Standards and Instruction

The newest cohort of Kansas Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling^® (LETRS^®) facilitators recently completed training after four full days of in-person professional learning under the guidance of a national LETRS^® trainer.  

The Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) was recognized earlier this month for meeting 2024 Quality Association Standards. 

The Kansas State Department of Education is proud to celebrate the success of the most recent group of Kansas Parents as Teachers programs to earn a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC) called the “Blue Ribbon Endorsement.” Parents as Teachers programs that earn this endorsement are designated as the top-performing home visiting programs within the Parents as Teachers international network.   

The newest cohort of Kansas Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling^® (LETRS^®) facilitators recently completed training after four full days of in-person professional learning under the guidance of a national LETRS^® trainer.  

The educators, representing 15 school districts and two service centers, now can provide Volume 1 LETRS^® training to the teachers in their districts/service centers. This cohort of trainers will receive Volume 2 training soon.   

The Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) was recognized earlier this month for meeting 2024 Quality Association Standards. 

According to the national ACTE, “the purpose of the Quality Association Standards (QAS) is to provide benchmarks for state associations to determine levels of performance and satisfactory service to their members and prospective members” and “to prompt states to challenge themselves to improve and maintain the very best possible organization and leadership for their members within the association’s means.” 

The Kansas State Department of Education is proud to celebrate the success of the most recent group of Kansas Parents as Teachers programs to earn a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC) called the “Blue Ribbon Endorsement.” Parents as Teachers programs that earn this endorsement are designated as the top-performing home visiting programs within the Parents as Teachers international network.   

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking applications for 2025-26 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grants to provide preschool services.  

Eligible applicants include Kansas unified school districts (USDs) and other entities partnering with school districts. At least 50% of children served by KPP grant funds must meet criteria to be at risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally or academically unprepared for success.  

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking applications for 2025-26 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grants to provide preschool services.  

Eligible applicants include Kansas unified school districts (USDs) and other entities partnering with school districts. At least 50% of children served by KPP grant funds must meet criteria to be at risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally or academically unprepared for success.  

Early childhood experiences set the stage for lifelong success. Providing excellent early learning opportunities for preschool students with disabilities is an important area of focus as districts seek to improve kindergarten readiness. Research clearly indicates creating environments for all students to learn together regardless of ability improves outcomes for all students.  

Early childhood experiences set the stage for lifelong success. Providing excellent early learning opportunities for preschool students with disabilities is an important area of focus as districts seek to improve kindergarten readiness. Research clearly indicates creating environments for all students to learn together regardless of ability improves outcomes for all students.  

Smooth, seamless transitions from Part C to Part B ensure young children with disabilities receive services without disruption or delay.

Each year, school districts report data for Indicator 12 for Part B, one of the 17 indicators reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Part B Indicator 12 is a compliance indicator that measures the percent of children referred by Part C prior to age 3, who are found eligible for Part B, and who have an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthdays. 

Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Inc. (KCCTO) is excited to announce hard copies of the recently updated Core Competencies for Early Childhood Care and Education Professionals have begun arriving in districts. Each school district will receive three hard copies to share with early childhood staff. 

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Preparedness program now offers free One Health lesson plans for Kansas K-12 educators. One Health is an initiative that seeks to help educate students about the connections between the health of humans, animals and their shared environment.  

The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) is hosting a virtual retreat for local councils, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on Nov. 1. 

This free event is a learning opportunity for anyone who works with children birth to five years of age.

The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) is hosting a virtual retreat for local councils, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on Nov. 1. 

This free event is a learning opportunity for anyone who works with children birth to five years of age.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s virtual monthly science collaborations for the 2024-25 school year start this month. 

Mark your calendars for these monthly meetups for curriculum leaders, science teachers and new science teachers in a professional learning community (PLC). Get updates from KSDE, meet colleagues, ask questions and share resources. 

October kicks off the Kansas State Department of Education’s virtual monthly science collaborations for the 2024-25 school year.

Mark your calendars for these monthly meet-ups for curriculum leaders, science teachers and new science teachers in a professional learning community (PLC). Get updates from KSDE, meet colleagues, ask questions and share resources.

Most school districts should have received printed copies of the Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS). These also are available online with accompanying resources at kels.ksde.org. The standards are now available in Spanish.   

The Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team is providing a free, one-day event that will engage preschool teachers in understanding the importance of standards-based activities for their classrooms. 

This hands-on, make and take event will help Pre-K teachers create standards-based, small group activities for preschool students that align with educational standards while also catering to the developmental needs and interests of young children.  

Technical assistance sessions are scheduled in October and November to provide K-12 school districts with the tools to support the implementation of a high-quality Individual Plan of Study (IPS) process.  

Topics will include the Students’ Right to Know Act, Kansas degree statistics, Kansas Training Information Program (K-TIP), potential earnings of the U.S. military, Kansas Department of Labor’s labor market information and other information relevant to the students’ understanding of potential earnings.  

The deadline to finalize all Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot (ASQ) data for the 2024-25 school year is Friday, Sept. 27.  

To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. Schools should have administered both the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2) to all incoming kindergarten students by Sept. 20.

All data must be entered in ASQ Online by Friday, Sept. 27. 

Pre-K-12 educators are invited to participate in training sessions in October to develop students’ language, understanding, fluency and problem solving across Kansas math standards.  

Kansas Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) math specialists and Kansas Math Project facilitators will help participants do the following:  

• Invest in growing grade-level content while learning alongside other professionals. 
• Earn professional development points toward license renewal. 
• Collaborate with other district leaders to develop a plan to scale the learning with capacity constraints. 

The Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team is providing a free, one-day event that will engage preschool teachers in understanding the importance of standards-based activities for their classrooms. 

This hands-on, make it-take event will help Pre-K teachers create standards-based, small group activities for preschool students that align with educational standards while also catering to the developmental needs and interests of young children.  

Technical assistance sessions are scheduled in October and November to provide K-12 school districts with the tools to support the implementation of a high-quality Individual Plan of Study (IPS) process.  

Topics will include the Students’ Right to Know Act, Kansas degree statistics, Kansas Training Information Program (K-TIP), potential earnings of the U.S. military, Kansas Department of Labor’s labor market information and other information relevant to the students’ understanding of potential earnings.  

On Sept. 18, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fifth and final installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.   

Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters.  

Important reminder: To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. The 2024 Snapshot window closes Friday, Sept. 20.

The KSDE Early Childhood Team is excited to announce 6,551 hard copies of the recently updated Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) have begun arriving in districts. The Kansas Early Learning Standards provide information regarding what young children birth through kindergarten should know and be able to do as a result of engagement with caring knowledgeable adults, evidence-based curriculum, and developmentally appropriate activities. 

Hosted by Kansas students, the fourth season of Cool Careers is now available here from HirePaths.  

The new episodes feature a human resources specialist, emergency dispatcher, commercial driver and IT network installer. Downloadable, free worksheets have also been developed to go along with each episode. 

The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October for various topics including Career Cluster and Pathway Program of Study Applications (CPPSAs), Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) information and resources, industry recognized credentials, Students’ Right to Know Act and more. 

Next Friday, Sept. 20, is the deadline for all elementary schools to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ).  

To advance kindergarten readiness, all Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to better understand incoming kindergarten students’ development. The 2024 Snapshot window closes Sept. 20. Schools should administer both the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 questionnaires to all incoming kindergarten students by Sept. 20.  

All data (including pending Family Access screenings and finalized manual screenings) must be entered in ASQ Online by Sept. 27. 

Early childhood special education administrators should review and finalize their early childhood outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year by Sunday, Sept. 15.  

The Outcomes Part B Web System (OWS) is the online data collection system that Kansas uses to collect the assessment data for Indicator 7 for Part B, one of the 17 indicators reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).  

Hosted by Kansas students, the fourth season of "Cool Careers" is now available here from HirePaths.  

The new episodes feature a human resources specialist, emergency dispatcher, commercial driver and IT network installer. Downloadable, free worksheets have also been developed to go along with each episode. 

The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October for various topics including Career Cluster and Pathway Program of Study Applications (CPPSAs), Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) information and resources, industry recognized credentials, Students’ Right to Know Act and more. 

On Sept. 4, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fourth installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.   

Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit https://agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and view past newsletters.  

Early childhood special education administrators should review and finalize their early childhood outcomes data for the 2023-24 school year by Sept. 15.  

The Outcomes Part B Web System (OWS) is the online data collection system that Kansas uses to collect the assessment data for Indicator 7 for Part B, one of the 17 indicators reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).  

The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October. Click on the education service center links below to register. Registration is $35 and includes lunch. 

A free, online professional development resource is available to view for preschool through middle school educators.  

Click here to access the virtual session, hosted by HirePaths. Speakers include Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson, educators from across the state and others, who share how to incorporate career exploration into the classroom. You will find tangible tips, and a certification for continuing education credit may be downloaded.  

The KSDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is offering technical assistance in September and October.

A free, online professional development resource is available to view for preschool through middle school educators.  

Early childhood teachers and administrators have multiple opportunities for professional learning and collaboration in the next several months. 

• Sept. 10: Greenbush will host “Early Childhood Programming in Kansas: Implementing High Quality Services in the Least Restrictive Environment” in Salina. Districts that are not currently meeting state targets for Indicator 6: Preschool Environments may especially want to attend. (Note that a district must be meeting state targets for Indicator 6 in order to be eligible to apply for Kansans Can Star Recognition in the area of Kindergarten Readiness.) Click here to learn more and to register for the Sept. 10 workshop. 

On Aug. 21, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the third installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.   

The Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund board adopted the updated All in for Kansas Kids strategic plan for early childhood on Aug. 2. Updates to this plan continue years of work and collaboration between state agencies to collaboratively improve our state's early childhood programs and services.   

On Aug. 7, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) Online users received the second installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.    

Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit https://agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters.   

The Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) revision team is excited to announce the KELS website is officially live. 

Middle and high school students from across the state of Kansas had various opportunities to put their academic, technical, and employability skills to the test at seven national and international CTSO conferences this summer.  

Make sure you are using the correct KSDE logo on your website. 

HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through eighth-grade educators on Aug. 1. Keynote speakers will include Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson and other Kansas educators.  

HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through 8th grade educators on Aug. 1.

HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through eighth-grade educators on Aug. 1.

HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through 8th grade educators on Aug. 1.

HirePaths is hosting a free, professional development Zoom conference for pre-K through eighth-grade educators on Aug. 1.

Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.  

Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.

Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.

The Kansas Instructional Leaders’ Association (KILA), formerly known as the Kansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (KASCD), is seeking nominations for an outstanding curriculum leader.

Applications are due by Sunday, May 12.

High-Quality Instructional Materials Survey

Thank you to everyone who completed the high-quality instructional materials survey. The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is reviewing and summarizing the data for review. The data will be used to help KSDE determine next steps that will be taken to support districts in their selection of high-quality instructional materials. 

Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.

This annual award recognizes an individual currently serving in an educational-related position (curriculum director, supervisor, administrator, college instructor, etc.), for outstanding leadership in curriculum and supervision of instruction in his/her respective educational-related occupation.

In support of school improvement, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is collecting data on instructional materials used in Kansas schools. This data will help KSDE understand statewide material usage and inform resource allocation. 

Join KSDE Science and Maize South High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on May 30-31, for a science summit centered around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and standards alignment/storyline process.

The Kansas Instructional Leaders’ Association (KILA), formerly known as the Kansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (KASCD), is seeking nominations for an outstanding curriculum leader.

Reminders on Core Instructional Materials Support 

In support of school improvement, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is collecting data on instructional materials used in Kansas schools. This data will help KSDE understand statewide material usage and inform resource allocation.