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 leaders' meeting was led by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Ben Proctor.  

The day started at 9 a.m. with a networking session sponsored by the Kansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The meeting began at 10 a.m. with discussion on how KSDE can best support the work being done in Kansas districts/systems. 

Other topics of discussion included effective learning environments, current state and desired states of classroom practice, instructional leadership and what is taking place with the KSDE School Improvement Work Group. 

Curriculum leaders created posters with information that KSDE will use to solidify its work around the four fundamental practices – structured literacy, balanced assessments, standards alignment and high-quality instruction. These areas aren’t the only areas in which work needs to be done, but they are essential to development of students so they can be prepared for postsecondary pursuits. 

More information about meeting dates and material from the meetings can be found on the Curriculum Leaders webpage. 

All curriculum leaders received a survey via the curriculum leaders’ listserv, the results of which will help guide future meeting planning. Those who were unable to attend are asked to complete the survey, too. 

For more information about the ongoing work or questions about meetings, contact Pat Bone, senior administrative specialist for the Kansas State Department of Education’s Division of Learning Services, at pbone@ksde.org.