Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 | Issue 103

Feature Stories

• How KSDE is handling at-risk funding in the 2024-2025 school year

Reporting and Operations

• Final reminder: Applications due Aug. 26 for fourth cohort of Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education

IT & Cybersecurity

• KSDE Information Technology announces E-rate, cybersecurity training opportunities
• Federal Communications Commission offers cybersecurity pilot program and training for schools and libraries

Accountability, Accreditation and Assessments

• School improvement model webpage available
• Register by Aug. 30 for the Sept. 6 curriculum leader session in Hays: mark your calendar for upcoming meetings
• Reminder: KESA facilitator in-person trainings available at education service centers
• Reminder: KESA virtual monthly updates have resumed for the 2024-25 school year
• Reminder: In-person KESA 2.0 fall information sessions available for districts and systems at education service centers

Standards and Instruction

• Early childhood professional learning opportunities available this fall
• Sharing Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot results with families

Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

• Reminder: Kansas FCS educator and FCCLA adviser training set for Sept. 9-10
• Reminder: Mandatory in-person training sessions scheduled for district test coordinators
• Reminder: Application for 2025 Kansas Horizon Award available now
• Reminder: Presidential Scholars, Presidential Scholars in CTE programs accepting nominations
• Reminder: 2025 United States Senate Youth Program applications due Oct. 10
• Keynote speaker, college credit announced for Great Ideas in Education conference
• Save the date! Innovate Next Steps: PreK-12 Learning set for Feb. 8, 2025, at Bethany College
• Reminder: Educators Rising Kansas' 11th annual northeast regional conference set for Nov. 6
• Reminder: Kansas MTSS and Alignment offers free informational event about the FastBridge assessment system
• Mark your calendars to join upcoming KSDE-sponsored FastBridge and Star trainings
• Calendar

At-risk funding in the 2024-2025 school year

As the new school year gets underway for Kansas schools, the Kansas State Department of Education is reminding districts of updates to at-risk funding, including an updated list of evidence-based programs and practices, and an at-risk accountability plan pilot. 

The Kansas At-Risk Pupil Assistance program was created in 1992 to provide school districts with funding specifically for students identified as at-risk. 

Read more...

Final reminder: Applications due Aug. 26 for fourth cohort of Kansas Vaping

ECHO for Education

Is vaping an issue at your school? Are you ready to address it and get students connected to the help they need? If yes, enroll in the Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program for the 2024-25 school year. 

In 2019, the Kansas State Board of Education asked for the creation of a task force to assist schools in dealing with e-cigarette/vaping use by students. The E-Cigarette/Vaping Task Force determined the need for a vaping-focused Project ECHO. During the 2021-2022 school year, some task force members collaborated with several other partners to offer a Vaping ECHO for Education for 20 pilot schools to assist schools with vaping prevention and cessation. 

Read more...

KSDE Information Technology announces

E-rate, cybersecurity training opportunities

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will be hosting E-rate training sessions in October. Don Dietrich from BTU Consultants will conduct five in-person sessions across the state to discuss the E-rate program's opportunities and requirements.  

Information regarding registration and costs will be posted on each service center's website so check their websites periodically for information. KSDE will distribute registration details once they are provided by the service centers.  

Read more...

Federal Communications Commission offers cybersecurity pilot program and training for schools and libraries

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a cybersecurity pilot program that will allocate up to $200 million to selected schools and libraries. To participate in this three-year initiative, schools must apply and be chosen. The program covers the following eligible services: 

• Advanced and next-generation firewalls 
• Endpoint protection 
• Identity protection and authentication 
• Monitoring, detection, and response 

Read more...

School improvement webpage available

Do you have questions about the new school improvement model? Click here to access information about the model itself, the school improvement facilitator guide, definitions of the Four Fundamentals and what a school improvement day looks like.  

Click here for a recent KSDEweekly story that further explains the new school improvement model. 

Contact Pat Bone, pbone@ksde.org or (785) 296-2303 with questions. 

Register by Aug. 30 for the Sept. 6 curriculum leader session in Hays; mark your calendar for upcoming meetings

All curriculum leaders are invited to attend the quarterly meetings scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. These sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing following their conclusion. 

Each meeting will be 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. There is a $25 registration fee. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcfmrquVe0KL2AvmSOfCPda_AbAJKr-hDFMXd2w_IVzRGVMA/viewform?usp=sf_link 

• Sept. 6: Hays - Fort Hays State University Union Ballroom, Union 228, 600 Park St.  
• Nov. 15: Topeka - Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st St.  
• Jan. 31: Topeka - Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 S.W. 31st St.  
• April 18: Maize - Maize Performing Arts and Aquatic Center, 1155 W. Academy Ave. 

Suggestions for topics to be addressed at the curriculum leader meetings may be sent to Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org. 

To stay current and see additional information as it becomes available, click here: https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Curriculum-Leaders 

Reminder: KESA facilitator in-person trainings available at education service centers

Training sessions are open to any educator wanting to serve as a school improvement day facilitator for KESA. There is still time to register for these sessions in September at the following locations: 

• Sept. 3 - Orion – Clearwater 
• Sept. 5 - Greenbush South - Girard 
• Sept. 9 - ESSDACK - Hutchinson 
• Sept. 16 - Smoky Hill - Salina 
• Sept. 20 - Greenbush North – Lawrence 

If you need to change information on your registration, contact Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org.  

Reminder: KESA virtual monthly updates have resumed for the 2024-25 school year

If you missed out on Accreditation and Design’s KESA monthly update on Aug.12, here is a recording of the meeting as well as the slides Dr. Jay Scott presented.  

The next KESA monthly update will be 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., Sept. 9. Click here for the link to join. If you’d like reminders about these monthly updates, email accreditation@ksde.org to join KESA’s listserv and receive reminders. 

Read more...

Reminder: In-person KESA 2.0 fall information sessions available for districts and systems at education service centers

Make plans to attend the in-person KESA 2.0 information sessions this fall for updates on the latest developments and valuable insights on the new accreditation process. 

These events are hosted by Dr. Ben Proctor and Dr. Jay Scott, of KSDE’s Division of Learning Services, to ensure districts and systems are prepared for the 2024-25 school year. Attendees will be able to ask questions, share feedback and network with fellow educators. 

Read more...

Early childhood professional learning opportunities available this fall

Early childhood teachers and administrators have multiple opportunities for professional learning and collaboration in the next several months. 



• Sept. 10: Greenbush will host “Early Childhood Programming in Kansas: Implementing High Quality Services in the Least Restrictive Environment” in Salina. Districts that are not currently meeting state targets for Indicator 6: Preschool Environments may especially want to attend. (Note that a district must be meeting state targets for Indicator 6 in order to be eligible to apply for Kansans Can Star Recognition in the area of Kindergarten Readiness.) Click here to learn more and to register for the Sept. 10 workshop. 

Read more...

Sharing Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot results with families

On Aug. 21, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the third installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News & Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year. 



Each edition provides proven resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) screening process. If you’re not a Kansas ASQ Online user, visit https://agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters. 

Read more...

Reminder: Kansas FCS educator and FCCLA adviser training set for Sept. 9-10

Are you looking for a specialized professional development opportunity for Family and Consumer Sciences educators in your district?

This two-day training in Salina is tailored directly to the needs of FCS educators in Kansas and will cover topics like work-based learning in the FCS classroom, managing an effective FCCLA chapter, methods for running a high-quality FCS program, and much more. 

Read more... 

Reminder: Mandatory in-person training sessions scheduled for district

test coordinators

Whether you are a new or veteran test coordinator, make plans to attend one of the mandatory trainings held across the state beginning in September. 

Every district must have a district test coordinator. It also is required that each district test coordinator attend annual security and ethics training before training all district staff involved in giving state assessments. 

Each training session will be 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The dates and registration links are below. You need to register directly with the appropriate service center. 

Read more...

Reminder: Application for 2025 Kansas Horizon Award available now

Do you want to recognize and reward first-year educators in your district? The Kansas Horizon Award program offers school districts the opportunity to honor outstanding teachers after their first year in the classroom. 

The program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, recognizes and rewards first-year teachers who have served as examples of excellent teaching in their elementary or secondary classroom. 

Read more...

Reminder: Presidential Scholars, Presidential Scholars in CTE programs accepting nominations

The Presidential Scholars program recognizes and honors high school seniors who have demonstrated high achievements academically or in the arts — some having to overcome special challenges or hurdles to do so. 

The Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education (CTE) program also offers recognition of high-achieving students who have demonstrated excellence in CTE. This program started in 2016. 

Read more...

Reminder: 2025 United States Senate Youth Program applications due Oct. 10

Applications are being accepted for the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) and are due Oct. 10. The students selected will be notified after Dec. 1. 

Any high school junior or senior is eligible for the program as long as they have not previously been a delegate to Washington Week and have not received a USSYP scholarship. The student applicant must hold a high-level leadership position in any student government, civic or educational organization during the entire 2024–25 academic year.  

Read more...

Keynote speaker, college credit announced for Great Ideas in Education conference

Make plans to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education conference, “Lighting the Path Forward,” Oct. 23-25, by clicking here to register, make room reservations, access the schedule and see the list of titles, strands and audiences for the breakout sessions. 

Chris Perry (left), co-founder and executive director of Cultivate Education, an education consulting company based in Baldwin City, will be the keynote speaker on Oct. 23.

College credit is now available for attending this conference. Click here for more information. 

Read more...

Save the date! Innovate Next Steps:

Pre-K-12 Learning set for

Feb. 8, 2025, at Bethany College

Veteran educators, anyone considering a career in education, or anyone in between is invited to Bethany College’s education conference, Feb. 8, 2025.

Click this link to register: https://www.bethanylb.edu/education-conference 

Attendees will have an opportunity to earn graduate credit, obtain professional development points, collaborate and network with other educators, and learn more about a career in education. 

The cost for college credit is $300 ($150 per credit - conference is 2 credit hours). The registration fee, which includes lunch, is $40 for teachers and $10 for high school students. Bringing a group? Ask about possible transportation gas reimbursement. 

Contact Alan English, englishAE@bethanyLB.edu or (785) 227-3380 for more information. 

Educators Rising Kansas’ 11th annual northeast regional conference set for Nov. 6

Attention teachers and other district staff: Please share with your future educators the 11th annual northeast regional Educators Rising Kansas conference will be 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 6.

This conference takes place at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. More information will be shared later this month.

Reminder: Kansas MTSS and Alignment offers a free informational event about the

FastBridge assessment system

FastBridge screening assessment measures give instructional teams a wealth of data. Yet, how do teams harness that data to inform instructional practice at the ground-level?

During a no cost, one-day event, the Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment team will guide districts in navigating several key FastBridge reports in order to make sense of the data and connect it to specific practices that ultimately impact student learning. 

Click on this link: https://www.ksdetasn.org/mtss/trainings to register for the sessions that run 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. each of the following days: 

• Sept. 24: Garden City, Lee Richardson Zoo 
• Sept. 26: Wichita, Hyatt Regency 
• Sept. 27: Junction City, Courtyard by Marriott 

Contact Todd Wiedemann at todd@kansasmtss.org with questions. 

Mark your calendars to join upcoming

KSDE-sponsored FastBridge and Star trainings

Calling all school districts – Time is of the essence! 

Check this recording at the 1:37 time stamp to see if your school or district has virtual learning to schedule. You can use the remaining virtual learning for any 60-minute session(s) in the Professional Learning Catalog. 

You can hold the session(s) at any point in the school year, but you do need to schedule it before Sept. 1 so that it does not expire.  

Reach out to scheduling@renaissance.com for more information or schedule your time here. 

Read more...

August 

26: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center, Oakley. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.

27: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Dodge City USD 443 district office building. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.

28: KESA 2.0 facilitator training, in-person, Southwest Plains, Sublette. Click here to register. Contact Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org for more information.

29: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m., Auburn-Washburn USD 437 district office building. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

29: KESA 2.0 facilitator training, in-person, Northwest Plains, Oakley. Click here to register. Contact Pat Bone at pbone@ksde.org for more information. 

September

2: KSDE offices closed in observance of Labor Day. 

3: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Kansas City USD 500 Central Office. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.

4: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Olathe USD 233 Instructional Resource Center. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

5: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Andover USD 385 District Office Board Room. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

5: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bishop Professional Development Center, Topeka. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.

6: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Maize USD 266 Performing Arts & Aquatic Center. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

6: Curriculum leader meeting, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Fort Hays State University Union Ballroom. Questions? Contact Pat Bone, pbone@ksde.org or (785) 296-2303.  

9: Counting KIDS Workshop, 1-4:30 p.m., Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, Girard. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

9: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Mark your calendars for these future Zoom meetings: Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12.) Email accreditation@ksde.org with questions. 

10-11: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka.

10: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Hutchinson USD 308 CTE Academy. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

10: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., NKESC, Oakley. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.

10: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Dodge City USD 443 district office building. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.

11: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Eisenhower Elementary School, Abilene. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions. 

11: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Hays USD 489 district office building. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

11: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Ulysses USD 214 district office building. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.

12: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Dodge City USD 443 district office building. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

12: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., KCK USD 500 district office building, east wing, 3rd floor. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

12: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., El Dorado Performing Arts Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

13: Counting KIDS Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Hiawatha USD 415 High School Auditorium. Email auditing@ksde.org with questions.

17: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Arkansas City, Avery Learning Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.

17: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Great Bend, Front Door Community Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

18: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Greenbush, Girard. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

18: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Salina, Hageman Education Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

19: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Newton, The Education Technology Center. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

19: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Clay Center USD 379 district office building. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

24: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Osborne High School auditorium, north door. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

25: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Greenbush, Ottawa board office. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

27-28: Kansas Teacher of the Year conference, Wichita. 

October

8-9: Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Topeka. 

10: 2025 Kansas Horizon Award nominations due. Contact Tamla Miller, tmiller@ksde.org or (785) 296-4950 with questions. 

14: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Mark your calendars for these future Zoom meetings: Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12.) 

23-25: KSDE Great Ideas in Education: Lighting the Path Forward annual conference, Hyatt Regency Wichita. Click here for conference information.