From taskforce to blueprint: implementation of literacy policy in Kansas

The Kansas Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia was established in 2018 to advise and make recommendations to educators, administrators, and policymakers in Kansas. The Kansas State Department of Education adopted the recommendations of the Task Force by creating a position to coordinate issues related to dyslexia, developing and publishing the Kansas Dyslexia Handbook, addressing professional development requirements, and universal screening protocols for dyslexia were created, published, and modified. New accreditation standards for colleges of education and school districts were created that were aligned with the Knowledge and Practice Standards of the International Dyslexia Association. In July 2023, Structured Literacy was named in the state's eligibility indicators for special education and related services for students with dyslexia (KSDE, 2023b). In April 2024, Kansas Senate Bill 438 was signed into law by Governor Laura Kelly, delineating the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy and including funding to be applied to state literacy and education workforce development. This comprehensive initiative establishes a literacy advisory committee, aligns teacher training and curricular materials with Structured Literacy, prohibits the use of discredited methodologies, develops a plan for six centers to be housed across the state for direct and indirect services, and sets teacher training and student performance goals for the state. The Kansas Blueprint for Literacy requires collaboration from various stakeholders, including educators, school systems, teacher trainers, literacy experts, parents, businesses, and policymakers, to systematically improve teacher training and student literacy instruction in the state. We review the history of recent literacy legislation in Kansas and describe the cyclical process through which practice has informed policy, which has informed practice. Finally, we will report on the state's progress to date in achieving its goals.