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Chelsy Champlin, an agricultural educator and FFA advisor at Dexter High School, Dexter USD 471, has been selected as a Rural Schools Collaborative, Grants in Place 2026 cohort awardee.
By Anthony Meals, KSDE career, standards and assessment services
Hundreds of Kansas FFA members received national recognition at the 98th National FFA Convention this fall for their engagement in their school-based agricultural education programs.
By Andrea Etzel, editor, KANSAS! Kids
The team at KANSAS! magazine is excited to announce the second edition of KANSAS! Kids will be headed to Kansas schools for students in grades four through six.
There are still available slots as part of the KSDE FastBridge partnership for district-specific virtual sessions at no charge to the district. These sessions must be held prior to Jan. 30.
January
1: KSDE offices closed.
1: Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) data submission opens in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS). Contact Leslie Bruton, leslie.bruton@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-8011.
1: Spring Vacancy Report (SVR) data submission opens in the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS). Contact Leslie Bruton, leslie.bruton@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-8011.
The KSDE school transportation safety unit is offering reasonable suspicion training for commercial drivers license supervisors on Dec. 30, in Derby.
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Midwest Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment Conference, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., on March 27, at Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, in Wichita.
The 2026 Virtual Health Care Career Day will be 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., on Feb. 18, and is an opportunity for students of all ages to learn about eight different roles in health care and engage in a live Q&A with the professionals serving in those occupations.
December
20: Emergency safety intervention data deadline to submit in KIAS for events occurring June 1 - Nov. 30, 2025. Contact Trish Backman, trish.backman@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-6937 with questions.
30: Reasonable Suspicion training for CDL (Commercial Drivers License) supervisors (with the Kansas Highway Patrol), 9 a.m. – 12 noon, at Derby USD 260, Administrative Center, 1550 E. Walnut Grove Road. Click here to register and for more information. Contact Keith Dreiling, keith.dreiling@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-4567, with questions.
The fourth and final session for district staff who are new to the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is Dec. 15. Note: This training will be on Teams.
The KSDE school transportation safety unit is offering two no-cost training opportunities in December. These workshops are open to any public or private school transportation directors, transportation supervisors, school transportation contractors, and other school officials involved with school transportation. No vendors, please.
From Marites Altuna, director of family infant-toddler services, Kansas State School for the Blind
"It Takes A Team: Working Together to Build Better Outcomes for Children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)" is the theme of the conference focused on supporting families, educators, and providers in serving children with CVI.
There are still available slots as part of the KSDE FastBridge partnership for district-specific virtual sessions at no charge to the district. These sessions must be held prior to Dec. 31.
12: Request State Foundation Aid for January (all USDs) deadline; final request for FY2026. Contact Rose Ireland, rose.ireland@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-4973 with questions.
15: Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) training, Part 4, 1 - 3 p.m., virtual. Join the Teams session here. Contact Leslie Bruton, leslie.bruton@ksde.gov, with questions.
15: Request January federal funds (Form 240) deadline if funds are available. Contact Amanda Williams, amanda.williams@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-2020 with questions.
15: IDEA Maintenance of Effort and Excess Cost Report deadline (submission deadline for coop/interlocal member districts). Contact Dean Zajic, dean.zajic@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-2425 with questions.
15: Mill rate by fund submission deadline for all USDs. Contact Marcia Ricklefs, marcia.ricklefs@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-4209 with questions.
There are two remaining sessions in the series of training sessions, Dec. 10 and 15, for district staff who are new to the Educator Data Collection System (EDCS).
*Note: These trainings will be on Teams.
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 27-29, at the Hyatt Regency and Century II Convention Center, in Wichita.
8: KESA 2.0 virtual monthly update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Join the meeting here. Contact Jay Scott, jay.scott@ksde.gov, with questions.
9: Secondary transition webinar, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registration required. Contact Stacie Martin, Stacie.Martin@ksde.gov, with questions.
9-10: Kansas State Board of Education monthly meeting, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, in Topeka. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
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.