Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2024 | Issue 113

In This Week's Edition

Feature Stories

KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: “Lighting the Path Forward” provides networking and informative sessions for Kansas educators
Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time passes numerous recommendations before final report
National Farm to School month spotlights Prairie View and Morris County districts’ food service programs

Reporting and Operations

Title IV, Part A expenditure survey to be completed by Nov. 8

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

Student Health and Nutrition

Child Nutrition and Wellness announces Heartland Farm to School Institute 2025 application now available

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Feature Stories

Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Education Commissioner, center, poses with six high school student panelists who shared their thoughts with attendees on their educational experience.

Andrea Tiede, left, director of teaching and learning at Manhattan-Odgen USD 383, talks with Denice Scott, ESL academic coach at Arkansas City USD 470, during a breakout session on how data can be used for districts' school improvement action plans.

Adelade Schneider, a sixth-grader at St. Joseph Catholic School and Church, in McPherson, is pictured with her art piece that garnered a third-place win in the 2024 Great Ideas in Education student art contest.

KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: “Lighting the Path Forward” provides networking and informative sessions for Kansas educators

The 2024 KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference: “Lighting the Path Forward” provided educators across Kansas a deeper dive into structured literacy, high quality instruction, and data-driven strategies, to name just a few of the topics covered during the three-day event, held Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.

A highlight of the conference was a panel comprised of six Kansas high school students representing small and large districts from geographically different areas of the state. Drs. Ben Proctor and Jay Scott of the Kansas State Department of Education’s Division of Learning Services moderated the discussion.

Proctor and Scott asked the students what makes a great teacher and other questions related to their educational experiences.

Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time passes numerous recommendations before final report

The Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time held its 11th meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 30 with the focus on finalizing recommendations regarding parental oversight of district-owned devices.

The purpose of these task force meetings has been to develop guidance/recommendations, based in research, on the following topics:

Students' personal device use in school,
Screen time and mental health; and
Parental oversight of district-owned devices.

The task force voted on the remaining set of recommendations which will be drafted into the final report presented to the board in November.

Todd Wollard, far left, food service and human resources coordinator for Prairie View USD 362, is pictured with his "talented cooks and bakers," members of the district's food service staff. (Prairie View Buffalos Grazing Herd Facebook)

National Farm to School Month spotlights Prairie View and Morris County

districts’ food service programs

Todd Wollard believes he has found the winning recipe for success for his district’s food service program. He starts with a generous amount of treating students as customers and combines it with equal parts love, creativity and common sense.

“Our entire goal is to do what’s best for our students,” said Wollard, food service and human resources coordinator for Prairie View Unified School District 362. “They deserve to get quality meals.”

After joining the Prairie View staff in 2023 after 30 years in sales, Wollard said he quickly realized the food service program, which had a contract with a private company for the district’s meals, needed an overhaul.

“Looking at it from a business perspective, I thought we could do things differently,” he said. “If it’s operated correctly, the food service program could be totally self-sustaining.”

Reporting and Operations

Title IV, Part A expenditure survey to be completed by Nov. 8

The KSDE Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team is reminding districts to complete the Title IV-A Expenditure Survey SFY 2024 regarding information for the Consolidated State Performance Report.

This survey will allow KSDE to report federally required data regarding Title IV, Part A to the U.S. Department of Education. Responses should include only the amount of funds expended for each of the following content areas from July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024:

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

This survey is REQUIRED and must be completed no later than Friday, Nov. 8. Contact Roxanne Zillinger, rzillinger@ksde.org, (785) 296-7260, with questions.

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

Final reminder: Virtual office hours available for systems developing KESA action plans

KSDE will host virtual office hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6, for systems that have participated in their School Improvement Day and are currently developing their KESA action plan. Systems can review the KESA application, locate resources, discuss the action plan components and guidelines, and address specific questions they may have.

Systems can pre-submit questions within 24 hours of the virtual meeting by completing this brief survey. This will assist KSDE in preparing a meaningful agenda to address the most frequently asked questions and to develop further supporting guidance.

Click here for the Zoom from 3-4 p.m., on Nov. 6.

Watch KSDEweekly for information about future virtual office hours for help with action plans.

Contact Hayley Steinlage, hasteinlage@ksde.org, with questions.

KESA monthly update rescheduled for Nov. 18, check accreditation webpage for school improvement resources

The November virtual KESA monthly update has been rescheduled for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Nov. 18, due to Veterans Day falling on Nov. 11. These meetings will return to the second Monday of each month following the holiday. Join the meeting here and subscribe to the KESA listserv at accreditation@ksde.org to receive email reminders and more.

The KESA monthly updates, along with most KESA-related meetings, are always recorded and posted to the KESA Conference and Training webpage along with presented materials. Visit the KESA webpage for any accreditation and school improvement resources.

Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, rhuereca-retana@ksde.org, with questions.

Reminder: How to access the KESA 2.0

authenticated application

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Accreditation and Design team has received several inquiries requesting directions on how to access the KESA 2.0 authenticated application.

The following are the three levels of access from which to choose:

Approve – For superintendents only.
Update – For anyone the superintendent gives access to for data entry and editing.
DLT – For all other district leadership team (DLT) members; primarily view access only.

Student Health and Nutrition

Child Nutrition and Wellness announces Heartland Farm to School Institute

2025 application now available

The Heartland Farm to School Institute aims to assist schools in incorporating Farm to School programming in the classroom, cafeteria, and community. The Kansas State Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Nebraska Department of Education are leading this initiative.

The year-long institute kicks off in May 2025 with a retreat where school teams will engage in action planning to set programmatic goals with the assistance of a coach and learn through educational sessions. Following the retreat, teams will implement their Farm to School action plans with the support of the institute’s network consisting of their coach, organizations across the three states, and the cohort of additional participating teams.

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Reminder: 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominations due Nov. 8

Nominations for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year close on Friday, Nov. 8. Every school district is encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award.

Not only does participating in this program demonstrate your district values exceptional teaching, you will be providing critical professional development opportunities for your nominees. Participants say this program is life-changing and has made them better teachers.

Child care regional roundtable scheduled for Nov. 12 in Abilene

Early childhood professionals, caregivers, community members working to support local child care efforts, and anyone with an interest in child care in Kansas are invited to join a roundtable event to share your experiences with child care in your region.

This event will be 6:30-8 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Abilene Childcare Learning Center 2/Nichols Education Center, 1003 N. Brady Street, in Abilene. Click here to register for this free event that is open to the public.

Free online seminar offered for business teachers, DECA and FBLA advisors on Nov. 13

Business teachers, DECA and Future Business Leaders of America advisors are invited to a free online seminar on Nov. 13. Participants will do the following:

Learn about the free resources available to Kansas business teachers through MBA Research;
Network with other Kansas business teachers across the state; and
Access course guides, DECA and FBLA resources, ideas on teaching standards and more.

Reminder: Learning Forward Kansas offers

November professional development

Learning Forward Kansas is offering “Keys to Impactful Learning”, a professional development workshop from 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., on Nov. 20, at Fort Hays State University.

This conference will focus on equipping educational leaders with impactful strategies to elevate their practice, engage staff, and drive impactful professional learning experiences. Principals, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders are invited to attend. Cris Seidel, director of the KSDE Educate Kansas teacher recruitment and retention project, will be the keynote speaker.

For more information about the conference and to register by Nov. 1, click here.

Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, with questions.

Mark your calendars for the 2025 KSDE Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) quarterly meetings

The 2024-25 Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) quarterly meetings are for administrators (new and veteran) responsible for LCPs.

Administrators will receive timely information and more in-depth support from the KSDE Special Education and Title Services team and statewide experts, with an emphasis on upcoming tasks and special topics as needed.

The remaining LCP meetings and registration links are below.

Jan. 28: LCP Quarterly #3, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., virtual. Register here.
Jan. 28: LCP Quarterly #3, 1-4 p.m., virtual. Register here.
April 8: LCP Quarterly #4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in-person, Hilton Garden Inn and Convention Center, Hays. Register here.
April 10: LCP Quarterly #4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in-person, Aloft Wichita. Register here.

Contact Twyla Sprouse, assistant director of KSDE Special Education and Title Services, tsprouse@ksde.org, or (785) 296-6714, with questions.

Reminder: 2025 Virtual Health Care Career Day registration open

Registration is open for the 2025 Virtual Health Care Career Day, on Jan. 30, a partnership of the Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas State Department of Education, and Kansas Board of Regents.

Click here to register at no cost and click here for the agenda. This virtual event will be from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Zoom instructions will be sent out the week before Jan. 30.

Reminder: Make plans to attend the next curriculum leaders meeting on Nov. 15 in Topeka

The next curriculum leaders meeting will be Nov. 15 at the Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, in Topeka.

The Kansas Instructional Leaders Association networking will begin at 9 a.m. The KSDE portion of the meeting will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Click here to register.

Reminder: FastBridge contract extended

for the 2025-26 school year

The Kansas State Department of Education has extended its partnership with Renaissance Learning into the 2025-26 school year. Contact your Account Manager for FastBridge pricing through the state contract.

FastBridge is a KSDE-approved universal screener and KSDE-approved screener for dyslexia. KSDE sponsors a variety of in-person and professional learning opportunities to support implementation that are included in the partnership.

To learn more and to register for professional learning, as well as explore resources to support, visit the Kansas Landing Page.

KSDE-sponsored professional learning to support your FastBridge implementation

Many districts have virtual hours they can use to schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire.

Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information and/or schedule sessions here.

Calendar

November

1: Kansas State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) virtual retreat for local councils, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Click here to register. Contact Stacy Clarke, sclarke@ksde.org, (785) 296-3953, with questions.

1: Electronic Training Equipment CTE cluster application for FY2025 Perkins Reserve grant due. Contact Helen Swanson, hswanson@ksde.org, with questions.

1: Deadline to register for Learning Forward Kansas’s “Keys to Impactful Learning” professional development workshop, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., on Nov. 20, at Fort Hays State University. Click here to register and for more information about the conference. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, with questions.

4: Kansas Volunteer Commission MLK National Day of Service mini-grant due. Click here for more information. Contact Tierney Kirtdoll, tkirtdoll@ksde.org, with questions.

6: KESA action plan virtual office hours, 3-4 p.m. Click here to access the office hours on Zoom. Contact Hayley Steinlage, hasteinlage@ksde.org, with questions.

7: Individual Plan of Study (IPS) technical assistance session, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., southwest Plains, Sublette. Register here. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351, with questions.

7: Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) proxy testing event, 8:30 a.m., Clay County Community High School, 1630 9^th Street, Clay Center. Register here in advance. Prepare by studying the appropriate sections of the Kansas CDL manual here. Contact Mike McCoy, mikemccoy@usd379.org, with questions.

7: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.

8: 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominations due. Instructions for accessing the online application can be found here. Contact Tamla Miller, tmiller@ksde.org, or (785) 296-4950 for more information or questions.

8: Introduction to the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)® training, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., on Zoom. Register at ksdetasn.org/events.

8: Individual Plan of Study (IPS) technical assistance session, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., ESSDACK, Hutchinson. Register here. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351, with questions.

11: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link.

12: Kansas MTSS & Alignment Leadership Institute, Topeka. Click this link to register: ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Josh Lee at josh@kansasmtss.org with questions.

12: McKinney-Vento virtual training, 10:30 a.m.; contact Maureen Tabasko, mtabasko@ksde.org, (785) 296-1101, or Roxanne Zillinger, rzillinger@ksde.org, (785) 296-7260 for access to the Zoom link and/or additional information.

12: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

12: Child care roundtable, 6:30-8 p.m., Abilene Childcare Learning Center 2/Nichols Education Center, 1003 N. Brady Street, in Abilene. Click here to register for this free event that is open to the public. Contact Meghan Kluth, mkluth@ku.edu, with questions.

13: Kansas MTSS & Alignment Leadership Institute, Wichita. Click this link to register: ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Josh Lee at josh@kansasmtss.org with questions.

13: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

13: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

13: District test coordinator mandatory training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Southwest Plains Educational Service Center, Sublette. Register here. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey at cpelfrey@ksde.org or (785) 296-0040 with questions.

13: Online seminar for business teachers, DECA and FBLA advisors. Register here. Contact Kathy Camarena, kcamarena@ksde.org, (785) 296-3152, with questions.

14: District test coordinator mandatory training, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center, Oakley. Register here. Contact Chelsea Pelfrey at cpelfrey@ksde.org or (785) 296-0040 with questions.

14: Kansas MTSS & Alignment Leadership Institute, Garden City. Click this link to register: ksdetasn.org/events. Contact Josh Lee at josh@kansasmtss.org with questions.

14: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.

15: Curriculum directors meeting, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st Street, Topeka. Click here to register. Contact Pat Bone, pbone@ksde.org, with questions.

18: Individual Plan of Study (IPS) technical assistance session, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., Orion, Clearwater. Register here. Contact Natalie Clark, ndclark@ksde.org or (785) 296-4351, with questions.

19: Kansas MTSS & Alignment offers behavior intervention protocol training, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Salina. No cost. Click here to register. Contact Susan Danner, susand@kansasmtss.org, with questions.

21: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.

December

3: Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team’s standards-based make it-take it event for preschool teachers, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., KU Edwards campus. Register here. Contact Lea Harding at lea@kanasmtss.org with questions.

3: Kansas MTSS and Alignment regional reading road show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Dodge City, Boot Hill Casino & Resort. Register here. Contact Vicki Cooper, vicki@kansasmtss.org, with questions.

5: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.

5: Kansas MTSS and Alignment regional reading road show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Wichita, Hyatt Regency. Register here. Contact Vicki Cooper, vicki@kansasmtss.org, with questions.

9: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link.

11: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

12: Question, Signal, Stem, Share and Assess (QSSSA) deep dive, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual. Register here. Contact Heather Musil, hjmusil@fhsu.edu, for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit.

17: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

18: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

January

8: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

9: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebate Program applications due by 5 p.m. CST. Click here for more information. Contact CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov with questions.

14: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

15: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

18: Deadline to register for Innovate Next Steps: Pre-K-12 Learning conference, Feb. 8, at Bethany College. Click here to register. Contact Alan English, englishAE@bethanyLB.edu, or (785) 227-3380, with questions.

30: 2025 Virtual Health Care Career Day, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Zoom instructions will be sent out the week before Jan. 30. Click here to register at no cost and click here for the agenda. Contact Jaron Caffrey, jcaffrey@kha-net.org, or (316) 640-9570 with questions.

February

7: Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team’s standards-based make it-take it event for preschool teachers, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Salina. Register here. Contact Lea Harding at lea@kanasmtss.org with questions.

12: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

18: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

19: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

24-25: Kansas Math Project professional development, Hays, Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W. 43rd Street. Click here to register. Click here to enroll to complete asynchronous modules at your own pace. Contact kmp@kansasmtss.org with questions.

26-27: Kansas Math Project professional development, Topeka, Sunflower Nonprofit Center, 5820 S.W. 6th Street. Click here to register. Click here to enroll to complete asynchronous modules at your own pace. Contact kmp@kansasmtss.org with questions.

March

12: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

18: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

19: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

April

3: Kansas MTSS & Alignment preschool team’s standards-based make it-take it event for preschool teachers, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City. Register here. Contact Lea Harding at lea@kanasmtss.org with questions.

9: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

15: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

16: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

28-29: Kansas Math Project professional development, Hays, Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W. 43rd Street. Click here to register. Click here to enroll to complete asynchronous modules at your own pace. Contact kmp@kansasmtss.org with questions.

April 30-May 1: Kansas Math Project professional development, Topeka, Sunflower Nonprofit Center, 5820 S.W. 6th Street. Click here to register. Click here to enroll to complete asynchronous modules at your own pace. Contact kmp@kansasmtss.org with questions.

May

14: Science collaboration for new science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

20: Science collaboration for curriculum leaders, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, with questions.

21: Science collaboration for science teachers, virtual, 4-5 p.m. Register here. Contact Stephanie Alderman-Oler, salderman-oler@ksde.org, 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.