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Distinguished Schools awards.
This year, 179 systems are going before the Accreditation Review Council (ARC) and the Kansas State Board of Education to receive an accreditation rating.
The Kansas State Board of Education on Feb. 14 adopted proposed amendments to teacher licensure regulations, including changes to the names of some licenses, adding endorsements and deleting some requirements.
The Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) is due on March 3.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) team has established June 1, 2023, as the deadline to submit all fully allocated ESSER II plans.
The last three years have brought a surge of much needed federal relief aid to Kansas school districts, but those new funds come with a variety of conditions and requirements that will all be monitored for compliance.
The Kansas State School for the Blind will host an open house for its interactive Preschool Enrichment Program from 3-6 p.m. April 14.
The Kansas Department of Commerce is encouraging cities and counties to take a fresh look at Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in 2023.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking information on the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference through a survey.
An additional date and location for commercial driver’s license (CDL) proxy testing and Entry-Level Driving Training (ELDT) Theory has been created.
23-24: 41st annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference in Wichita. Educators and service providers can earn continuing education units. Lunch is provided. Ellen Drolette, author of “Overcoming Teacher Burnout in Early Childhood,” is the keynote speaker. Registration: https://cvent.me/Wq7WL7.
School districts interested in hosting a Visiting International Teacher (VIT) in the 2023-2024 school year must complete the letter of intent available at: https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/World-Languages/Visiting-International-Teachers.
Kansas State Board of Education members at their February meeting honored two Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) schools, discussed proposed regulation changes that reflect recently approved changes to graduation requirements and approved changes to teaching licensure regulations.
Greenbush, ESSDACK and Orion service centers have partnered to create a social-emotional learning (SEL) video resource library for paraprofessionals.
Two recorded webinars and accompanying resources from Dr. Suzanne Adolf, a dyslexia and language disorder researcher, are available on the Professional Learning section of the KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia page.
There is a new Kansas State Department of Education policy for extending an Initial Teaching License if it expires the same semester a mentoring program will be completed.
The deadline for the 2023-2024 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grant renewal is quickly approaching – renewal applications are due Friday, Feb. 17.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is expecting to receive $327,000 from the United State Department of Agriculture to fund projects that will enhance the competitiveness of the Kansas specialty crop industry.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit is offering a five-hour informational workshop for any mechanic performing the Part I Mechanical School/Activity Bus Safety Inspection.
Join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and K-State Olathe for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Storyline process.
Prospective school bus drivers are invited to commercial driver’s license (CDL) proxy testing and an Entry-Level Driving Training (ELDT) Theory event.
Science professional development will take place Feb. 20 in six regions across Kansas.
Additional dates and locations have been added for the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) in-person dyslexia professional learning.
Calendar of Events
Michael Regan, administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), made a stop in Alma on Wednesday, Feb. 8, to highlight the efforts and partnerships to decarbonize America’s school bus fleets.
Below is a list of House and Senate bills that the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is following:
The Kansas State Board of Education will meet Feb. 14 at the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 102, in Topeka to act on licensure regulations and a joint resolution with the Kansas Board of Regents regarding dual credit courses.
The Kansas Annual CTE Conference: Connect the Dots offered 500 educators the opportunity to learn more about Individual Plans of Study (IPS) and work-based learning and to hear from two national guest speakers.
Please share this opportunity with families of children ages birth to 5:
It is time for virtual schools to begin preparations for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Accreditation Advisory Council had its first meeting of the 2023 calendar year from 9 a.m. to noon via Zoom.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is seeking individuals to join the 2023 KSDE Teacher Leaders group.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team at the Kansas State Department of Education will host Zoom office hours from 10-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15.
oin the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and K-State Olathe for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Storyline process.
SPARK funding announced in late December is being administered through the Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund under the Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is hosting workshops for the 2023 Kansas 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant competition.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is sponsoring a six-hour virtual professional development opportunity focused on the science of reading on Feb. 13.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and College Board have partnered to offer statewide informational sessions on AP Seminar: English 10.
Teachers, school administrators, food service workers, paraprofessionals, school psychologists and social workers are coming together with one common goal – to learn how to identify and offer support to students who are showing signs of mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
Kansas celebrated its 162nd birthday on Jan. 29, and a Kansas Tourism campaign is paying homage to not only Kansas but also to the state song, which is 150 years old.
As Kansas students continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Laura Kelly announced earlier this week the creation of the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), which will provide qualifying parents and guardians with a one-time $1,000 award per child to pay for educational goods and services, such as tutoring and school supplies.
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®, which celebrates the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across Kansas and the nation.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Safe and Supportive Schools Conference earlier this week drew more than 200 people to Manhattan.
All personnel employed in a local food service operation that participates in federal Child Nutrition Programs must complete Kansas State Department of Education-approved food safety training.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Civic Advocacy Network application is now open for school-level submissions at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9IgQ0phYzSvkTuca3dM_8DdR-AtW0ptmOoERvDuuU5dt15A/viewform?usp=sf_link.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team has released a new Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) training video.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is excited to offer a grant opportunity that can help support existing and potential HOSA – Future Health Professionals chapters and also support high-quality health science instruction.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is conducting a 2023 Kansas 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant competition.
Additional dates and locations have been added for Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) in-person dyslexia professional learning.
Is your community working to address a need for child care. If so, join the All In For Kansas Kids webinar at noon Wednesday, Feb. 8.
School districts are invited to participate in an informational session about hosting a Visiting International Teacher (VIT) in the 2023-2024 school year. The webinar will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10.
Because of the interest in AP Seminar: English 10, the Kansas State Department of Education and College Board have added two experience workshops – one from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 9 at Smoky Hill Education Center and one from 9 a.m.-noon Feb. 10 at the Landon State Office Building in Topeka.
Eight of the top educators in Kansas came to Topeka earlier this week to be recognized by the Kansas House and Senate, learn from education leaders and present at a joint meeting of the House and Senate Education Committees.
The first-floor rotunda of the Kansas State Capitol was busy Thursday, Jan. 26, as dozens of people gathered for the seventh annual School Mental Health Advocacy Day.
Join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) each Wednesday in February for Wellness Wednesdays via Zoom to assist Kansas schools in implementing wellness policies and creating a healthier school environment.
As systems begin scheduling their on-site visits for accreditation, the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team wanted to send out a reminder regarding the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) reporting expectations for this year.
In August of 2022, the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted a beginning-of-the-year kickoff for all systems.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child begins kindergarten.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission is excited to announce its 2023 mini-grant series, which includes seven separate mini-grant competitions. Eligible entities include public or private nonprofit organizations, school districts, institutions of higher learning, government entities and Native American tribes.
Nominations are being sought for this year’s School Social Worker of the Year and Champion for Children awards.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission announces monthly webinars on mentoring, volunteerism and civic engagement topics.
Kansas Day is right around the corner, and Kansas Tourism is continuing its annual celebration of the Sunflower State with a top-secret new video that will be released at 7 a.m. Jan. 29.
Fourth grade teacher Kristine Becker, of Logan Elementary, Seaman Unified School District 345 in Topeka, received the surprise of a lifetime on Wednesday, Jan. 19, when she was presented with a national Milken Educator Award by the Milken Family Foundation.
To help districts navigate the complex Shared Staff section of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR), two new PowerPoint presentations have been added to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) website.
The Kansas State Board of Education will conduct a public hearing at 1:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in the Board Room of the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson Ave., Suite 102, Topeka, Kansas, to consider the adoption of proposed rules and regulations of the Kansas State Board of Education on a permanent basis.
A review of the 2023-2024 Kansas Preschool Pilot Grant Application, including FAQs regarding Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template, will be available via Zoom at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Click here to register.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will close Friday, Jan. 20.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Special Education and Title Services (SETS) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team is providing this reminder about the use of premium pay:
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is looking for sponsors willing to provide nutritious meals to Kansas children during the summer months.
Did you know that the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Safe and Secure Schools Unit is available for trainings on a variety of topics, including safety drills and incident command systems?
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team will host office hours via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
School staff members are invited to attend the Kansas State Department of Education’s Safe and Supportive Schools Conference on Jan. 30-31 in Manhattan.
Preparations are underway for the 40th annual Governor’s Scholars Award program, which will take place Sunday, May 7, in Topeka at Washburn University’s Petro Allied Health Center, Lee Arena.
The January 2023 Kansas State Board of Education meeting brought with it several changes.
Kansas State Department of Education staff members will give an overview of the CTE (Career and Technical Education) Scholar program and walk through the application process from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, via Zoom.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief team will host office hours via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Even if no students attended through remote learning this past semester, your district should complete and submit the Remote Learning Report that was due Jan. 1, 2023. If no students attended through remote learning, simply check the box directly underneath the certification and submit the report.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Special Education and Title Services ESSER team is providing this reminder about the use of premium pay:
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds opened on Tuesday, Jan. 3, and will close Friday, Jan. 20.
Friday, Jan. 13, is the last day to submit the third annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.
Professional development and mentoring plans are due to the Kansas State Department of Education by Aug. 1. Districts may begin turning in plans beginning March 1.
The Kansas Preschool Pilot Renewal Grant Applications for the 2023-2024 school year are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17.
Nominations are being sought for the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Board.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team hosted its monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) update, which took place via Zoom on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The Kansans Can Star Recognition Program is now in its fourth year of recognizing school districts for the great work taking place to help the state achieve its vision of leading the world in the success of each student.
Thirty-two educators from Kansas are being recognized for their outstanding teaching skills through the 2023 Kansas Horizon Award program.
Several state agencies are partnering for the Early Childhood Transition Task Force, which is charged with reviewing Kansas’ early childhood programs and developing a roadmap for the creation of a new state, cabinet-level agency focused solely on supporting the success of young Kansans.
The Help Me Grow Kansas project is offering free virtual Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) training in January and March.
A grant opportunity is available so that FCCLA advisers can attend a pre-conference session of the Kansas Annual CTE Conference for free on Monday, Feb. 6, at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center in Manhattan.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team will host its monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) update from 9-9:45 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, via Zoom (register here).
The Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment preschool team is offering a free in-person professional development opportunity with Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter in Hays and Topeka.
The 2023 Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Programs offers a blend of in-person, live virtual and on-demand personalized training opportunities for new and aspiring school food service directors and managers.
The timeline for submitting Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) documents is as follows:
The Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval Form for the 2023-2024 school year is now available on KSDE’s Preschool Programming Webpage, along with the 2023-2024 Preschool-Aged At-Risk Program Requirements and Assurances.
School districts have one week left to submit the third annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now accepting submissions of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR), which includes the Spring Vacancy Report (SVR).
Three newly elected and two re-elected Kansas State Board of Education members will be honored during a reception at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) new Schools and Nonprofits Program is making $500 million in grant funding available to some of the nation’s highest-need K-12 public schools for critical energy upgrades.
During its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 13, 2022, the Kansas State Board of Education started its public hearing to consider the adoption of proposed rules and regulations of the Kansas State Board of Education on a permanent basis.
In partnership with DCCCA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Maternal and Child Health program, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a new learning experience to help address student mental health needs.
Here is a review of the reporting adjustments made to Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) for the 2022-2023 school year:
There are now two new Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) district training resources available.
Completion of the third annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is mandatory to ensure districts continue to receive federal funds without interruption.
ALMA - Wabaunsee Unified School District 329 on Wednesday, Dec. 16, became the first school district in the state to receive two electric buses through the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program.
A partnership between the Maize Parents as Teachers program and Maize Unified School District 266 offers the Maize and northwest Wichita community a seamless net of support and allows the district to offer services for newborns all the way to students in 12th grade.
Mallory Jacobs, a school counselor at Whitson Elementary School, Topeka Unified School District 501, was recently named the 2022 School Counselor of the Year by the Kansas School Counselor Association (KSCA).
A new Culinary Quick Bite video from KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is available for viewing on the KSDE Livemedia YouTube channel.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Division of Learning Services will have a planning retreat on Friday, Dec. 16 and will be out of the office.
Members from the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Early Childhood and Child Nutrition and Wellness (Child and Adult Care Food Program – CACFP) teams met Thursday, Dec. 15, to build relationships and learn a little more about the roles each team plays within the agency.
The second Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update took place Dec. 13, and resources from that meeting are now available on the KESA Training webpage.
All Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III plans should be submitted to KSDE no later than Friday, Dec. 16. Districts may continue to submit a change request for approved plans as necessary for the duration of the grant.
For the 2022-2023 school year, school districts are required to track and report students attending through remote learning. This information is due to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) twice per year.
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the KSDE Early Childhood team hosted two Zoom meetings to provide an overview of 2023-2024 preschool funding resources, including the Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template. PowerPoint slides from that presentation are now posted on the KSDE Early Childhood webpage.
At the November 2022 Kansas State Board of Education meeting, State Board members approved new graduation requirements, which has led to many questions. To address many of those questions, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has developed a document that answers the most commonly asked questions.
Academic preparedness, chronic absenteeism, 2023 legislative priorities, the Sunflower Summer Program and proposed amendments to licensure regulations were all topics of discussion for Kansas State Board of Education members during their December meeting.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K–12 science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) teaching. This is a great opportunity to nominate your district’s exceptional STEM teachers. Secondary STEM teachers can also apply this year.
The National School Bus Safety Poster Contest is sponsored each year by the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and the National School Transportation Association.
The Kansas Division for Early Childhood is seeking nominations for five special awards.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Division of Learning Services will have a planning retreat on Friday, Dec. 16 and many team members will be out of the office.
Dr. Suzanne Adlof will offer two virtual opportunities to learn about connections between dyslexia and language development.
The second Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Monthly Update will take place Dec. 13.
The Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) is now accepting applications for mini-grant proposals.
Members of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) team will host Zoom office hours from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Early Childhood team shared an update regarding preschool funding resources for 2023-2024 on Nov. 10. The 2023-2024 Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template is now available on the KSDE Early Childhood webpage.
Three Kansas State Board of Education members, with a combined 32 years of service to Kansans, are leaving office after the December meeting.
The Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) met Nov. 7.
Friday, Dec. 2, is National Special Education Day, which commemorates the nation's first federal special education law.
If you missed the fall 2022 Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Programs, mark your calendar now to join the Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team for the spring kickoff event Jan. 12 in Salina.
The fiscal year 2023 United States Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA) is now available here.
The Healthy Kansas Plate poster, based on the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate, was developed to assist Kansas schools and sponsors in identifying the reimbursable meal and to assist in providing nutrition education to its participants.
The Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team at the Kansas State Department of Education continues to develop new interactive online training classes and tutorials for food service professionals that can be accessed free of charge via the KSDE Training Portal.
The Kansas Legislature requires the Kansas State Department of Education to survey all districts regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway courses and credentials.
During the spring 2022 semester, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design (AD) team held focus groups to gather input and insight from the field regarding Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA).
The deadline to submit all Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III plans is Friday, Dec. 16.
Janis Olds, an education program consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team, is creating a list of primary English Learner contacts in each district.
Two new Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) district training resources are now available.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Safe and Secure Schools Conference will take place Jan. 30-31 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 410 South 3rd, in Manhattan. This year’s event will feature former Kansas State University Coach Bill Snyder as the closing keynote speaker.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Division of Aviation is currently accepting artwork for the 2023 National Association of State Aviation Officials art contest.
Star Assessments spring virtual learning events, which are sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), will take place throughout January, February, March and April via Zoom.
Mark your calendar and plan to join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) for annual summer development through the Summer Academy for Teachers.
A meeting will take place at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, to offer school counselors critical information pertaining to newly updated financial literacy standards.
A text-dependent professional development course will be offered via Zoom from 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays from Jan. 11-Feb. 8.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child walks through a kindergarten classroom door.
The Kansas State Department of Education School Bus Safety Unit will have a Transportation Basics Workshop for transportation directors/supervisors from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 28, 2022, with a break for lunch, which is on your own, in Great Bend.
The Qualtrics district link for the third annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) reporting survey has been updated.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and Excess Costs Reports are open. The full application will close on Jan. 14, 2023.*
At the Nov. 10, 2022, meeting, the Kansas State Board of Education moved to allow for an extension of the temporary modification to the Emergency Substitute License.
Join one of Amy Jo Jamison’s Zoom sessions during World Nursery Rhyme Week, and you’re likely to leave singing the featured song throughout the rest of the day.
School districts across Kansas and the nation are celebrating American Education Week, Nov. 13-19, in a variety of ways.
After more than a year of discussing graduation requirements for Kansas students, the Kansas State Board of Education last week voted to approve the Graduation Requirements Task Force recommendations.
The Kansas State Board of Education on Thursday, Nov. 10, accepted the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education Working Group’s mascot reform statement and recommendations.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) invites you to celebrate American Education Week (AEW) with us Nov. 13-19.
As part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s new “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign to spread awareness about substance use prevention, a new screening tool Screen4Success helps parents and caregivers understand the well-being of their children.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team had their monthly update.
The 2022-2023 Kansas Education Directory, which contains the contact and enrollment information for every public and private accredited school and district in the state, is now available online.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) staff members will be hosting two in-person trainings for the annual ESSER report survey.
Early childhood experiences lay the foundation for a child’s future success. The Kindergarten Readiness Kansans Can Star Recognition Rubric can help a district identify priorities in this area.
Thanks to $5.83 million in clean school bus rebates awarded to six Kansas school districts, a total of 17 new clean and zero-emissions buses will be on the state’s roads.
Jasmine Matt hadn’t heard about Parents as Teachers (PAT) when she and her military husband, William, moved to Kansas and the McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.
Did you know that participating in the Kansas Teacher of the Year program is one of the most important investments you can make in your teaching staff?
The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) and Kansas Infinitec Coalition (KIC) are hosting the 16th annual TASN KIC Technology Conference and Outstanding Technology Student Awards Luncheon from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2.
Natalie Johnson-Berry, a member of the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team and a restorative justice facilitator at Wyandotte High School, is one of five recipients of the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will host a Tuesday Townhall meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15.
School social workers, social work students and retired social workers from across Kansas gathered Friday, Oct. 28, at the Double Tree Hotel in Lawrence for the Kansas School Social Workers Association's Fall Conference, said Shanna Hailey, coordinator of school mental health on the Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team.
Emergency Safety Intervention (ESI) and Discipline Data Collection are both open in the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) so administrators can enter incidents as they occur.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) financial literacy webpage has been updated with new resources for K-12 educators and parents after the Kansas State Board of Education adopted National Standards for Personal Finance Education in July 2022.
The 2021-2022 National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey report is now available.
The Kansas State Department of Education is seeking reviewers to serve on review teams for higher education preparation programs for each license and endorsement area. Reviews are held in fall and spring semesters, on a seven-year cycle for each college and university.
The third annual reporting survey for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is now open.
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) employees took part in the Mountain Plains Crunch Off on Monday, Oct. 31.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson on Thursday, Nov. 3, hosted 10 Kansas principals at the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson in Topeka, for the Commissioner’s Principal Advisory Council.
The Kansas State Board of Education will meet next week in Topeka. However, please note the time and date changes.
Nearly 150 Kansas educators will be in Dodge City on Nov. 18-19 to attend the Kansas LEADs (Linking Educators Across Districts) Conference.
Registration is now open for the Kansas Annual CTE Conference, which will take place Feb. 6-8 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan.
Brian Skinner, the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year, is available this year through the Hubbard Foundation Kansas Teacher of the Year Ambassadorship to conduct workshops for school personnel, visit with team members of teachers or serve as a keynote speaker for your school district.
Time is running out for school districts to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year program.
Congratulations to Dr. Mike Argabright, who was named the 2023 Kansas Superintendent of the Year earlier this month by the Kansas School Superintendents’ Association (KSSA).
Susan Severin, a former school psychologist at Emporia USD 253 and a specialized learning services support consultant for Greenbush Education Service Center, was recently named the 2022 Kansas School Psychologist of the Year.
The Kansas State Department of Education would like to remind all systems in their fifth year of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) cycle that they must email accreditation@ksde.org with the date of their annual on-site visit as soon as possible.
Kindergarten through fifth grade educators in western Kansas are invited to participate in a full day of professional development on Nov. 14 that will help strengthen their literacy instruction block.
All Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III plans need to be submitted to the Kansas State Department of Education no later than Friday, Dec. 16.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) would like to remind districts that the Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) will close Monday, Oct. 31.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) currently has a school bus award opportunity open to districts that own and operate their own fleet.
Do you know what sextortion is and how children are targeted online?
Households with low or no income across the country can still get federal money with the Child Tax Credit – even if they have never filed taxes before (and haven’t filed taxes this year).
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson spoke with members of the Commissioner’s Superintendent Advisory Council on Tuesday, Oct. 25, in Topeka.
Kansas state assessment results for math have rebounded to near prepandemic performance levels while English language arts have not, Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson shared with the Kansas State Board of Education earlier this month.
Art contest winners of the Great Ideas in Education Conference: The Art of Teaching were announced this week during the Wichita conference.
More than 300 educators made their way to Wichita this week for the Kansas State Department of Education's Great Ideas in Education Conference: The Art of Teaching.
Dr. Jane Groff, executive director of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC), the KPIRC organization, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Technical Assistance Systems Network (TASN) have put together a document that can help guide families on the Social, Emotional and Character Development (SECD) standards.
21: ESSER quarterly reporting closes.
25: 9 a.m.-noon, fall professional development for administrators, “Using Star Assessments to Strengthen Data Culture,” Beloit Junior-Senior High School, 1711 N. Walnut St. in Beloit. To reserve a seat, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfimnqrRcgaFFhMg_4PdOlMYKQ24GWF8flMopVtsVSP3fvJ-Q/viewform.
Congratulations to Julie Scott, principal of R.L. Wright Elementary School, Sedgwick USD 439. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, Scott was announced as one of nine recipients of the Terrell H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership for 2022.
The Kansas State Department of Education Technical Assistance Network (TASN) Autism and Tertiary Behavior Supports team recently announced a professional development opportunity that can help staff members who are new to providing services to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other complex learning needs.
Intrapersonal curricula, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), is available for free to Kansas elementary schools.
All Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III plans need to be submitted to KSDE no later than Friday, Dec. 16.
On Oct. 11, 2022, the Kansas State Board of Education voted to approve the Kansas Purple Star School recognition program.
The program is designed to help schools respond to the educational challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and to keep them on track to be college, workforce and life-ready.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
14: Deadline for completed Horizon application.
18: 9-10 a.m., Star Assessments Virtual Fall Training for Administrators and Teachers, “October Star Burst: Understanding the Screening Data.” To register, Meeting Registration - Zoom.
Smith Center Unified School District 237 administrators and students received a special visit from Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson presented his annual report to the Kansas State Board of Education on Oct. 11 during the State Board’s monthly meeting in Topeka.
America’s Safe Schools Week, which is observed Oct. 17-21, is the perfect opportunity for Kansas schools to review and/or enhance their crisis plans.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a free virtual opportunity that can enhance teacher practice related to structured literacy and the explicit teaching of phonics.
School districts still have time to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year program.
From promoting fresh vegetables at Garden City USD 457 to lunch and a movie at Wichita USD 259, districts across Kansas celebrated National School Lunch Week from Oct. 10-14.
De Soto Unified School District 232 staff members took part in fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off earlier this month.
Anyone who is interested in being a member of an Outside Visitation Team member or OVT chair but couldn’t attend training in September can still become a trained member or chair by taking the following steps:
The ninth episode of HirePaths’ “Cool Careers” features welding as a career choice.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds closed Friday, Oct. 21.
School districts and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to electronically file their CPA audit report and Single Audit (A-133) report with the Department of Administration, Municipal Services.
All data, including questionnaires administered via paper, pending Family Access screenings and child profiles noting the reason for not participating, is due in the ASQ Online system by Monday, Oct. 10.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team is still waiting for about 100 systems to report when they will host their Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) year five on-site visit.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team will kick off monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) meetings on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Did you know that Kansas is second only to Iowa in the nation for the portion of energy created by wind?
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds closes Friday, Oct. 21.
Don’t miss the opportunity to attend two and a half days of high-quality professional learning at the Great Ideas in Education Conference – The ART of Teaching Conference, Oct. 19-21 in Wichita.
Sponsors using the Online Kanas Free and Reduce-Price Meal Application must print the applications or store them electronically within 30 days of receiving them.
National School Lunch Week, created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, is celebrated Oct. 10-14.
Schools can still request an opportunity for students to experience the Virtual Body Venture Exhibit.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team offers a monthly "Culinary Quick Bites" video.
October 7: 8:30-10:30 a.m. Kansas MTSS and TASN 2022-2023 Preschool Webinar Series: Leadership webinar, “Addressing Challenging Behavior in young Children: The Leadership Role.” Barbara Kaiser. Free book for the first 75 registered. Register here. 10: “Structured Literacy: The 90-Minute Block Party,” Keystone Learning Center, Ozawkie. Register here: http://www.keystonelearning.org.
Science regional professional learning communities are scheduled across the state in November.
The deadline for submitting requests for reimbursement for Mentor Educators was Monday, Sept. 26.
Schools across the state next week are observing Kansas Anti-Bullying Awareness Week.
KanCare wants to make sure it has updated contact information for KanCare beneficiaries.
The fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off will take place Oct. 12.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is collecting names of interested teachers, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches and administrators who would like to participate in the 2024 review/revision of English language arts standards.
Tuesday, Sept. 20, marked the close of the Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot window. This is a good time for district teams to reflect on the start of the kindergarten year. What went well as you partnered with families during this important transition? What might you change for next year?
Systems going through Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) that need additional Outside Visitation Team (OVT) members are in luck.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Teacher Licensure team would like to thank Kansas schools for participating in the recent educator vacancy data collection.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds opens Monday, Oct. 3 and closes Friday, Oct. 21.
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) opens Oct. 1.
23-24: Kansas Teacher of the Leadership Conference, Wichita..
24: Kansas Teacher of the Year Banquet, Wichita.
Applications are now available for the Kansas State Department of Education Association of Educational Office Professionals (KSDE AEOP) Margaret Van Horn Scholarship.
A grant will allow school districts with paid affiliated FCCLA chapters to attend a workshop for free to learn about integrating FCCLA into the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) classroom. It also will provide funding to purchase two national program curriculums, said Pam Lamb, the state FCCLA adviser.
The Annual Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) conference is scheduled for Feb 23-24, 2023, at the Double Tree by Hilton in Wichita.
Two and a half wonderful days of professional learning are available during the Great Ideas in Education Conference – The ART of Teaching conference, Oct. 19-21 in Wichita.
Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports and Alignment (MTSS) is offering a four-part preschool webinar series this school year with Barbara Kaiser.
With nearly 180 systems going before the Accreditation Review Council (ARC) this school year, reviews of year five systems for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) need to begin in November.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 3, the template for professional development plans will be on the Professional Development webpage. It will include guidance on how to update the plan and the template layout to write the plan.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is inviting district Individual Plan of Study (IPS) implementation facilitators and/or IPS team members to participate in an IPS Professional Learning Network (PLN) that will be convened for the 2022-2023 school year.
The deadline for submitting Mentor Stipend Requests is Monday, Sept. 26.
The deadline for submitting the Fall Vacancy Report in the Education Data Collection System (EDCS) is Monday, Sept. 26.
The 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year will be announced Saturday, Sept. 24, during the Dale Dennis Kansas Teacher of the Year Banquet in Wichita.
Quarterly reporting for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will open on Oct. 3 and close on Oct. 21.
Three Kansas schools have been designated 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona announced.
The Kansas State Board of Education during its September meeting approved an amendment from the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) that would change the classification of senior high schools.
The Ready to Learn ECHO Series will take place from noon to 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month beginning Oct. 6.
16: 9 a.m.-noon, fall professional development for administrators, “Using Star Assessments to Strengthen Data Culture,” South Hutchinson Elementary School, 405 S. Poplar St. in Hutchinson. To reserve a seat, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfimnqrRcgaFFhMg_4PdOlMYKQ24GWF8flMopVtsVSP3fvJ-Q/viewform.
In-person district and building test coordinator regional trainings have been scheduled throughout September and October. Whether you are a new or veteran test coordinator, make plans to attend one of these trainings.
Six science professional learning communities are scheduled throughout the month of September.
Breakout sessions for the Kansas State Department of Education’s Great Ideas in Education Conference, which takes place Oct. 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita, have been announced.
The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council invites families, professionals and community partners who support children ages birth to 5 to join the Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) Retreat.
The Kansas Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Developmental Services – more commonly referred to as the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) – will meet from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16.
Tuesday, Sept. 20, marks the close of the window to administer both ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 to all incoming kindergarten students.
If you are a school district/system entering year five of Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA), let the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design team know when you are having your year five on-site visit.
There are two vacancies on the Professional Practices Commission (PPC). The Kansas State Department of Education is requesting nominations to fill these two positions:
The Dropout Graduation Summary Report (DGSR) will be opening Oct. 1. To prepare for this, it is suggested that districts review their data between now and then to check for inaccuracies that will complicate reporting for the DGSR.
The deadline for entering the Fall Vacancy Report in the Education Data Collection System (EDCS) and Mentors for Stipend (in Mentor Programs) is Monday, Sept. 26.
A full-day workshop focused on structured literacy will be offered at four locations throughout Kansas.
The date for the next Kansas Linking Educators Across Districts (LEADS) conference has been announced. The next event will take place Nov.18-19 in Dodge City. Kansas educators can register for this event at www.kansasleads.mystrikingly.com.
The Kansas Alternate Early Literacy Screener K-3rd grade is now available. A webinar to explain the new Kansas Alternate Early Literacy Screener is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 from 3:00-3:30 p.m.
The KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference, “The Art of Teaching” will take place October 19-21, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita
KSDE submitted its annual budget request on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The Accreditation and Design team kicked off OVT new member training this past week.
To raise awareness and educate Kansans on suicide prevention, Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed September “Suicide Prevention Month” in the State of Kansas as part of the larger National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) campaign, “Together for Mental Health.”
The Kansas State Board of Education will receive proposed recommendations from the Kansas Graduation Requirements Task Force, act on the proposed amendment from KSHSAA to K.S.A 2014 Supp. 72-7114 and honor the 2021 Milken Educator Award Recipients.
The deadline for students to enter the art contest for the Great Ideas in Education: The Art of Teaching conference is Friday, Sept. 9.
With more than 60 superintendent changes across the state, three top leaders from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) want to make sure new superintendents and those who are new to a district know they are supported.
June 30 was the deadline to enter Early Childhood Outcomes data into the Outcomes Web System (OWS). However, if there are additions or changes that need to be made, this is the time to do so.
2: 1-4:30 p.m., Counting Kids Workshop, Hiawatha High School. (Registration ended Aug. 26).
Training for new Outside Visitation Team (OVT) members will be from 9-11 a.m. Sept. 6 and from 1-3 p.m. Sept. 8.
Six-week fall and winter online courses, designed for middle and high school teachers, counselors, social workers and related service providers for students in grades seventh through 12th, are being offered on behalf of the Kansas State Department of Education.
William Parrett and Kathleen Budge, of Boise State University’s Center for School Improvement and Policy Studies, have been announced as keynote speakers for the first keynote address of KSDE’s Great Ideas in Education Conference: The Art of Teaching, Oct. 19-21 in Wichita.
The Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors high school seniors who have demonstrated high achievement academically or in the arts; some having to overcome special challenges or hurdles to do so.
The Engineering Career Cluster will be reviewed during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education is excited to announce the creation of a new Exploration of Career Pathways course for middle school students.
Twenty-five multidiscipline modules were created to allow students to demonstrate mastery of their content in a variety of ways driven by their personalized learning interests and goals.
There is a new training video available to assist districts with entering data in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS).
Teacher Licensure recently made a change to what people will see on their license the next time they renew.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Fiscal Auditing Office is collecting each school district’s one-page 2022-2023 school calendar.
Having this document helps the auditors when scheduling the annual KSDE audit in each district.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) maintains that every system needs to have at least three Outside Visitation Team (OVT) members, which includes the chair. KSDE also understands that OVT spots can be difficult to fill, but anticipates that the reducation in required reporting this school year will increase individuals’ willingness to serve in these roles.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will provide a training workshop for reviewing higher education teacher preparation programs from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 in person at the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson in Topeka.
Thank you to all of the system leaders who participated in the first-ever Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) beginning-of-the-year kickoff in August.
Six-week fall and winter online courses, designed for elementary teachers, counselors, social workers and related service providers for students in grades kindergarten through sixth, are being offered on behalf of the Kansas State Department of Education.
Telehealth ROCKS, in partnership with Kansas Suicide Prevention Headquarters, will present an introductory webinar from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 8 via Zoom.
The Kansas Partners in Empowering Youth for Suicide Prevention is hosting a Youth Suicide Prevention Art Contest to provide opportunities for youths to let their voices be heard.
The 2022-2023 Events Calendar for Early Childhood Programs is now posted to the KSDE Early Childhood webpage.
The Kansas Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly in the spring passed HB 2466, the PACK Act, which provides a grant to professional development providers offering PD to Kansas educators in the area of computer science.
As some of you may be aware, Ford is no longer producing the 10-passenger Ford Transit Van. KSDE has been receiving numerous requests for alternative options.
The Component Baseline Analysis (CBA) is a perception survey that was created by the KSDE Accreditation and Design team in partnership with Kansas MTSS and educational service centers.
Systems/school districts entering year five of the Kansas Education Systems (KESA) process should report the date their year five on-site visit is scheduled.
Join us each month for a Culinary Quick Bite short video full of information & culinary tips.
23: 9 a.m.-noon. Register here for the Introduction to ASQ-3 training via Zoom.
23: 3:30 p.m., Register here for 1-800-CHILDREN training and demo via Zoom.
Applications for the 2023 U.S. Senate Youth Program are available now.
There’s still time to register for this year’s Counting Kids Workshops.
All sponsors contracting with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) are strongly encouraged to participate in the FSMC Fall Update and Monitoring Training at 9 a.m. Sept. 15.
The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council invites families, professionals, and community partners who support children ages birth to 5 to join the Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) Retreat.
The Kansas State Department of Education School Bus Safety Unit will be hosting Transportation Meetings/Forums for the 2022-2023 school year at 17 locations across the state during the month of September. We understand you are all busy but please consider attending one of these meetings. This may be the only occasion during the year where some of you have an opportunity to attend a meeting at a close, convenient location to your district. All meetings are from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
The 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year nomination packet is available. Every school district is encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award.
The 2022 KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: The Art of Teaching includes new networking opportunities.
The application to apply to participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) for 2022-2023 is available at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New.
KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team honored three school districts for outstanding innovative practices at the Kansas State Board of Education’s A
Building relationships with families lays the foundation for a strong start to the kindergarten year and for later student success. The Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot gives schools another opportunity to partner with families and better understand each kindergarten student’s development.
There are now Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) training videos available on the Teacher Licensure website under Licensed Personnel (ksde.org) EDCS District Training Resources.
Training for Outside Visitation Team (OVT) members will be offered from 9-11 a.m. Sept. 6 and from 1-3 p.m. Sept. 8. New OVT members can choose to attend the training that works best for them.
The Accreditation and Design team at KSDE wants to highlight your back-to-school photographs during the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) beginning of the year kick-off events on Aug. 23 and Aug. 25.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) continues to update district test coordinators for WorkKeys.
Kansas State Board of Education members during their August meeting conducted a public hearing to consider proposed changes to the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s (KSHSAA) classification of senior high schools.
Educators Rising Kansas will be hosting its Northeast Regional Conference on Nov. 2, 2022, at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe.
All school systems are invited to attend the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) kick-off event Aug. 23 and Aug. 25.
Are you interested in reviewing teacher preparation programs at higher education institutions across Kansas? If so, we have the opportunity for you!
In order to encourage students to use their creativity, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is once again hosting a student art contest for the KSDE annual conference. This year’s theme is Great Ideas in Education: The Art of Teaching.
Nominations are currently being accepted for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
The KSDE Great Ideas in Education: The Art of Teaching Conference will take place Oct. 19-21 in Wichita at the Hyatt Regency and Century II Convention Center.
Join educators for the 13th annual Kansas MTSS Symposium Sept. 7-8 in Wichita at the downtown Hyatt.
The Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports and Alignment (MTSS) is hosting an in-person event to help people increase student engagement, motivation and academic achievement.
There are 346,000 eligible Kansans who have not claimed their Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit.
At this time, districts will be able to enter and submit information for the Fall Vacancy Report (FVR). The deadline for submission of the Fall Vacancy Report is Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
So far, 14 Kansas school districts have applied for a total of 43 electric buses, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
With the school year starting, it’s a good time to remind drivers to be vigilant when school buses are in the vicinity and to obey the law, which requires all motorists to stop when approaching or overtaking a stopped school bus displaying its flashing red stop arm.
School systems entering their fifth year of Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) need to email accreditation@ksde.org as soon as possible to let the Accreditation and Design team know the date of their OVT visit for this school year.
Throughout the summer, the Accreditation and Design team at the Kansas State Department of Education invited a random sample of 50, year five Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) systems for one-on-one meetings to review their KESA goals and to support systems in feeling ready to complete their final year of the KESA cycle.
Quarterly science professional development will take place in six different regions of the state.
Join instructional leaders who support educators in their implementation of K-8 science for a book study.
The Kansas Horizon Award program offers Kansas school districts an excellent opportunity to honor exemplary first-year teachers.
Episode 11 of the Kansas State Department of Education’s “Insight Podcast” is now available.
Welcome to the new KSDEweekly newsletter, your weekly one-stop source for KSDE news and information. Our goal for this newsletter is to foster community within our profession and to reduce the number of messages you receive from KSDE on a daily basis, by bundling this information into one weekly resource.
Each Thursday, you can expect to receive the latest information organized around reporting and operations, assessments and accountability, standards and instruction, student health and nutrition, and upcoming events, trainings and recognition opportunities.
In order to support systems in years one through five of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) during the 2022-2023 school year, KSDE's Accreditation and Design (AD) team are hosting system kick-off events.
This year’s registrants are able to crunch on not only apples, but any local crunchable produce! Kansas is participating in the Mountain Plains Crunch Off with seven other regional states. The Kansas goal is 50,000 crunches statewide. The regional goal is 202,200 crunches.
Kansas has received an allocation of $218,453 to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including those operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
Working groups creating resources for school board members, administrators, parents and community members have helped inform KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team in the development of resources to help communicate the transition back to standard Child Nutrition Program operations for the 2022-2023 school year.
The application to apply to participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) for PY 2022-23 is available at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New.
All sponsors are required to use the Direct Certification system to assure that all foster students and students eligible for Food Assistance (FA) or Temporary Assistance to Families (TAF) are approved to receive free school meals.
Reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year are now available at www.kn-eat.org.
A $100,000 federal grant will help the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) connect child nutrition programs in the state with locally produced flour.
Consider using this new evidence-based “panel card” created by the KSDE-sponsored Kansas Parent Information and Resource Center (KPIRC).
Beginning Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, all content and new information for the Mentoring and Professional Development programs will be put on each program’s respective web pages, according to Ed Kalas, an education program specialist for KSDE.
The Teacher Licensure team at KSDE has developed three surveys to assist educators with their license.
The new “Cool Careers” video, shot at Beeson Elementary School, Dodge City 443, focuses on becoming an elementary school teacher.
Here is a reminder on the age of eligibility for students to attend school:
Per K.S.A. 72-3118: The child will attain the age of 5 years on or before Aug. 31 of the school year. Guidelines for compliance with the law are shown below.
1-800-CHILDREN is a statewide 24/7 judgment-free parent helpline powered by Kansas Children’s Service League. At 1-800-CHILDREN, families can easily connect with the information, local resources and support they need 24/7, even if what they need is a listening ear.
Registration is open for the annual Counting Kids Workshops led by Laurel Murdie, KSDE’s Fiscal Auditing director.
August-September events. Click read more for the full list.
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success. All children are ready to enter kindergarten when they meet the age requirement – 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 of their kindergarten year.
In this edition | Feature Story | Assessments and Accountability | Reporting and Operations Standards and Instruction | Student Health and Nutrition | Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition
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The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.gov or by 785-296-3201.