KSDEweekly: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026

KSDE Weekly

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 | Issue 176

In This Week's Edition

Feature Stories

Artificial intelligence, student use of technology focus of State Board’s February meeting
Kansas students learn leadership and life skills as leaders of Career and Technical Student Organizations
KSDE Insight Podcast – Career and Technical Education: What It Really Looks Like Today
SB 387 passed out of Senate, HB 2468 passed out of House during fifth week of Kansas legislative session

Reporting and Operations

Youth civic engagement mini-grant opportunity available

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

Remember to plan for the optional second grade state assessment

Standards and Instruction

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Feature Stories

Artificial intelligence, student use of technology focus of State Board’s

February meeting

Members of the Kansas State Board of Education heard several presentations this week during their February meeting, focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in education and the impact of students using personal and school-issued technology.

Drs. James Basham and Trey Vasquez of the Center for Innovation, Design and Digital Learning (CIDDL), at the University of Kansas, presented the “Framework for Responsible AI Integration in Pre-K-20 Education.” The framework covers several overarching tasks to responsibly integrate AI in Pre-K-20 education.

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month in Kansas and across the U.S.

CTE students get the opportunity to participate in a variety of competitions and other activities as members of Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).

Click on each of the photos below to hear from three Kansas CTE students who have learned and built upon the skills they attained as leaders in their respective CTSO and how they've prepared for their postsecondary pursuits.

Amber Patel is a Winfield High School graduate and vice president of the HOSA-Future Health Professionals of Kansas. She said CTE gives students the chance to observe careers they may be interested in before committing to a postsecondary path. #CTEmonth

Mame Saye Drame, a senior at Olathe North High School and president of Kansas DECA, says career and technical education courses in high school give students real world skills and experiences to take into their future careers. #CTEmonth

Riley Sturgis, president of the Riverton FFA chapter and the Kansas FFA Southeast District, says CTE and FFA have not only prepared him for his postsecondary success but also for life. #CTEmonth

Kansas students learn leadership and life skills as leaders of Career and Technical Student Organizations

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) give high school students experience-rich, real-world opportunities to apply the skills they learn in their career and technical education (CTE) classrooms.

During a trip to Topeka earlier this year, more than a dozen Kansas students told members of the Kansas State Board of Education how being a CTSO leader has changed the course of their personal and academic lives so they can be successful in their postsecondary pursuits.

KSDE Insight Podcast –

Career and Technical Education:

What It Really Looks Like Today

As we celebrate career and technical education (CTE) month in February, Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson talks with education leaders about how CTE helps students prepare for life after high school in this month’s episode of the KSDE Insight Podcast.

Dr. Watson’s guests are Natalie Clark, KSDE assistant director of career, standards and assessment services, and Dr. Lindsay King, director of college and career readiness for Maize USD 266. This conversation highlights how CTE supports students during high school, improves postsecondary outcomes, and strengthens Kansas communities through partnerships with local industries.

"Ask the Commissioner" podcast segment answers parents’ questions about education

Have a question about your child’s education? Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson wants to hear from you.

Each month on the KSDE Insight Podcast, Dr. Watson will answer parent questions in his “Ask the Commissioner” segment.

Encourage parents to email their questions to insightpodcast@ksde.gov — and it could be featured in the next episode!

SB 387 passed out of Senate, HB 2468

passed out of House during fifth week of

Kansas legislative session

This week, the Kansas House passed HB 2468, that would authorize the state to participate in the federal tax credit program, while the Kansas Senate advanced SB 387. The bill would require school districts to verify the household gross income of each student who is deemed an at-risk student and would authorize the Kansas State Department of Education to reimburse school districts for the cost of reduced-price meals.

Reporting and Operations

Youth civic engagement mini-grant opportunity available

The Kansas Volunteer Commission, a program of the Kansas State Department of Education, announces the availability of grant funds to support the civic engagement of youth in grades K-12. 

For this grant, applicants must engage youth in the planning and implementing of grant activities. Priority will be given to applications that include youth-led and youth-initiated projects. The grant period is April 1 – Sept. 30, 2026.

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

Remember to plan for the optional

second grade state assessment

By Laurie Curtis, KSDE dyslexia and literacy program

The Kansas State Department of Education is in the third year of providing the optional second grade state assessment and we don't want districts to miss out. The window for these tests opens March 23 and closes April 24.

The Grade 2 Kansas Reading Assessment measures both foundational skills and reading comprehension. It is designed to serve as a bridge between the early elementary goal of learning to read and the later elementary goal of reading to learn.

Standards and Instruction

Introduction to ASQ training

slated for Feb. 19

By Amanda Petersen, KSDE early childhood team

The Ages & Stages Questionnaires ®, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2) are developmental screening tools that pinpoint young children's developmental progress.

Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Inc. (KCCTO) will host a two-hour Introduction to ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 training, 6 - 8 p.m., on Feb. 19, in Manhattan. This course is appropriate for all early care and education professionals in center-based and family child care settings.

ICYMI: Resources available for supporting kindergarten readiness

By Natalie McClane, KSDE early childhood team

As spring is just around the corner, many districts are beginning to think about preparing children in their communities to enter kindergarten. The transition into kindergarten is a critical milestone for children, families, and school staff. To make this time most effective, the KSDE early childhood team recommends several resources.

One of those resources is Kindergarten in Kansas, a booklet made available by the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) and KSDE, for families of young children who are getting ready to begin kindergarten.

Applications for 2026-27 CTE Pathways

due March 1

The applications for the 2026-27 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways need to be submitted no later than March 1.

The 2026-27 Kansas Career Guidance Handbook is available for reference along with the pathways application checklist.

Contact pathwayshelpdesk@ksde.gov or (785) 296-4908 with questions or to request assistance.

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Reminder: Registration open for March 2026

Safe and Supportive Schools conference

Registration is open for the 2026 Safe and Supportive Schools Conference, March 30–31, in Wichita. Make sure to make a hotel reservation at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview as rooms are filling up fast.

This day and a half conference will bring together educators, administrators, and school professionals to share strategies, resources, and best practices for creating safe, supportive learning environments for all students.

Reminder: Kansas federal education funds administration forum set for late March

KSDE and the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) are hosting the 2026 Kansas Federal Education Funds Administration forum, March 26-27, at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, in Wichita.

Sessions will include the most critical elements of ESEA and IDEA administration, private school equitable services, effective practices, UGG, EDGAR, single audits, and the other requirements fundamental to all federal education programs in a way that is accessible to new staff and meaningful to veterans.

Registration open for 2026 BOOST Summit, June 29-30

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and Educate Kansas are proud to host the 2nd Annual BOOST Summit (Building Opportunities for Outstanding Teachers), June 29-30, at Emporia State University.

This two-day event will feature dynamic breakout sessions focused on educator recruitment and retention, special keynote presentations from KSDE and The American Association of School Personnel Administrators leadership, and a spotlight on both evidence-based strategies and innovative, emerging practices.

Reserve rooms, make plans to attend the 2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference

By Pat Bone, KSDE division of learning services

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) invites district and building leadership teams to the 2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 27-29, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center, in Wichita.

This powerful three-day experience has been designed to strengthen coherence across Kansas’ school improvement efforts.

Reminder: Early childhood conference to focus on school improvement,

challenging behaviors, Feb. 25

The Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) will host a one-day preconference "Supporting Young Children with Challenging Behavior (birth-five),” on Feb. 25.

This session will be 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the DoubleTree Airport Hotel, in Wichita. It will focus on understanding behavior, strengthening adult responses, and building effective support plans.

Credits available for attendees of

Midwest Cerebral/Cortical Visual

Impairment Conference

From Marites Altuna, director of family infant-toddler services, Kansas State School for the Blind

The 2026 Midwest Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment Conference will be 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., on March 27, at Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, in Wichita.

"It Takes A Team: Working Together to Build Better Outcomes for Children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)," is the theme of the conference focused on supporting families, educators, and providers in serving children with CVI.

Kansas Technical Assistance System Network  training opportunities

The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) provides evidence-based professional learning and technical assistance, grounded in the federal requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

View upcoming professional learning opportunities on the TASN events calendar.
Learn more about TASN projects.

Contact Michele Hayes, mrhayes@pittstate.edu, with questions.

Calendar

February

15: Request March Federal Funds (Form 240), if funds are available, closes. Contact Amanda Williams, amanda.williams@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-2020, with questions.

18: Virtual Health Care Career Day, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Attendees will be automatically provided with the Zoom link and a calendar invite upon registration. Contact Jaron Caffrey, Kansas Hospital Association, jcaffrey@kha-net.org, or (316) 640-9570.

20: KIDS Collection MILT (2nd military student count) opens; closes March 11. Contact KSDE helpdesk, (785) 296-7935, with questions.

23: ESEA Title IA monthly office hour, 9 – 10 a.m. Register here: ESEA Title IA February Office Hours . Contact Roxanne Zillinger, Roxanne.zillinger@ksde.gov, with questions.

24: "Preparing for the 2026-2027 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot,” virtual, 3:30 - 4 p.m. Register at ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Natalie McClane, natalie.mcclane@ksde.gov, with questions.

24-25: School Nutrition Program Jump Start training, in Hays. Contact Holly Steinlage, holly.steinlage@ksde.gov, to register and for questions.

25: "Preparing for the 2026-2027 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot,” virtual, 9 - 9:30 a.m. Register at ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Natalie McClane, natalie.mcclane@ksde.gov, with questions.

25: Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) preconference, "Supporting Young Children with Challenging Behavior (birth-five), 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the DoubleTree Airport Hotel, in Wichita. Registration is $100 per person. Click here to register. Contact deckansas@gmail.com with questions.

27: LCP (Local Consolidated Plan) consortium assignments due. Contact Nicole Clark, nicole.clark@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-4925, with questions.

27-28: Kansas Division for Early Childhood (KDEC) conference, DoubleTree Airport Hotel, in Wichita. Click here to register and for more information. Contact deckansas@gmail.com with questions.

28: Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Consolidated Review Self-Assessment window for Cohort #2 closes. Contact Twyla Sprouse, twyla.sprouse@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-6714 with questions.

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The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: KSDE General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, KSDE, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 102, Topeka, KS 66612, (785) 296-3201.