Standards and Instruction

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. 

School Improvement and Accreditation Timeline for progress

The KSDE School Improvement Workgroup and members of the Accreditation and Design team will share the following information with the Kansas State Board of Education during its April 9 meeting.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) invites districts that provide child care to participate in the 2024 Kansas Child Care Market Analysis Survey.

All Preschool-Aged At-Risk Approval Forms for the 2024-2025 school year are due by Wednesday, April 3. The link to this form can be found on the Early Childhood Preschool Programming Webpage.

School Improvement and Accreditation Timeline for progress

The KSDE School Improvement Workgroup and members of the Accreditation and Design team will share the following information with the Kansas State Board of Education during its April 9 meeting.

April is Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month. The Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) has provided a tool kit, social media content, graphics and other ideas for promoting awareness and participation in CAP Month. The theme of this year’s campaign is, “Building a Hopeful Future, Together.”

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) invites districts that provide child care to participate in the 2024 Kansas Child Care Market Analysis Survey.

By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract, school districts are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. IXL has provided a reporting webinar to explain how to save and submit the reports.

School Improvement and Accreditation Timeline for progress

The KSDE School Improvement Workgroup and members of the Accreditation and Design team will share the following information with the Kansas State Board of Education during its April 9 meeting.

April is Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month. The Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) has provided a tool kit, social media content, graphics and other ideas for promoting awareness and participation in CAP Month. The theme of this year’s campaign is, “Building a Hopeful Future, Together.”

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) invites districts that provide child care to participate in the 2024 Kansas Child Care Market Analysis Survey.

Recommendations for Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cluster Review Committees are open for public review and comment.

Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC) recently made a commitment to invest back into local PAT programs by awarding a limited number of grants to programs across the country. The grants were highly competitive and five Kansas PAT programs were successful in their bid for funding for special community projects.

Recommendations for Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cluster Review Committees are open for public review and comment.

The Kansas State Department of Education announced an agency-sponsored interpersonal curricula that is free to Kansas elementary, middle and high schools.

Recommendations for Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cluster Review Committees are open for public review and comment.

Applications for School Improvement Days Facilitators open

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the new accreditation model, KESA 2.0, will involve school systems meeting together once per year for School Improvement Days.

The Kansas State Department of Education has announced an agency-sponsored interpersonal curricula that is free to Kansas elementary, middle and high schools.

KSDE’s Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) has released the Kansas Math Project (KMP) via Moodle. The website enables Kansas math teachers, Pre-K-12, to begin their asynchronous KMP journey.

KSDE is providing important information and resources as districts finalize Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway applications for the 2024-2025 school year. All pathway applications should be in at least “Approved by District” status prior to the March 1^st deadline. Please note that if an application requires correction, it will be considered to have been submitted on time if the initial submission occurred prior to, or on March 1^st, 2024.

Evidence Based List and Provisional At-Risk Program Application

KSDE will provide school districts with an application process to submit programs and practices that are not currently on the approved evidence-based practices list but meet the statutory definition for a provisional at-risk educational program.

KSDE is providing important information and resources as districts finalize Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway applications for the 2024-2025 school year. All pathway applications should be in at least “Approved by District” status prior to the March 1^st deadline. Please note that if an application requires correction, it will be considered to have been submitted on time if the initial submission occurred prior to, or on March 1^st, 2024.

Provisional At-Risk Program Application

KSDE will provide school districts with an application process to submit programs and practices that are not currently on the approved evidence-based practices list but meet the statutory definition for a provisional at-risk educational program.

Science Practice Tests are now available in the Kite^® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.

Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, the new accreditation model, KESA 2.0, will involve school systems meeting together once per year for School Improvement Days. As part of this process, KSDE is recruiting teams of facilitators to lead these sessions. The facilitators will be in teams of three and will lead school leadership teams through data conversations, reflective questions, and action planning. KSDE is recruiting interested educators for these roles over the next few months and will conduct training sessions later this spring. 

PACK Act Survey Information

The PACK Act, Sub HB 2466, enrolled effective July 1, 2022, requires that each secondary school operated by a district in Kansas offer a computer science course beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. Please see the act's legislative page at this link: Legislative page for HB 2466.

Science Practice Tests are now available Kite® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) standards that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.

The updated Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) were approved by both the Kansas State Board of Education and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.  These standards serve as a guide for what we want children to know and be able to do as a result of engagement with caring knowledgeable adults, evidence-based curriculum, and developmentally appropriate activities.

Science Practice Tests are now available in the Kite® Student Portal! These Subject-Oriented Practice Tests (SPTs) more closely resemble the rigor of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) standards that students will see on the 2024 Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) Summative Science assessments.

Evidence-Based List and At-Risk

The Kansas State Board of Education at its February meeting will receive recommendations on potential statutory adjustment on Feb. 13, 2024, with possible action to be taken on Feb. 14, 2024. A review of the current list has been conducted.  A process for districts and vendors to submit provisional programs and practices is being developed. Districts should expect to hear more developments on this work Spring 2024.

The updated Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS) were approved by both the Kansas State Board of Education and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.  These standards serve as a guide for what we want children to know and be able to do as a result of engagement with caring knowledgeable adults, evidence-based curriculum, and developmentally appropriate activities.

By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract to receive IXL Math at no local cost, district and school administrators are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. Two built-in IXL reports will allow you to create and submit your KSDE reporting in less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee.

The Kansas State Board of Education at its November meeting approved new graduation requirements. Now, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is developing a new fact sheet to help educators and administrators transition to the new requirements.

House Bill 2085, passed in the 2021 legislative session, created the Students Right to Know Act to provide information on postsecondary education options.

By opting into the Kansas State Department of Education and IXL Math contract to receive IXL Math at no local cost, district and school administrators are required to provide data on math practice for the 2023-2024 school year twice a year. Two built-in IXL reports will allow you to create and submit your KSDE reporting in less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee.

Updates to the Kansas Early Learning Standards were approved by the Kansas State Board of Education at their January meeting. As KSDE’s Early Childhood team prepares to print and distribute copies of these updated standards, they need to know how many are needed for each district.

To provide a broader opportunity for all teachers to get questions answered, brainstorm solutions and for Kansas State Department of Education staff members to help, changes have been made to the KSDE Early Literacy/Dyslexia Literacy Lifeline for 2024.

Updates to the Kansas Early Learning Standards were approved by the Kansas State Board of Education at its January meeting. As KSDE’s Early Childhood team prepares to print and distribute copies of these updated standards, they need to know how many are needed for each district.

Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families, and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year. All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2).

To provide a broader opportunity for all teachers to get questions answered, brainstorm solutions and for Kansas State Department of Education staff members to help, changes have been made to the KSDE Early Literacy/Dyslexia Literacy Lifeline for 2024.

Engaging with families to build strong relationships during children’s transition into kindergarten is a key strategy to prepare children, families, and schools for a successful start to the kindergarten year. All Kansas elementary schools are required to partner with families to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires^®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires^®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2).

To provide a broader opportunity for all teachers to get questions answered, brainstorm solutions and for Kansas State Department of Education staff members to help, changes have been made to the KSDE Early Literacy/Dyslexia Literacy Lifeline for 2024.  

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are available to help with questions or problems and can be contacted through the Literacy Lifeline.

Registration is now available for the next LETRS^® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training cohort, which begins January 2024.