KSDEweekly: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026

KSDE Weekly

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | Issue 172

In This Week's Edition

Feature Stories

Reporting and Operations

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

ICYMI: KSDE accreditation and design news

Standards and Instruction

Student Health and Nutrition

KSDE CNW to host procurement training on Jan. 20

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Feature Stories

State Board members hear more about initiative to identify standards-aligned instructional materials

Members of the Kansas State Board of Education learned more during their monthly meeting this week about the Kansas State Department of Education’s initiative regarding standards-aligned instructional materials that boost student academic success.

Dr. Renee Nugent, deputy commissioner of the KSDE division of learning services, presented information about what work the agency and its’ partners are doing to elevate the high quality instructional materials (HQIM) Kansas educators are using in the classroom.

2026 State Board meeting dates

The following dates are established as the Kansas State Board of Education’s 2026 monthly meetings.

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be in the first floor board room, in the Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, in Topeka.

KSDE Insight Podcast:

How Kansas Funds Schools and

Why It Matters for Families

School funding can feel complicated and disconnected from the classroom, but it plays a major role in the opportunities students experience every day.

In this month’s episode of the KSDE Insight Podcast, now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, we break down how school funding works in Kansas, where the money comes from, and how funding decisions affect class sizes, programs, and student supports.

"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!

Reporting and Operations

Required Title IV, Part A

expenditure report due Feb. 6

The required report requesting expenditure data for the following Title IV, Part A content areas is due Feb. 6:

Well-rounded education
Safe and healthy students
Supporting the effective use of technology

Reminder: Educator Data Collection System open for submissions of the LPR and SVR

The Educator Data Collection System (EDCS) is now open for submissions of the Licensed Personnel Report (LPR) and Spring Vacancy Report (SVR). The SVR will be submitted as part of the LPR, which is due on March 1.

Contact Leslie Bruton, leslie.bruton@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-8011 with questions.

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

ICYMI: KSDE accreditation and design news

By Jay Scott, KSDE accreditation and design team

The 2026-27 schedule and guidance document for hosting School Improvement Days and the protocol for canceling a School Improvement Day are included in the following update from the KSDE accreditation and design team.

Standards and Instruction

Virtual office hours available for

staff serving highly mobile students

The KSDE Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team is offering a new collaborative office hour opportunity for educational staff serving highly mobile students in Kansas.

These virtual office hours, scheduled for 2-4 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month, beginning Jan. 27, will be available as a drop-in format for district staff who are not expected to participate for the full two hours given time and calendar constraints.

KU partnership offers

doctorate in special education

The University of Kansas, in partnership with Wayne State University and Arizona University, has received funding to recruit four PhD students in special education starting in August.

The applications deadline has been extended. Register here for a virtual Q & A session at 6 p.m. CST, on Thursday, Jan. 22, to learn more.

Reminder: 2026-27 Preschool-Aged

At-Risk approval forms open

By Natalie McClane, KSDE early childhood team

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) invites school districts to submit plans to provide preschool services to children at risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally, or academically unprepared for success.

ICYMI: Updates for the ESEA Consolidated Review, virtual offices hours and webinars

The following information pertains to the ESEA Consolidated Review window opening for a cohort of Kansas school districts, virtual office hours available for staff who are doing their consolidated review and the ESEA program administrators webinar series continuing this spring.

Reminder: Text to speech applications for state assessment due Jan. 31

District test coordinators must submit all applications by Jan. 31 - in one combined .pdf - for TTS for Passages and Graphics Application for students to receive Text to Speech accommodations for the passages and graphics on the state assessment.

The combined .pdf must be sent to TTSpassages@ksde.gov by end of day on Jan. 31.

Contact Cary Rogers, cary.rogers@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-0619 with questions.

Student Health and Nutrition

KSDE CNW to host

procurement training on Jan. 20

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting “Procurement 101: The Basics,” 2-3 p.m., on Jan. 20.

This training will introduce the fundamentals of federal procurement, including key requirements and definitions. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the different procurement methods.

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Early childhood conference to focus on school improvement, challenging behaviors

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.

Registration is $100 per person.

Mission Valley USD 330 agriculture educator receives national recognition for mentorship

Dr. Kelly Hoelting (left) and Cade Fiske, agriculture educators at Mission Valley High School, Mission Valley USD 330, hosted Future AgriScience Teacher (FAST) Symposium Round Table discussions with future agricultural educators from across the U.S. at the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) convention in December. Hoelting was presented with the NAAE's Region II Teacher Mentor award during the convention in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo submitted by Dr. Kelly Hoelting)

Dr. Kelly Hoelting, an agriculture educator in Mission Valley USD 330, recently won the Region II Teacher Mentor award given during the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) convention in December.

According to the NAAE, the teacher mentor award “embodies the profound impact of ‘Leading and Learning Together’.”

“This award program honors those NAAE members who have committed their time and expertise to supporting and celebrating other teachers in the profession,” the NAAE states. “Even though much focus is given to beginning teacher mentoring, mentoring becomes a part of lifelong learning, and this award also highlights those teachers that dedicate their career to advancing our profession through mentoring on all levels including experienced teachers.”

Reminder: EIPA virtual workshop

scheduled for Feb. 7

Registration is open for the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) online workshop, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., on Feb. 7. The deadline to register is Jan. 30.

The “Interpreting in the Time of Language Deprivation,” workshop will be presented by Wyatte C. Hall, Ph.D. Participants will get an overview of language deprivation research, Deaf public health, research with cochlear implants and signing, and will discuss interpreting for fifth- through 12th-grade Deaf students.

ICYMI: Kansas volunteerism survey

responses needed

The Kansas Volunteer Commission is eager to hear from you through the Kansas Volunteerism Survey. Your voice matters—and by participating, you can help shape the future of Kansas communities.

Share what issues matter most to you, and your insights will directly influence the Commission's funding priorities across Kansas.

Reminder: 2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference: Don’t miss this

transformative event!

Make 2026 your district’s most aligned and impactful year yet by attending the Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 27-29, to ignite coherence, accelerate learning and expand opportunities.

Join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) for a powerful three-day experience at the Wichita Hyatt Regency & Convention Center designed to align leadership teams and drive meaningful change across Kansas schools.

Reminder: PAX trainings available

in Kansas for a limited time

Virtual statewide sessions are now available on the PAX Trainings for Kansas event page.

Through funding by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, these trainings and related materials are provided at no cost.

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

January

16: ESEA Consolidated Review virtual office hours, 8 – 9:30 a.m. Click here to join the Teams session; meeting ID: 289 934 008 140 56; passcode: Q9ti9YN9. Contact Twyla Sprouse, twyla.sprouse@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-6714 with questions.

19: KSDE offices closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

20: “Procurement 101: The Basics,” federal procurement training for school nutrition program directors, management, and/or staff; virtual, 2-3 p.m. Click on https://cnw.ksde.gov under Training, CNW Calendar. Contact Holly Steinlage, holly.steinlage@ksde.gov, with questions.

20: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Perkins coordinators update, virtual, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join the Teams meeting here ; Meeting ID: 255 722 129 620 4; Passcode: qw74Qm3o. Contact Barbara Bahm, Barbara.Bahm@ksde.gov, or (785) 291-3538 with questions.

21: Kansas Preschool Pilot grant applications due by 5 p.m. Contact Natalie McClane, natalie.mcclane@ksde.gov, or Amanda Petersen, amanda.petersen@ksde.gov, with questions.

23: Kansas Parents as Teachers mid-year report for FY26 due. Contact Lisa Williams, lisa.williams@ksde.gov, or (785) 296- 4964.

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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.