Board committee hears Blueprint for Literacy update proposing multi‑module course and seven centers of excellence

Dr. Cindy Lane, presenting for the Blueprint for Literacy advisory committee, told the Board Academic Affairs Standing Committee that the system is close to finalizing a statewide course and a network of seven centers to support structured‑literacy instruction across Kansas. The course, currently titled Foundations of Science and Reading, is modular, includes performance assessments and coaching, and is aligned to the International Dyslexia Association Knowledge and Practice Standards, Lane said.

Lane said the course is larger than a typical “micro‑credential,” equating to about six hours of graduate credit and designed for online or hybrid delivery depending on the university. She said tuition will be paid by the Blueprint so educators will have no out‑of‑pocket cost and that participants will receive a stipend; the meeting transcript did not specify the stipend amount. Lane said a national structured‑literacy expert will conduct an external review of the course before it is presented to the State Board of Education for authorization in December and that the course is expected to be available in March (university processes permitting).

The advisory committee also proposed standing up seven centers of excellence—one associated with each of the six public regent universities plus Washburn—as a statewide network to provide training, assessment support, and partnerships with K–12 districts. Lane described a catchment‑area approach so centers have defined geographies to serve, while noting centers are intended to share resources across boundaries. The draft plan includes staffing qualifications, impact measures (including support for educator preparation programs and student outcome monitoring), and an implementation timeline that would begin standing up centers between February and May.

Lane said the Blueprint’s stated student outcome goal is that 90 percent of children be reading at or above grade level by a target year referenced in the meeting transcript as “02/1933”; the transcript text on that deadline appears garbled and the final adopted plan and statutory language will specify the official deadline. She also said the advisory committee is working to finalize a plan for legislative review and that the committee will meet later in the week to refine recommendations prior to board consideration.

Committee members asked about evidence and timing for student‑level change. Lane cited the science of reading and historical research such as the National Reading Panel’s findings and described structured literacy as evidence‑based; she emphasized that the course’s coaching and application components are intended to translate knowledge into classroom practice. Members asked about independent colleges’ access; Lane said the course will be offered through the seven public institutions but is intended to be accessible to all Kansas educators and that the team is discussing credit‑transfer and support options with independent institutions.

Next steps: the advisory committee expects to take feedback from the board, finalize recommendations at an upcoming meeting, present the course and credentialing requests to the State Board of Education in December for licensure consideration, and begin standing up centers in spring as funding and campus approvals allow.