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Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 458
By Committee on Education
2-3
AN ACT concerning education; relating to state assessments; requiring
state assessment performance levels and cut scores to be based on the
2024 performance levels and cut scores; amending K.S.A. 2025 Supp.
72-5170 and repealing the existing section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5170 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 72-5170. (a) (1) In order to accomplish the mission for Kansas
education, the state board shall design and adopt a school district
accreditation system based upon improvement in performance that equals
or exceeds the educational goal set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and
amendments thereto, and is measurable. The state board shall hold all
school districts accountable through the Kansas education systems
accreditation rules and regulations, or any successor accreditation system
and accountability plan adopted by the state board. The state board also
shall ensure that all school districts and the public schools operated by
such districts have programs and initiatives in place for providing those
educational capacities set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments
thereto. On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall prepare
and submit a report on the school district accreditation system to the
governor and the legislature.
(2) The accountability measures established pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall be applied both at the district level and at the school level. Such
accountability measures shall be reported by the state board for each
school district and each school. All reports prepared pursuant to this
section shall be published in accordance with K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-1181,
and amendments thereto.
(3) If a school district is not fully accredited and a corrective action
plan is required by the state board, such corrective action plan, and any
subsequent reports prepared by the state board regarding the progress of
such school district in implementing and executing such corrective action
plan, shall be published on the state department of education's internet
website and such school district's internet website in accordance with
K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-1181, and amendments thereto.
(4) If a school district is not accredited, the superintendent, or the
superintendent's designee, shall appear before the committee on education
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of the house of representatives and the committee on education of the
senate during the regular legislative session that occurs during the same
school year when such school district is not accredited. Such school
district shall provide a report to such committees on the challenges and
obstacles that are preventing such school district from becoming
accredited.
(b) The state board shall establish curriculum standards that reflect
high academic standards for the core academic areas of mathematics,
science, reading, writing and social studies. The curriculum standards may
be reviewed at least every seven years. The state board shall not
substantially revise or update the English language arts or mathematics
curriculum standards that are in effect on July 1, 2024, in a manner that
would necessitate the development of new statewide assessments in
English language arts or mathematics until the state board's long-term goal
for all students submitted to the United States department of education in
the consolidated state plan is achieved such that 75% of all students score
in performance levels 3 and 4 combined on the statewide assessments in
English language arts and mathematics by 2030. Nothing in this subsection
shall be construed in any manner so as to impinge upon any school
district's authority to determine its own curriculum.
(c) (1) The state board shall provide for statewide assessments in the
core academic areas of mathematics, science, reading, writing and social
studies. The board shall ensure compatibility between the statewide
assessments and the curriculum standards established pursuant to
subsection (b). Such assessments shall be administered at three grade
levels, as determined by the state board. The state board shall determine
performance levels on the statewide assessments, the achievement of
which represents should represent high academic standards for both
individual performance and school performance in the academic area at
the grade level to which the assessment applies. The state board should
specify high academic standards both for individual performance and
school performance on the performance levels on the statewide
assessments shall be the same performance levels and cut scores
determined by the state board for 2024.
(2) (A) On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall
prepare and submit to the legislature a report on students who take the
statewide assessments. Such report shall include:
(i) The number of students and such number expressed as a
percentage of the total number of students who took the statewide
assessments during the immediately preceding school year disaggregated
by core academic area and by grade level; and
(ii) the percentage of students who took the statewide assessments in
grade 10 who, two years after graduating from high school, obtained some
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postsecondary education disaggregated by statewide assessment
achievement level.
(B) When such information becomes available, or as soon thereafter
as practicable, the state board shall publish the information required for the
report under subparagraph (A) on the website of the state department of
education and incorporate such information in the performance
accountability reports and longitudinal achievement reports required under
K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5178, and amendments thereto.
(C) The provisions of this paragraph shall expire on July 1, 2029.
(d) Each school year, on such date as specified by the state board,
each school district shall submit the Kansas education system accreditation
report to the state board in such form and manner as prescribed by the state
board.
(e) Whenever the state board determines that a school district has
failed either to meet the accreditation requirements established by rules
and regulations or standards adopted by the state board or provide
curriculum based on state standards and courses required by state law, the
state board shall so notify the school district. Such notice shall specify the
accreditation requirements that the school district has failed to meet and
the curriculum that it has failed to provide. Upon receipt of such notice,
the board of education of such school district is encouraged to reallocate
the resources of the school district to remedy all deficiencies identified by
the state board.
(f) Each school in every school district shall establish a school site
council composed of the principal and representatives of teachers and
other school personnel, parents of students attending the school, the
business community and other community groups. School site councils
shall be responsible for providing advice and counsel in evaluating state,
school district, and school site performance goals and objectives and in
determining the methods that should be employed at the school site to
meet these goals and objectives. Site councils may make recommendations
and proposals to the school board regarding budgetary items and school
district matters, including, but not limited to, identifying and implementing
the best practices for developing efficient and effective administrative and
management functions. Site councils also may help school boards analyze
the unique environment of schools, enhance the efficiency and maximize
limited resources, including outsourcing arrangements and cooperative
opportunities as a means to address limited budgets.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5170 is hereby repealed.
Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.
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