At their January meeting, the Kansas State Board of Education was briefed on a range of issues that will impact Kansas school districts.

Accreditation & Standards Clarification

Dr. Ben Proctor, Kansas State Department of Education Deputy Commissioner for Learning Services, updated the Board on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA). Last month, the Board adopted a transition to a new framework. Under that framework, school system accreditation is to be based on the “four fundamentals” (Structured Literacy, Standards Alignment, Balanced Assessment System, and Quality Instruction).

While some outcomes are fairly easy to measure (state assessment results, graduation rates, postsecondary success), others are more complex (kindergarten readiness, individual plans of study, civic engagement, character development). The Board was encouraged to develop a common understanding for the standards that were difficult to assess locally.

For example, the State Board adopted updated Social, Emotion and Character Development model standards in 2018, which include this definition: “SECD standards encompass practicing good citizenship as respectful, responsible, empathetic and ethical individuals, through making healthy decisions, practicing personal safety, understanding risk prevention, promoting a positive school culture, problem-solving effectively, and valuing excellence.”

School districts have widely adopted programs that promote these personal and interpersonal skills, often called character or “soft skills” needed for success in the workforce. Districts also have increased school-based mental health services. Stakeholders agree that these efforts are beneficial to Kansas students. The Board’s clear expression of these standards would help alleviate inaccurate interpretations.

Program Requirements for At-Risk Funding

Proctor also briefed the Board on efforts to update a list of programs and practices on which districts can spend state at-risk funds. Under state law, such programs should be based on peer-reviewed research that consistently produces better outcomes, over a five-year period, than would otherwise be achieved.

KSDE’s review shows that this standard may be challenging for districts to meet. Most educational research, for example, does not track students for as long as five years. But even if the Legislature would consider eliminating the five-year requirement, Proctor noted that many approved programs still may not qualify for at-risk funding. As the law is now, existing requirements would force districts to change how at-risk funds are used. It was noted that districts may spend funds on “provisional” programs designed to test promising practices.

District Boundary Changes

Scott Gordon, KSDE General Counsel briefed the Board on how school district boundaries and territory may be changed according to state law. These include agreements among districts, initiatives from a single district, consolidation of districts, and unilateral disorganization of a district. There has been an increase in interest in territorial changes in recent years, which requires approval of the State Board to take effect.

Fentanyl Risks for Kansas Youth

The Board also heard a report on the fentanyl crisis in Kansas from Jenni Ebert, Riley County Health Coordinator and Tony Mattivi, Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director. Both called fentanyl the most serious drug issue Kansas has faced. Ebert shared national statistics that deaths among 14 to 18-year-olds from illicit drugs have more than doubled since 2019, even while the use rate in the same group has dropped by more than half since 2000. Both speakers called for greater public awareness of the issue, especially among young people.

Personnel Changes

The Board approved hiring Dr. Frank Harwood as Deputy Commissioner of Fiscal and Administrative Services at the Kansas State Department of Education, replacing Dr. Craig Neuenswander, who retired in December. Harwood spent seven years as superintendent for DeSoto Unified School District 232.