FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2024
Regents adopt Blueprint on Literacy to improve reading skills of Kansas students
(Topeka, Kan.) – The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) has adopted a plan to improve literacy training for teachers and elevate the reading skills of Kansas children. The Kansas Blueprint on Literacy establishes a goal of 100 percent of Kansas elementary teachers achieving a micro-credential in the Science of Reading/Structured Literacy by 2030.
“If Kansas is to continue building a bright future, we have to help more students achieve their potential in core competencies such as literacy,” said KBOR Chair Jon Rolph. “Our system is excited to collaborate with our partners, including the Legislature and the Kansas State Department of Education, to implement this all-important work.”
The Kansas Blueprint on Literacy outlines collaborative approaches that include aligning the statutory and regulatory frameworks, aligning university curriculum and assessment, implementing improved student assessments, establishing centers of excellence in reading and simulation training labs, and creating a literacy advisory committee with a state director of literacy education.
“The approaches established in the Blueprint on Literacy will ensure that colleges and universities in Kansas are training teachers using proven models based in the science of reading,” said Regent Cynthia Lane, chair of the Board Academic Affairs Standing Committee. “This is a transformational and holistic approach to accelerate our state’s literacy efforts and align our work around the common goal of helping students read.”
The Kansas Blueprint on Literacy is available on the Board’s website. The Regents have incorporated the Blueprint into their legislative request and will work with the Legislature and Kansas State Board of Education to move the initiative forward.
For more information, please contact Matt Keith at (785) 430-4237 or
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About the Kansas Board of Regents
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.