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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.
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.
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.
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.
Reminders on Core Instructional Materials Support
Core Instructional Materials Support
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.
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.”
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.
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.
The Kansas State Department of Education announced an agency-sponsored interpersonal curricula that is free to Kansas elementary, middle and high schools.
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 1st 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 1st, 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.
Provisional At-Risk Program Application
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.
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.
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).
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.
In celebration of National Career Development Month, which is November, and Individual Plans of Study for each student, the Kansas State Department of Education’s Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is releasing the following resources developed by REL Central to support IPS implementation in Kansas:
Fifty-eight Kansas Parents as Teachers program coordinators gathered Nov. 6-7 in Wichita for a two-day meeting focused on supporting Kansas families and children through high-quality PAT home visiting services.
A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) updates webinar recording, presentation slides and resource guide are now available online, according to Melanie D. Scott, a Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) school counselor leader coordinator.
The Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) hosted an online fall retreat for members of Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) on Nov. 3.
The Kansas Seal of Biliteracy score spreadsheet has been updated and is now available on the Kansas Seal of Biliteracy website.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays through December.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is seeking public comment on the proposed Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS).
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Early Childhood team and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) are partnering for an online training on the Ages and Stages Questionnaires ® Third Edition (ASQ- 3) and Ages and Stages ®: Social-Emotional, Second Education (ASQ: SE-2).
Kansas State Department of Education early literacy/dyslexia staff members are offering Literacy Lifeline office hours from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays.
One of seven Cluster Review Committees for Career and Technical Education (CTE) charged with reviewing CTE Arts, AV and Communications Cluster met Wednesday, Oct. 4, in Topeka to discuss Graphic Design, Web and Digital Communications, and Digital Media Pathways.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fourth installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s science team has been working hard at piloting a Science Standards Unpacking Tool.
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a live webinar to walk through required reporting for Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grantees.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the third installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the second installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
Kansas Parents as Teacher (PAT) affiliates served 8,323 children and 6,178 families from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, statistics from affiliates’ annual reports show.
Registration is now available for the next LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training cohort, which begins January 2024.
This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users receive the first installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.
The Kansas Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template can help districts estimate preschool revenue and budget across multiple funding sources. An updated version of this tool for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years is now available.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS) are partnering to host a monthly virtual professional learning community for educators in their first through third years of teaching science.
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success.
The updated protocol for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Dyslexia Initiative Universal Screening is now available for the 2023-2024 school year.
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success. Please make sure your school is kindergarten ready for the 2023-2024 school year by preparing to partner with families of incoming kindergarten students to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2).
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).
As required by Program Assurance 20, Kansas preschool programs funded by Preschool-Aged At-Risk and/or Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) must enter data into the Early Childhood Foundations for School Success Authenticated web application.
The Approval Form for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Funding are due Monday, April 3, 2023.
The Approval Form for Preschool-Aged At-Risk Funding are due April 3, 2023.
The Kansas Seal of Biliteracy Guidelines and scores spreadsheet have been updated and are available on the Kansas Seal of Biliteracy website at https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/World-Languages/Seal-of-Biliteracy.
This message is from the United State Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP):
The Kansas Parents as Teachers (KPAT) program grant application packet for the 2023-2024 school year is now available online and will be emailed to all current PAT program coordinators, said Lisa Williams, Parents as Teachers consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team would like to congratulate Westview Elementary School, Olathe Unified School District 233, and Hillsboro Elementary School, Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh USD 410, for receiving ESEA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Distinguished Schools awards.
Two recorded webinars and accompanying resources from Dr. Suzanne Adolf, a dyslexia and language disorder researcher, are available on the Professional Learning section of the KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia page.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is seeking individuals to join the 2023 KSDE Teacher Leaders group.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child begins kindergarten.
Nominations are being sought for the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Board.
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the KSDE Early Childhood team hosted two Zoom meetings to provide an overview of 2023-2024 preschool funding resources, including the Preschool Revenue Calculator and Budget Template. PowerPoint slides from that presentation are now posted on the KSDE Early Childhood webpage.
At the November 2022 Kansas State Board of Education meeting, State Board members approved new graduation requirements, which has led to many questions. To address many of those questions, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has developed a document that answers the most commonly asked questions.
There are now two new Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) district training resources available.
The Kansas Legislature requires the Kansas State Department of Education to survey all districts regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway courses and credentials.
The path to leading the world in the success of each student starts in early childhood, long before a 5-year-old child walks through a kindergarten classroom door.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) financial literacy webpage has been updated with new resources for K-12 educators and parents after the Kansas State Board of Education adopted National Standards for Personal Finance Education in July 2022.
The Kansas State Department of Education would like to remind all systems in their fifth year of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) cycle that they must email accreditation@ksde.org with the date of their annual on-site visit as soon as possible.
Kindergarten through fifth grade educators in western Kansas are invited to participate in a full day of professional development on Nov. 14 that will help strengthen their literacy instruction block.
The Kansas State Department of Education Technical Assistance Network (TASN) Autism and Tertiary Behavior Supports team recently announced a professional development opportunity that can help staff members who are new to providing services to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other complex learning needs.
Intrapersonal curricula, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), is available for free to Kansas elementary schools.
Anyone who is interested in being a member of an Outside Visitation Team member or OVT chair but couldn’t attend training in September can still become a trained member or chair by taking the following steps:
The ninth episode of HirePaths’ “Cool Careers” features welding as a career choice.
All data, including questionnaires administered via paper, pending Family Access screenings and child profiles noting the reason for not participating, is due in the ASQ Online system by Monday, Oct. 10.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team is still waiting for about 100 systems to report when they will host their Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) year five on-site visit.
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team will kick off monthly Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) meetings on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Did you know that Kansas is second only to Iowa in the nation for the portion of energy created by wind?
The Kansas State Department of Education’s Career, Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) team is collecting names of interested teachers, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches and administrators who would like to participate in the 2024 review/revision of English language arts standards.
Tuesday, Sept. 20, marked the close of the Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot window. This is a good time for district teams to reflect on the start of the kindergarten year. What went well as you partnered with families during this important transition? What might you change for next year?
Systems going through Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) that need additional Outside Visitation Team (OVT) members are in luck.
With nearly 180 systems going before the Accreditation Review Council (ARC) this school year, reviews of year five systems for Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) need to begin in November.
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is inviting district Individual Plan of Study (IPS) implementation facilitators and/or IPS team members to participate in an IPS Professional Learning Network (PLN) that will be convened for the 2022-2023 school year.
Tuesday, Sept. 20, marks the close of the window to administer both ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 to all incoming kindergarten students.
If you are a school district/system entering year five of Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA), let the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Accreditation and Design team know when you are having your year five on-site visit.
The Kansas Alternate Early Literacy Screener K-3rd grade is now available. A webinar to explain the new Kansas Alternate Early Literacy Screener is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 from 3:00-3:30 p.m.
June 30 was the deadline to enter Early Childhood Outcomes data into the Outcomes Web System (OWS). However, if there are additions or changes that need to be made, this is the time to do so.
The Engineering Career Cluster will be reviewed during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.
The Kansas State Department of Education is excited to announce the creation of a new Exploration of Career Pathways course for middle school students.
Twenty-five multidiscipline modules were created to allow students to demonstrate mastery of their content in a variety of ways driven by their personalized learning interests and goals.
The 2022-2023 Events Calendar for Early Childhood Programs is now posted to the KSDE Early Childhood webpage.
Building relationships with families lays the foundation for a strong start to the kindergarten year and for later student success. The Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot gives schools another opportunity to partner with families and better understand each kindergarten student’s development.
The new “Cool Careers” video, shot at Beeson Elementary School, Dodge City 443, focuses on becoming an elementary school teacher.
Engaging families as children transition into kindergarten supports kindergarten readiness and later student success. All children are ready to enter kindergarten when they meet the age requirement – 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 of their kindergarten year.
In this edition | Feature Story | Assessments and Accountability | Reporting and Operations Standards and Instruction | Student Health and Nutrition | Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition
Questions about this page contact:
Denise Kahler (785) 296-4876 dkahler@ksde.org
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The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.org or by 785-296-3201.