Overview
During the 2024 Legislative Session, The Kansas Blueprint for Literacy was established through enactment of SB 438, which also appropriated $10.0 million State General Fund (SGF) in FY 2025 to the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) for purposes of implementing the Blueprint.
The Blueprint makes literacy a state-level priority and investment to support families and businesses and finds that a comprehensive approach to equipping Kansas educators with training in the science of reading, structured literacy, and literacy screening and assessment tools is essential.
Literacy Advisory Committee
The Blueprint created the Literacy Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) consisting of 15 voting members, the Commissioner of Education (or the Commissioner’s designee), and any number of members appointed by the Director of Literacy Education (Director). The Advisory Committee, among other duties and responsibilities, is required to:
- Designate best practices for literacy training and monitor progress of literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students;
- Be responsible for achieving the goal to have 100.0 percent of the Kansas elementary teacher workforce achieve a micro-credential in the science of reading and structured literacy by 2030, leading to 50.0 percent or more of 3rd through 8th graders achieving a level 3 or above and at least 90.0 percent of 3rd through 8th graders achieving a level 2 or above on the English language arts state assessment by 2033; and
- Submit a plan to KBOR on the establishment of the Centers of Excellence in Reading on or before January 1, 2025.
Director of Literacy Education
The Director is appointed by the Executive Officer of the KBOR and, among other duties and responsibilities, is required to:
- Implement and administer the Blueprint;
- Provide executive support to the Advisory Committee;
- Work with the State Board of Education and KBOR to ensure progress on the initiatives, objectives, and desired outcomes in the Blueprint; ensure the development and utilization of the comprehensive assessment system; and ensure postsecondary educational institutions and elementary and secondary schools are using tier I literacy methodologies;
- Encourage independent institutions to use tier I methodologies; and
- Establish a program to track the science of reading and structured literacy training progression of in-service and pre-service teachers and paraprofessionals, reading specialists, and early childhood and elementary administrators for all school districts in the state.
Postsecondary Educational Institutions; KBOR; State Board of Education
The Blueprint requires postsecondary educational institutions to designate practices based on the science of reading through structured literacy as the official tier I methodology and prohibits the use or teaching of any discredited methodologies, such as the three-cueing system. The Blueprint also requires postsecondary educational institutions to:
- Appoint one representative from each institution to conduct annual systemwide analysis of the curriculum maps across all literacy courses;
- Present a report on such systemwide analysis and any results from such analysis to the Advisory Committee;
- Design and implement courses to be included within the approved graduation requirements to earn a degree in elementary education;
- Implement a common performance-based assessment for such courses;
- Assist in the development of a science of reading and structured literacy micro-credential; and
- Provide information to the Advisory Committee.
The Blueprint directs KBOR to:
- Establish a comprehensive reading and literacy assessment system;
- Develop training modules for assessments;
- Support State Board of Education action to officially designate the science of reading as the official tier I literacy methodology;
- Support elementary and secondary schools as necessary to eliminate any discredited methodologies;
- Make recommendations to the State Board of Education on literacy-specific universal screening measures and assessments; and
- Approve reading instruction methodologies recommended by the Advisory Committee for state educational institutions.
The Blueprint further directs KBOR to collaborate with the State Board of Education to:
- Jointly approve a micro-credential for pre-service and in-service teachers;
- Develop professional development programs;
- Publish standards and course progression; and
- Provide data to the Director that tracks the science of reading and structured literacy training program of in-service and pre-service early childhood and elementary educators and administrators.
Centers of Excellence in Reading
The Blueprint requires the Advisory Committee to develop a plan to establish six regional centers of excellence in reading (Centers). The Blueprint requires the plan to:
- Provide evaluation and identification of reading difficulties and reading disabilities;
- Support the professional development and training of school-based instructional coaches;
- Pilot simulation laboratories for pre-service and in-service teachers;
- Identify projected costs and staffing needs;
- Collaborate with school districts, KBOR, State Department of Education, and post secondary educational institutions; and
- Make recommendations and provide progress reports to the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee submitted a plan for the Centers in December 2024. The plan included an implementation timeline, a catchment area map, data on the number of educators in each catchment area that need Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training, and a multi-year budget.
Reports to the 2025 Legislature
The Blueprint requires the Advisory Committee and the Director to make various reports to the Legislature regarding implementation and administration, progress on utilization of the science of reading and screening measures and assessments, and state assessment progress for each grade level and all defined subgroups.
During the 2025 Legislative Session, the Director reported to the House Committee on Education and Senate Committee on Education on the implementation progress of the Blueprint, the plan submitted by the Advisory Committee for the Centers, and a budget plan for the Blueprint for FY 2025 through FY 2029.
Appropriations
The 2024 Legislature appropriated $10.0 million SGF for FY 2025 to KBOR to implement and administer the Blueprint.
The 2025 Legislature did not fund the Blueprint for FY 2026; $10.0 million SGF was deleted from HB 2007, and no additional funding was included in SB 125.
By Elaina Rudder and Dayton LaMunyon.
See Education for more.