Kansas blueprint for literacy reports 9,420 educators trained in first year; gaps remain toward 2030 goals

Summary

Higher-education leaders told the Committee on Education the Blueprint for Literacy completed its first implementation year with universities offering new science-of-reading courses, 9,420 educators trained to date (letters plus foundations), and pilots showing some student gains; lawmakers pressed for comparative NAEP and program completion data.

Higher-education officials told the Committee on Education that the Blueprint for Literacy’s first year has put new training and coaching systems in place but that significant work remains to meet statutory proficiency goals.

Dr. Cindy Lane, lead for the Blueprint, told legislators the legislative package (Senate Bill 438) charges the seven public universities to strengthen educator-preparation and to provide high-quality professional learning. "We have trained 9,420 educators," Lane said, citing combined counts from the State Department’s letters initiative and the universities’ foundations courses. Lane added that the Board of Education identified 18,698 elementary educators who must attain a literacy seal by the statutory deadline.

Why it matters: The Blueprint sets two statutory targets tied to SB 438 — by 2030 the entire elementary education workforce should be trained in the science of reading and structured literacy, and by 2033 the state aims for 90% of third–eighth graders at level 2 or higher on the Kansas assessment.…

Kansas blueprint for literacy reports 9,420 educators trained in first year; gaps remain toward 2030 goals

Summary

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