Literacy is the number one workforce, economic and social imperative. It improves quality of life, leads to better health outcomes and creates opportunities for individuals. Basic literacy skills are a requirement for most good jobs. By 2030, Kansas will add 54,000 new jobs that require education beyond high school.

Yet a third of Kansas students read below grade level. Recognizing that this number must improve, Kansas is implementing a bold new initiative to change the trajectory of literacy in our state and help all students reach their potential - the Blueprint for Literacy. 

In February of 2024, the Kansas Board of Regents adopted the Blueprint for Literacy. Subsequently, the Kansas Legislature passed the Blueprint in SB 438, which was signed into law by the Governor on April 25, 2024. The Blueprint makes literacy a state-level priority, establishes a framework for increasing literacy, and creates a structure to implement and oversee the initiative through the Regents’ new Office of Literacy, the Director of Literacy and the Literacy Advisory Committee.

The Blueprint provides Kansas with a framework to improve literacy rates and establishes two important goals for the state.

1. 100% of the elementary teacher workforce achieve a credential in the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy by 2030, leading to:
2. 90% of students reading at Level 2 on the English language arts assessment and 50% of students in each grade level reading at a Level 3 and 4.

The Blueprint will utilize developments in the Science of Reading to ensure that all teachers are equipped with and practiced in proven methods of literacy instruction. This will be achieved through new applied learning courses that are being implemented across the state's public higher education system to incorporate the Science of Reading into teacher education. In addition, the Office of Literacy will launch a series of courses for teachers in the classroom and school leaders that will lead to micro-credentials.

The strategies and actions outlined in the Blueprint for Literacy Strategic Plan are a set of practical actions to advance educators’ knowledge and skills in the application of Structured Literacy. Investing literacy as an economic imperative in an investment in educators leading to every child learning to read.  There is no stronger or more important return on investment that opening the door to literacy for every Kansan. To view the Blueprint for Literacy Strategic Plan, click here. 

To view Senate Bill 438, click here. 

The Literacy Advisory Committee was established by the Kansas Legislature to monitor progress of literacy training for in-service and preservice teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students. The Committee designates best practices for literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students.

The Committee is responsible for the attainment of the transformational goals created by the Blueprint, and makes recommendations for achieving those goals to the Director for Literacy, the Board of Regents, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature. The Committee will also submit annual progress reports to the Legislature.

The Advisory Committee is developing a plan for the establishment of Centers of Excellence in Reading.

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