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.  

Proctor said the intent of KESA 2.0 is to move away from a mindset that penalizes districts for falling short of previous accreditation requirements. He said getting districts and school systems to understand how the school improvement model works and how it will benefit them will take a sustained effort over time. 

“Nothing is in isolation,” Proctor said. “Everything is interconnected and built into the system to support sustainability. It’s going to take time for everyone to see the bigger picture.”  

With fewer reporting requirements and collaboration with cohort districts and school systems, the school improvement model is based on the four fundamentals: 1) structured literacy, 2) standards alignment, 3) balanced assessment and 4) quality instruction.  

The model used for accreditation also includes the outcomes of kindergarten readiness, graduation rates, postsecondary success, social-emotional learning and individual plan of study (IPS), all of which the Kansas State Board of Education approved in 2017. 

“If you get really good at these fundamentals, all of these state board outcomes are going to improve,” said Dr. Jay Scott, KSDE director of accreditation and design. “That’s the connection - when teachers have more of a capacity to teach, when they know their curriculum is solid, when they have the structured literacy training they need to teach reading. When they have more capacity, kids are going to do better.” 

Dr. Laurie Curtis, manager of KSDE’s early literacy and dyslexia program, said KESA 2.0 incorporates the dyslexia and structured literacy initiatives the state board of education has acted upon in recent years.  

“It (structured literacy) puts it all together and puts it where it should be in a school improvement initiative to make sure all kids can read,” she said. “It’s not just something extra to do because we have to. It’s one of the fundamentals which is going to make a difference.” 

Three KSDE regional executives will help districts and systems navigate the accreditation process by identifying gaps and what resources or training are needed to fill those gaps. He said districts and systems will be divided into urban, suburban, special purpose or private system cohorts. 

What happens during the 2024-25 school year? 

1. District and building leadership teams will be activated to begin KESA 2.0 collaboration. 
2. District leadership teams will meet with their respective then begin working on their accreditation action plans. 
3. District leadership teams participate in school improvement days with their cohort districts/school systems and KESA 2.0 facilitators.  
4. District and building leadership teams will engage with their broader school communities to collaborate on their action plans.  
5. The district teams will submit their action plans to the Kansas State Department of Education.  
6. Implementation of the district/school systems action plans begins.  
7. The accreditation status of each district or system will be presented to the Kansas State Board of Education during the summer of 2025. 

Proctor said the basic premise of KESA 2.0 is implementing a few, important fundamentals that should be done well in each school system. 

“We need to be very clear about what we want kids to know and be able to do at each grade level,” he said. “We need to have data to tell us if we’re successful in that and if not, we need to be able to make adjustments. We want to make sure every teacher knows what those expectations are and expects every child to be able to meet those expectations. As a fundamental element, we are raising our expectations.”