Senate Bill 438 established Kansas Blueprint for Literacy with $10 million appropriation and targets for 2030–33, committee told

Jason Long, counsel with the Office of Revisor of Statutes, briefed the House Committee on Education on the components and statutory requirements enacted by Senate Bill 438 (the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy).

Long said the package ‘‘was codified at KSA 74 dash 32com 290 through 74 dash 32com 296’’ and that it established a director of literacy education under the Board of Regents, a literacy advisory committee, and statutory duties that include tracking educator training in the science of reading and reporting to the Legislature. Long summarized the bill's definition of ‘‘science of reading’’ as instruction that relies on evidence‑based practices including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Key features and timelines: The statute directs the literacy advisory committee to pursue goals including that 100% of special education, English‑learner and elementary educators obtain a micro‑credential in the science of reading by 2030; that 50% of 3rd–8th grade students achieve a level 3 or higher on the English language arts state assessment by 2033; and that 90% achieve level 2 or higher by 2033. The statute also requires three‑times‑a‑year progress reports to the legislature on ELA state assessment scores and training progress. Long said the bill directs the committee to submit a plan for six regional centers of excellence in reading by January 1, 2025.

Courses and credentials: Long said the law required colleges and universities with teacher‑education programs to create two three‑credit courses to support a micro‑credential in the science of reading and that the Board of Regents and Board of Education must collaborate on micro‑credential approval and course standards. The legislation, Long said, also named the science of reading and structured literacy as the official Tier‑1 literacy methodology and prohibited use of outdated primary word‑recognition approaches as the main method.

Funding and reporting: The bill included a one‑time $10,000,000 appropriation for the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy for the fiscal year referenced in the law. Long said the appropriation carried provisos that tied release of funds to certification of the required courses; if a named college or university did not certify the courses the appropriation could lapse. Long told members that the Board of Regents certified the courses but offered to confirm that certification on request.

Accountability and enforcement: Committee members asked whether the statute imposes intermediate targets or sanctions if goals are not met. Long said the law sets the 2030 and 2033 goals and requires periodic progress reports, but it does not create statutory sanctions or intermediate numeric targets prior to those deadlines. Representative Hubert said he intends to follow up with the director of literacy to ensure coordination between the Board of Regents and the State Board of Education.

What the committee directed or requested: Members asked for the advisory committee's membership list and the implementation plan for the centers of excellence. Chair and members were told that Dr. Cynthia Lane, the Regents' literacy executive director, will present to the committee on Thursday and that a series of reports from the director and advisory committee is due this year (including January 15, a January 31 Board of Regents utilization report, and a February 1 advisory committee update; additional reports are due by May 1 and December 1 under the statute).

No formal action was taken; the session was informational. Members were urged to review the statute and the literacy plan before the upcoming presentations.

Ending: The chair said literacy will be an intense focus for the committee this year, encouraged members to read the statute and the forthcoming center‑plan, and scheduled follow‑ups with the director of literacy and other agency officials.