Tag: KSDE
KSDE officials refuse to answer questions about SCOTUS ruling on gender notification
Last week, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in a California case that has implications for Kansas about…
Indiana touts 3rd grade reading gains; Kansas lowers proficiency standards and skirts state law
Third-grade reading proficiency is at 87% in Indiana, a phenomenal increase of five points over a year ago. In Kansas, only…
Kobach warns state board of ed to comply with ‘Mahmoud’ decision on religious liberty
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach yesterday wrote to the Kansas State Board of Education, demanding that board members comply with the…
Lower proficiency standards lead to phony student achievement gains
In the fable of the Emperor’s New Clothes, two con men convinced the Emperor they had woven a magnificent set…
KSDE, State Board of Education ignore state literacy law
You might think that the State Board of Education would be laser-focused on addressing the serious literacy problem in Kansas.…
Audit finds disturbing lack of security controls on school district accounting systems
A new report from the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit has found a troubling lack of security control over…
KSDE staffer Katie Allen terminated over her “well deserved” post on Charlie Kirk assassination
Kansas Department of Education staffer Katie Allen has been fired over her social media post that the assassination of conservative…
Over 150,000 Kansas students have a limited ability to read says state assessment
More than 150,000 Kansas K-12 students will have a difficult time reading this story. Not because of the subject matter,…
Kansas is near the bottom of Advanced Placement rankings
The Sunflower State is tied for 48th in the nation for the percentage of students scoring a “3” or higher…
KSDE passes the buck to Gov. Kelly on Kobach guidance to remove gender identity references from state school lunch contracts
The ongoing disagreement between Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas State…
KSDE denies lowering standards despite implausible proficiency gains
Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) staff put on a master class of political spin and deception at yesterday’s meeting of…
Kobach tells state board to remove ‘gender identity’ language from school lunch contracts
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in a letter released June 25, 2025, is warning the Kansas State Board of Education…
KSDE now says districts don’t have to use Biden-era ‘gender identity’ guidance on food service forms
Documents received by The Sentinel as part of a Kansas Open Records Act request show that the Kansas State Department…
KSDE declines to answer questions about gender identity in school lunch contract
The Kansas State Department of Education is declining to answer questions about why the language in the state’s “Child Nutrition…
Kansas (sort of) promises not to violate Title VI Civil Rights Act
At its April board meeting, the Kansas State Board of Education couldn’t decide how to react to the U.S. Department…
KSDE is strangely quiet on conflicting claims about students below grade level
State Commissioner of Education Randy Watson was quoted last week by the Kansas Reflector, saying, “A lot of research says…
Audit finds easy change to Medicaid billing for schools could save state $22.5 million
A recent audit of how schools are reimbursed for school-based health care, found a potential $22.5 million savings. According to…
KSDE finance chief Harwood wrong on the constitutionality of school funding
Deputy Commissioner for Fiscal and Administrative Services Dr. Frank Harwood inaccurately told the Kansas State Board of Education that an…
Proposed performance level descriptors are designed to continue hiding bad student outcomes
Which of the following provides a clear understanding of student achievement in Kansas: 33% of Kansas students are below grade…
U.S. Department of Education DEI letter to be discussed in KSBRC webinar Wednesday
The future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Kansas schools and the potential loss of federal funding from those…
KSDE shows disregard for student achievement, claiming at-risk spending and BNA laws aren’t about improving outcomes
With only 18% of Kansas graduates college-ready (ACT) and about 150,000 students reading below grade level, one might think the…
KSDE halts state assessment waiver request pending State Board vote
At the February 11 State Board of Education meeting, Commissioner of Education Randy Watson told board members that he is…
2024 education spending out-paces inflation, but instruction spending stays flat
According to data from the Kansas Department of Education, school districts statewide increased total spending by about 4% in the…
ACE scholarship program shows remarkable progress for low-income students
ACE Scholarships, a program that provides partial funding for lower-income families to send their children to a private school of…