News Releases
Our press releases provide timely, accurate information about key initiatives, policy updates, and important events in Kansas education. They serve as an official source for news and announcements from the Kansas State Department of Education, helping educators, families, and communities stay informed about developments that impact schools statewide.
House Bill 2485: Universal Screening and Literacy Requirements
Jul 23, 2026
by Dr. Laurie CurtisFor immediate release
July 23, 2026
Contact: Dr. Laurie Curtis, KSDE assistant director of literacy, teaching and learning, at laurie.curtis@ksde.gov
TOPEKA - For the 2026-2027 academic year, reporting of universal screener data will be collected in the fall (due Oct. 10) and in the spring (due May 28) using the Kansas Education Data System (KEDS).
While we have screened students three times a year in the past, systems have only reported K,1,2,3, and 8th grade in the spring. Systems will continue to screen students three times a year. Starting in the fall of 2026, systems will be reporting a composite score, and grade levels will include PK (if you have PreK), K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Data will be collected using three levels of risk to include high risk; some/low risk; and at, or above, benchmark. For the 2026-2027 academic year, systems can use the approved screeners they are already using to meet the requirements.
Kansas House Bill 2485 also requires Kansas to move to a single statewide universal screening tool. In the next few months, there will be one statewide universal screener selected for use across the state of Kansas which will be implemented starting in the 2027-2028 academic year. That selection will be done using a state procurement process against specific criteria that includes multiple considerations such as technical capabilities/ SIS articulation, validation, reliability and national norming that includes the subskills required as set by the state board of education. KSDE will seek to negotiate a state price for the screener through an RFP process, but there is currently no fiscal note provided with this bill to fund the screener.
Starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, the bill requires that an individual literacy plan be developed in partnership with the parent/guardian for any kindergarten-grade 3 student who is determined to be high risk based on the universal screener data. Those students would then be provided with "a minimum of 90 minutes of targeted and tiered interventions designed to address the student's individual deficiencies per week in one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, tutoring or a summer school program." It is understood that if a student already has an IEP that is addressing reading, they will not need one of these plans. KSDE will create the template for all systems to use in developing these plans and there will be an opportunity for educators to provide feedback on the template before it is finalized for implementation.
As stated in Kansas House Bill 2485, "Beginning in school year 2029-2030, each school district shall employ, either through direct employment, shared cooperative agreement or by contract, a licensed reading specialist for each elementary school of the school district". KSDE will continue to provide information we receive from institutions that provide approved reading specialist endorsements and share any funding or grant opportunities we learn of to support this requirement.
Rest assured that the KSDE is carefully reviewing this legislation and is committed to supporting educators and administrators implementing this legislation. We will do our best to provide clear guidance, practical resources, and ongoing communication to help schools navigate these changes with confidence.
