Senate Bill 438 was signed into law by Governor Laura Kelly on April 25, 2024. This bill established the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy and established an advisory committee to develop a plan for the creation of six Centers of Excellence in literacy across the state.
WHY CENTERS? – The challenge we face today is that forty percent of Kansas students are not proficient in reading and not reading well. The Centers create a network of supports, resources, and education so we can all be part of solution and achieve our 90% reading goal.
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Vision: Deliver world-class education and educator training in the Science of Reading. The Centers ensure Kansas teachers and school leaders are highly skilled in the application of the Science of Reading, in the support of families, and in providing community-based interventions designed to meet the unique needs of the Centers’ catchment area. |
Purpose: The Centers will prepare and support educators; provide on-going professional learning, literacy coaching, evaluation, assessment, and intervention; and support for families in their communities and catchment areas. |
The Centers of Excellence in Literacy ensure teachers and school leaders are highly skilled in the application of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy, and support families and communities.
The vision for these six Centers for Excellence in literacy is to deliver world-class education, and educator training in the Science of Reading. With this vision in mind, we can begin the work towards achieving the overall Kansas Blueprint for Literacy goal - to have 90 percent of Kansas students reading at or above grade level by 2033.
The Centers of Excellence will serve as both a place and a network of resources and partnerships to provide families with easy access to support, and educators with professional learning opportunities.
The Advisory Committee has created a framework that outlines the expectations and requirements established for Centers. This framework describes the standards that prospective centers will need to meet, along with the expectations for partnerships, quality assurance, and data review.
| Centers for Excellence in Literacy Framing Document | Intent to Apply |
| Catchment Map | Scoring Guide |
The Advisory Committee has received seven proposals for consideration of the Centers of Excellence. These proposals were submitted by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, Washburn University and Wichita State University. The committee will be reviewing all application materials by November 15 to make recommendations to the Kansas Board of Regents, which will approve a final plan to submit to the Kansas Legislature.
Proposals and presentations for each institution may be viewed below.