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. 

Background 

The Kansas At-Risk Pupil Assistance program was created in 1992 to provide school districts with funding specifically for students identified as at-risk. 

A student is defined as at-risk if they meet one or more of the following criteria: 

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

Although the amount of funding is based on the number of students eligible for free meals as part of the National School Lunch Program, the intended purpose of the funding is to provide additional opportunities to help students meet certain criteria to be successful in school.  

Approved programs and services 

At-risk funding is restricted to approved programs and services that have shown or are likely to show positive outcomes for students identified as at-risk. 

At its Feb. 2024 meeting, the Kansas State Board of Education approved an updated evidence-based programs and practices list that includes 72 programs and 78 practices. 

These have peer-reviewed evidence to support at-risk students and may be used to provide students with additional educational opportunities, interventions and services above and beyond regular education services. 

For a list of approved evidence-based programs and practices, click here. Districts using programs that are no longer approved can submit a provisional application using local data to show program effectiveness for at-risk students. The provisional application is located here.  

Reporting 

Districts must keep annual records on the list of its students receiving at-risk services and the information used to identify students as at-risk and the specific selection criteria. 

As required by state law, districts must report annually on the following information:  

• The number of at-risk pupils served or provided assistance. 
• The type of services provided. 
• The research upon which the district relied in determining the need existed to provide the service(s) or assistance. 
• Any other information required by the Kansas State Board of Education. 

At-risk accountability plan pilot 

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, district reporting requirements will change to comply with the 2024 amendments to state law. Districts will be required to complete an at-risk accountability plan, which will include rationale for at-risk expenditures and improvement plans for specific cohorts of students. 

A two-year pilot program with select districts will begin this fall. KSDE Deputy Commissioners Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Frank Harwood will discuss this in detail, along with the approved list of programs and practices, at next month’s Kansas State Board of Education meeting, scheduled for Sept. 10-11. 

Questions about at-risk programs can be submitted to stateatrisk@ksde.org.