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SB517 • 2026

Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

Children Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Last action
2026-04-10
Official status
Died in House Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

What This Bill Does

  • Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 House

    Died in House Committee

  2. 2026-03-20 House

    Referred to House Committee on Education

  3. 2026-03-20 House

    Received and Introduced

  4. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 39, Nay 1

  5. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended

  6. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted

  7. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Education

  8. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Hearing: Friday, March 13, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 144-S event

  9. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Referred to Senate Committee on Education

  10. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Introduced

Official Summary Text

Expanding the every child can read act reporting requirements and amending the Kansas blueprint for literacy to provide certain requirements for the state board of education, the state board of regents and school districts with regard to literacy education and reporting.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
As Amended by Senate Committee
Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 517
By Committee on Ways and Means
2-24
AN ACT concerning education; relating to the Kansas blueprint for
literacy; expanding reporting requirements in the every child can read
act; requiring members of the literacy advisory committee to have
certain expertise; aligning literacy fluency goals with the state board of
education's assessment cut scores; requiring school districts to employ
reading specialists and develop individual student literacy plans for
certain high-risk students; requiring the state board of education to
designate best literacy practices and include a literacy practicum in the
requirements for teacher licensure; requiring the development of a
comprehensive literacy implementation plan; providing requirements
for educator preparation programs; amending K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-
3262, 74-32,290, 74-32,291, 74-32,292, 74-32,293, 74-32,294 and 74-
32,295 and repealing the existing sections; also repealing K.S.A. 2025
Supp. 74-32,296.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-3262 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 72-3262. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
every child can read act.
(b) The legislature hereby affirms that third grade marks a pivotal
grade level in which students must attain proficiency in reading or risk
continued learning losses throughout their academic career. To ensure that
all students move toward grade-level proficiency in literacy, especially by
the third grade level, the board of education of each school district shall
provide opportunities for students to participate in targeted educational
interventions to promote proficiency in literacy. Reading literacy shall be
attained through the science of reading and evidence-based reading
instruction and shall include such competencies as may be necessary to
attain reading proficiency. The necessary competencies, best practices and
screening tools used by school districts shall follow the framework of the
dyslexia handbook developed by the state department of education. To
ensure that such competencies are achieved, the board of education of each
school district shall include as part of instruction in literacy:
(1) Phonics, phonological and phonemic awareness;
(2) vocabulary development;
(3) silent and oral reading fluency; and
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(4) reading comprehension.
(c) To promote the goals of the every child can read act, the board of
education of each school district shall:
(1) Measure student achievement by participation in the state
assessment program , use of a single statewide universal screening tool
recommended by the state board of education and through other universal
screening and assessment tools that are approved by a board of education
of a school district or by the state department of education;
(2) provide targeted and tiered interventions that are designed to
match a student's individual deficiencies through additional contact hours
with such student, including, but not limited to, one-on-one instruction,
small group instruction, tutoring and summer school programs for all
students and especially for those students who are at and below the third
grade level who are identified as having a literacy deficit; and
(3) ensure that the teacher of each third grade student communicates
with the parent or guardian of each such student to provide information on
the student's literacy proficiency or deficiencies and any recommended
interventions for such student to achieve proficiency. Such communication
shall occur at least once during the fall semester and once during the
spring semester. When a teacher provides the communications required
pursuant to this paragraph, each such communication shall provide the
parent or guardian with:
(A) A summary of the every child can read act and the literacy goals
of the act;
(B) any assessment data relating to literacy that pertains to the
student;
(C) any recommended interventions for the student; and
(D) how the school district tracks the outcomes of any such
interventions.
(d) (1) On or before June 30 of each school year, each school district
shall report to the state department of education on the school district's
implementation of the every child can read act, the interventions that the
school district is using to attain the goals of such act and the resulting
outcomes of such interventions. Such report shall include:
(A) The number of third grade students in such school district;
(B) the screening and assessment data from at least the preceding two
school years that the school district is using as a baseline to evaluate
student progress in literacy; and
(C) the percentage of students that are proficient, moving toward
proficiency or deficient, with percentages provided for all students and
student subgroups;
(D) the number of students in prekindergarten through grade eight
who performed in the high-risk category on the fall screening measure;
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(E) the number of students in kindergarten through grade three with
an individual student literacy plan; and
(F) the number of students in kindergarten through grade three who
exited the high-risk category or such student's individual student literacy
plan by the end of the school year.
(2) The state department of education shall compile such reports and
shall submit a summary report to the governor and, the legislature, literacy
advisory committee and the state board of education on or before January
15 October 1 of each year.
(e) This section shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1,
2023.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,290 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,290. (a) K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,290 through 74-32,296
74-32,295, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as
the Kansas blueprint for literacy.
(b) Each provision of K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,290 through 74-
32,296 74-32,295., and amendments thereto, that requires the expenditure
of moneys shall be subject to legislative appropriations therefor.
(c) As used in K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,290 through 74-32,296, and
amendments thereto the Kansas blueprint for literacy:
(1) "Field experience" means structured, supervised learning
opportunities where pre-service educators observe, interact with students
and apply evidence-aligned reading practices in authentic and diverse
classroom settings.
(2) "In-service" means a licensed individual who is employed by a
school district or accredited nonpublic school as a teacher.
(3) "Literacy practicum" means field experience that provides
explicit, guided, hands-on practice delivering evidence-based instructional
practices in one-on-one or small group instruction, administering literacy
assessments, designing and implementing diagnostic and prescriptive
instructional plans with joint supervision and mentorship by literacy
faculty and an experienced mentor teacher.
(4) "Mentor teacher" means a licensed teacher who has earned the
Kansas seal of literacy and models evidence-aligned literacy instruction to
ensure pre-service educators gain meaningful, high-impact teaching
experience that bridges theory and practice.
(2)(5) "Postsecondary educational institution" means:
(A) A state educational institution as defined in K.S.A. 76-711, and
amendments thereto;
(B) a municipal university; and
(C) any not-for-profit institution of postsecondary education that has
its main campus or principal place of operation in Kansas, is operated
independently and not controlled or administered by a state agency or
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subdivision of this state, maintains open enrollment and is accredited by a
nationally recognized accrediting agency for higher education in the
United States.
(3)(6) "Ongoing professional learning" means continuous, job-
embedded process to improve teaching effectiveness and student
achievement, including active collaborative learning that integrates new
knowledge and skills into daily practice.
(7) "Pre-service" means an individual who is receiving the education
and training to become a licensed teacher but is not yet licensed.
(4)(8) "Science of reading" means the teaching of reading using
evidence-based research that an interdisciplinary body of evidence that
informs how students learn to read and write proficiently. "Science of
reading" informs evidence-based practices and includes phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
(5)(9) "Structured literacy" means the application of knowledge from
the science of reading that teaches reading in an evidence-based and
systematic way a comprehensive instructional approach that guides how
reading and writing are taught by providing direct, explicit, sequential,
data-driven and systematic instruction leading to mastery of reading and
writing.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,291 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,291. (a) There is hereby established a literacy advisory
committee. The committee shall be composed of:
(1) 15 voting members as follows:
(A) The director of literacy education, appointed pursuant to K.S.A.
2025 Supp. 74-32,292, and amendments thereto, who shall serve as
chairperson of the committee;
(B) one member appointed by the governor;
(C) one member of the house of representatives or a literacy expert
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(D) one member of the house of representatives or a literacy expert
appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;
(E) one member of the senate or a literacy expert appointed by the
president of the senate;
(F) one member of the senate or a literacy expert appointed by the
minority leader of the senate;
(G) one member appointed by and representing the Kansas national
education association;
(H) one member appointed by and representing a school of education
from Emporia state university, Fort Hays state university or Pittsburg state
university;
(I) one member appointed by and representing a school of education
from the university of Kansas, Kansas state university or Wichita state
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SB 517—Am. by SC 5
university;
(J) one member appointed by and representing Washburn university
school of education;
(K) one member appointed by the Kansas association of community
colleges to represent community colleges;
(L) one member appointed by the Kansas independent colleges
association to represent a not-for-profit institution of postsecondary
education school or college of education;
(M) one member appointed by the state board of education;
(N) one member of the state board of regents appointed by the state
board of regents; and
(O) one member who is an English for speakers of other languages
literacy expert appointed by the united school administrators of Kansas;
and
(2) nonvoting members as follows:
(A) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;
and
(B) any number of members appointed by the director of literacy
education pursuant to K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,292, and amendments
thereto.
(b) (1) Members appointed to the committee pursuant to subsection
(a)(1) shall be appointed on or before July 1, 2024 have expertise in
evidence-based literacy practices, educator preparation, science of
reading research and evaluation, dyslexia research, literacy intervention,
implementation science or literacy policy development.
(2) Except for the director of literacy education, voting members shall
serve for a term of four years.
(3) Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled
by appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the
original appointment.
(4) A quorum of the committee shall be a majority of the voting
members. All actions of the committee may be taken by a majority of the
voting members present when there is a quorum.
(5) The committee may meet at any time and at any place within the
state upon the call of the chairperson.
(6) If any member of the committee fails to attend three meetings of
the committee within any 12-month period, such member's appointment
shall terminate and a new member shall be appointed in the same manner
prescribed by this section for the original appointment.
(c) The literacy advisory committee shall:
(1) Monitor progress of literacy training for in-service and pre-service
teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students;
(2) designate best practices for literacy training for in-service and pre-
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service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary
students;
(3) be responsible for the attainment of the transformational goal to
have 100% of the Kansas special education, English for speakers of other
languages and elementary teacher workforce achieve a micro-credential in
the science of reading and structured literacy by 2030, leading to at least
50% 90% of students in each of the grades three through eight achieving
level 3 or above and at least 90% of students in each of the grades three
through eight achieving level 2 or above on the English language arts state
assessment by 2033 . Scores and other data on such assessment shall be
disaggregated for each grade level and all defined subgroups, including,
but not limited to, English language learners, students receiving free
meals pursuant to the national school lunch act, students in the custody of
the secretary for children and families and race and ethnicity subgroups;
(4) make recommendations to the director of literacy education;
(5)(4) make recommendations to the state board of education, the
state board of regents and the postsecondary educational institution
presidents or chancellors on:
(A) Literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and
literacy education of elementary and secondary students; and
(B) reading instruction methods based on the science of reading;
(6)(5) make recommendations to the house of representatives
standing committee on education and the senate standing committee on
education on the implementation of the goals of the Kansas blueprint for
literacy and any changes necessary to achieve such goals; and
(7)(6) (A) submit a an annual progress report to the legislature on:
(i) English language arts state assessment scores for each grade level
and all defined subgroups, including, but not limited to, English language
learners, students receiving free meals pursuant to the national school
lunch act, students in the custody of the secretary for children and families
and race and ethnicity subgroups;
(ii) literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers; and
(iii) the literacy advisory committee's goals and requirements
provided in the Kansas blueprint for literacy;
(B) Such progress report shall be provided at the following times
each calendar year:
(i) Once on or before February 1 to the senate committee on
education and the house of representatives committee on education;
(ii) once on or before May 1 to the senate committee on education
and the house of representatives committee on education; and
(iii) once on or before December 1 to any interim, special, or select
committee, task force or commission that has membership that includes
legislators, is related to education, has been approved by the legislative
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coordinating council and requests such report; and
(8) submit a plan to the state board of regents education and the
legislature, including the house of representatives standing committee on
education and the senate standing committee on education , on the
establishment of centers of excellence in reading pursuant to K.S.A. 2025
Supp. 74-32,296, and amendments thereto, on or before January 1, 2025
on or before January 31 of each year.
(d) The committee shall be subject to the Kansas open records act,
K.S.A. 45-419 et seq., and amendments thereto, and the Kansas open
meetings act, K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq., and amendments thereto. The
committee shall publish each meeting agenda and any available meeting
documents online prior to each scheduled meeting of the committee.
(e) (1) Legislative members of the committee and members appointed
by a member of the legislature who attend meetings of the committee shall
be paid for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-
3223(e), and amendments thereto.
(2) Members of the committee who are not members of the
legislature may be paid for expenses, mileage and subsistence by the entity
each such member was appointed by and represents.
(f) (1) The director of literacy education shall provide executive
support to the committee.
(2) The staff of the state board of regents, office of revisor of statutes,
the legislative research department and the division of legislative
administrative services shall provide such assistance as may be requested
by the committee.
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,292 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,292. (a) On or before July 1, 2024, the executive officer of
the state board of regents shall appoint a director of literacy education.
(b) The director of literacy education shall be an employee of the
state board of regents in the unclassified service who serves at the pleasure
of the state board of regents. The compensation of the director shall be
determined by the executive officer of the state board of regents.
(c) The director of literacy education shall:
(1) Serve as chairperson of the literacy advisory committee
established in K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,291, and amendments thereto;
(2) implement and administer the Kansas blueprint for literacy;
(3) provide executive support to the literacy advisory committee;
(4) appoint nonvoting members of the literacy advisory committee as
the director deems necessary;
(5) work with the state board of education and the state board of
regents to ensure:
(A) Progress on the initiatives, objectives and desired outcomes in the
Kansas blueprint for literacy;
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SB 517—Am. by SC 8
(B) the development and utilization of the comprehensive assessment
system; and
(C) that state educational institutions and elementary and secondary
schools are using tier I literacy methodologies structured literacy and
evidence-based practices;
(6) encourage independent institutions referred to in K.S.A. 2025
Supp. 74-32,290(c)(2)(C), and amendments thereto, to use such tier I
methodologies;
(7) establish a program to track the science of reading and structured
literacy training progression of in-service and pre-service early childhood
and elementary teachers, special education teachers and paraprofessionals,
reading specialists and early childhood and elementary administrators for
all school districts in the state; and
(8) on or before January 15 of each year, prepare and present a report
to the senate standing committee on education and the house of
representatives standing committee on education, or any successor
committees, on the implementation and administration of the Kansas
blueprint for literacy, including, but not limited to, an implementation
timeline, progress of initiatives, development and utilization of the
comprehensive assessment system, progress toward the goal established in
K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,291(c), and amendments thereto, use of tier I
methodologies, outcomes and any proposed changes; and
(9) report to the house of representatives standing committee on
education and the senate standing committee on education on or before
January 31, 2025, on the progress of the state board of regents on
utilization of the science of reading, elimination of discredited
methodologies, use of universal screening measures and assessments in
elementary and secondary schools in the state.
Sec. 5. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,293 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,293. (a) Postsecondary educational institutions shall
designate practices based on the science of reading through structured
literacy as the official tier I literacy methodology and shall prohibit the use
or teaching of any discredited methodologies, such as the three-cueing
system.
(b) (1) The state board of regents, in collaboration with postsecondary
educational institutions and research experts, shall establish a
comprehensive reading and literacy assessment system with universal
screening measures, diagnostic, formative and summative assessments to
be used in teacher preparation programs in the state. Such assessment
system shall allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet the specific needs
of students, including with regard to reading difficulties and the
remediation of reading and literacy skill gaps. The state board of regents
shall make recommendations to the state board of education on such
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SB 517—Am. by SC 9
assessment system and ensure that such assessment system is available on
or before May 1, 2025. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to
include the English language arts statewide assessment.
(2) The state board of regents shall:
(A) Develop training modules for the assessments on or before July
1, 2025;
(B) support state board of education action to officially designate the
science of reading as the official tier I literacy methodology;
(C) support elementary and secondary schools as necessary to
eliminate any discredited methodologies;
(D) recommend literacy-specific universal screening measures and
diagnostic, formative and summative assessments to the state board of
education; and
(E) approve reading instruction methodologies recommended by the
literacy advisory committee for state educational institutions.
(3) On and after July 1, 2025, Beginning in school year 2029-2030,
each school district shall employ, either through direct employment ,
shared cooperative agreement or by contract, a licensed reading
specialist for each elementary school of the school district.
(b) (1) Each school district shall develop individual student literacy
plans for all students in kindergarten through grade three who perform at
a high-risk level on fall literacy screening measures. Such plans shall be
developed in partnership with the student's parent or person acting as
parent. Each such plan shall include:
(A) A minimum of 90 minutes of targeted and tiered interventions
designed to match address the student's individual deficiencies per week in
one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, tutoring or a summer
school program; and
(B) a diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring and interventions
until the student achieves grade level performance.
(2) The teacher of any student requiring an individual student
literacy plan shall communicate with such student's parent or person
acting as parent and provide the information required by the every child
can read act, K.S.A. 72-3262, and amendments thereto, to such parent or
person acting as parent.
(c) No school district shall use any textbooks or instructional
materials that utilize:
(A)(1) The three-cueing system model of reading as the primary basis
for teaching word recognition;
(B)(2) visual memory as the primary basis for teaching word
recognition; or
(C)(3) the three-cueing system model of reading based on meaning,
structure and syntax and visual cues, commonly known as MVS.
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SB 517—Am. by SC 10
(c) The director of literacy education shall report to the house of
representatives standing committee on education and the senate standing
committee on education on or before January 31, 2025, on the progress of
the state board of regents on utilization of the science of reading,
elimination of discredited methodologies, use of universal screening
measures and assessments in elementary and secondary schools in the
state.
Sec. 6. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,294 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,294 (a) The state board of education shall:
(1) Designate best practices based on the science of reading through
structured literacy as the literacy methodology and prohibit the use or
teaching of any discredited methodologies, including the three-cueing
system;
(2) require applicants for licensure as a prekindergarten through
grade eight general education teacher or special education teacher to
complete a minimum of 45 clock hours in a literacy practicum that is
designed to increase skills and expertise in screening, diagnostic and
formative assessments, developing instructional plans and applying
evidence-based practices in an elementary and secondary school setting;
(3) require reading specialists to complete a minimum of 45 clock
hours in a literacy clinical focused on assessment progress monitoring,
lesson planning and delivery practicum that utilizes assessment tools and
data interpretation and applies evidence-based practices in small or
whole group instruction under the supervision of a literacy expert with a
minimum certification as a certified structured literacy dyslexia
interventionist that demonstrates expertise in structured literacy;
(4) ensure that school districts develop individual student literacy
plans as required in K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,293, and amendments
thereto;
(5) ensure that educator preparation programs provide evidence that
teacher candidates can demonstrate mastery of competency to:
(A) Literacy assessment tools and data interpretation;
(B) utilization of literacy screening;
(C) diagnostic, progress monitoring and formative assessment tools
recommended by the state department of education;
(D) skills to administer and interpret a variety of assessments to
effectively instruct students in small groups and individually in authentic
school settings; and
(E) develop plans to guide instruction based on the needs of diverse
learners; and
(6) submit an annual report to the literacy advisory committee on or
before November 1 of each year. Such report shall be published on the
state department of education website and include:
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SB 517—Am. by SC 11
(A) Literacy screening measures and English language arts state
assessment scores for each grade level and all defined subgroups,
including, but not limited to, English language learners, students receiving
free meals pursuant to the national school lunch act, students in the
custody of the secretary for children and families and race and ethnicity
subgroups; and
(B) literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers.
(b) The state board of regents shall:
(1) Support state board of education action to officially designate
best practices based on the science of reading through structured literacy
as the official literacy methodology;
(2) support elementary and secondary schools as necessary to
eliminate any discredited methodologies;
(3) recommend literacy-specific universal screening measures and
diagnostic, formative and summative assessments to the state board of
education; and
(4) approve reading instruction methodologies recommended by the
literacy advisory committee for state educational institutions.
(c) The state board of regents and the state board of education shall
collaborate have joint oversight of and responsibility to:
(a)(1) Jointly Approve micro-credential credential requirements for
in-service teachers or certification requirements for pre-service teachers at
state educational institutions in the science of reading and structured
literacy;
(b)(2) develop or make accessible professional development
programs and micro-credential credential courses for all in-service early
childhood teachers, general education teachers and special education
Kansas licensed and practicing teachers at low or no cost to such teachers.
Such programs and courses shall be delivered by national online learning
programs or accredited Kansas postsecondary educational institutions;
(c)(3) ensure that all pre-service teacher preparation programs at state
educational institutions are based on the science of reading and structured
literacy in accordance with the state board of education accreditation of
undergraduate elementary licensure programs, reading specialists, special
education, school psychologists , curriculum and instruction specialists
and education leadership graduate programs. State educational
institutions shall provide evidence that such programs are exclusively
utilizing science of reading and evidence-based practices;
(d)(4) be responsible for the attainment of the transformational
goal to have 100% of the Kansas special education, English for speakers
of other languages and elementary teacher workforce achieve a
credential in the science of reading and structured literacy by 2030,
leading to at least 90% of students in each of the grades three through
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SB 517—Am. by SC 12
eight achieving a level 3 or above on the English language arts
assessment by 2033. Scores and other data on such assessment shall be
disaggregated for each grade level and all defined subgroups, including,
but not limited to, English language learners, students receiving free
meals under the national school lunch act, students in the custody of the
secretary for children and families and race and ethnicity subgroups;
(5) publish standards and course progressions to achieve transparency
of Kansas reading education programs; and
(e)(5)(6) provide data for the program to the director of literacy
education that tracks the science of reading and structured literacy training
progression, course materials and rigor of application of in-service and
pre-service early childhood and elementary teachers, special education
teachers and paraprofessionals, reading specialists and early childhood and
elementary administrators for all school districts in the state all Kansas
licensed and practicing teachers and administrators;
(6)(7) make recommendations to the state board of education on
vetted high quality instructional materials that include tier 1 curriculum
resources and intervention curriculum. A list of such instructional
materials and resources shall be available to school district boards of
education;
(7)(8) at least once every three years, review undergraduate literacy
courses, materials and resources and make recommendations for
improvements to such courses, materials and resources;
(8)(9) implement ongoing professional learning in evidence-based
practices in literacy, at low or no cost for reading specialists, special
education teachers, paraeducators, school psychologists and school and
school district leaders; and
(9)(10) accept certifications from the international multisensory
structured language council, international dyslexia association and
academic language therapy association-accredited programs for
licensure as a reading specialist;
(11) implement reciprocity for advanced degrees, licensure and
certifications from accredited institutions recognized by one of the six
regional United States department of education accrediting
organizations; and
(12) (A) in partnership with the legislature, develop a
comprehensive literacy implementation plan for prekindergarten through
grade 12 and postsecondary education. In developing such plan, input
from educators, families, research and evidence-based practices shall be
considered. Such plan shall:
(i) Address all policy requirements of the Kansas blueprint for
literacy, including timelines and resources; and
(ii) include educator preparation, high-impact ongoing professional
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SB 517—Am. by SC 13
learning and high quality instructional materials, assessment intervention,
multi-tiered systems of support and family resources and support.
(B) The annual report on the comprehensive literacy implementation
plan shall be presented to the state board of education, the state board of
regents and the senate education committee and the education and higher
education budget committees of the house of representatives. The initial
report on such plan shall be submitted to such legislative committees on or
before May 1, 2026. A full comprehensive literacy plan shall be submitted
to such boards and committees on or before January 15, 2027.
Sec. 7. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-32,295 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,295. The president or chancellor, provost and, dean of the
college or school of education of each postsecondary educational
institution and the state board of regents shall jointly have oversight and
supervision of undergraduate and graduate level reading and literacy
courses at their respective institution and shall:
(a) EnsureIntegrate explicit courses and ensure candidate
competency in the science of learning, science of reading and structured
literacy, including the five pillars of reading , for all undergraduate early
childhood and elementary teacher preparation programs at state
educational institutions;
(b) appoint one representative from each postsecondary educational
institution to conduct an annual a systemwide analysis of the curriculum
maps across all literacy courses at least once every three years as part of
the accreditation process. Such analysis shall include identifying clear
evidence of instructional approaches and the core components of reading
development. Such evidence shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Curriculum maps demonstrating:
(A) Literacy coursework addresses phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension; and
(B) where screening, diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring
and intervention are addressed;
(2) documentation showing that language structures related to
reading development, including phonology, morphology, syntax and
semantics are addressed;
(3) data demonstrating pre-service teacher competency regarding
evidence-based literacy instruction through course assessments and
clinical evaluations;
(4) pre-service teacher performance on literacy-related licensure
assessments or competency measures;
(5) observation or evaluation data demonstrating a pre-service
teacher's ability to deliver explicit and systematic reading instruction;
(6) documentation of ongoing faculty professional learning related
to current research on reading development and literacy instruction;
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SB 517—Am. by SC 14
and
(7) documentation of program revisions or instructional changes
made in response to pre-service teacher performance data, licensure
outcomes or workforce feedback;
(c) provide evidence that at least 80% of pre-service teachers pass
the licensure exam in literacy instruction approved by the state board of
education and practicum supervisors demonstrate expertise in structured
literacy, evidence-based practices and supervision;
(d) present a report on such systemwide analysis and any results from
such analysis to the literacy advisory committee , state board of education
and state board of regents; and
(d)(e) design and implement two three-credit hour applied application
courses that shall be included within the approved graduation requirements
to earn a degree in elementary education on or before August 2024;
(e) implement a common performance-based assessment for such
courses to be used by all postsecondary educational institutions on or
before August 2024;
(f) assist in the development of a science of reading and structured
literacy micro-credential for early childhood teachers, elementary
education teachers, English for speakers of other languages teachers,
reading specialists, special education teachers and paraprofessionals, early
childhood and elementary administrators that focuses on research-based
fundamentals of reading instruction; and
(g) provide information, advice and recommendations to the literacy
advisory committee.
Sec. 8. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-3262, 74-32,290, 74-32,291, 74-
32,292, 74-32,293, 74-32,294, 74-32,295 and 74-32,296 are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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