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Hello,
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round...
I waited until August was well underway to provide this newsletter, hoping to find you through with all the beginning of the year PD, the first days with students behind you and hope you are finally able to manage another email In your inbox! We have a lot of good news in this letter- the first is that the funds that had been approved for additional LETRS training, LETRS facilitator training and our collaborative professional learning sessions with our service center partners (which had been paused by the US Department of Education) has been reinstated for use. Thanks for your patience as we navigated this uncertainty from April until August 1st. We are glad to be moving forward with all our initiatives as planned- as best we can to meet the shortened timeframe for the use of available funds!
I hope you were able to attend the KSDE Great Ideas Conference and I enjoyed getting the chance to see many of you in Wichita. If not, please mark your calendars to attend next year! Our first annual KSDE Literacy Leadership Summit was well-attended and from the comments and surveys, it appears to have been a valuable and meaningful time together! We will start planning for next year's conference- so fill out those surveys so we can make sure it reflects what you find beneficial!
If you are in a school with LETRS course work being done, please see below for some important information regarding the volume assessments and see on down the page for what I hope you see as great opportunities and information to get this academic year off to a great start!
Please share this newsletter widely and let me know if you have questions or need additional support. If you know of someone who would like to receive this newsletter each month, please let them know they can do that by emailing a request to ELitDyslexia@ksde.gov.
Yours in education
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Curtis
KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager
Important Updates from KSDE
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
The KIDS reporting portal has closed. If you were missing data from the recent EOYA upload for the dyslexia spring screening results, you will be receiving a letter very soon to clarify what was missing. There are three parts of our work related to dyslexia which is connected to KESA compliance. They are listed below as well to a change in the reporting of training information.
Screening for reading risk should occur three times a year for K through the fall of 9th grade. Students are to be screened using on the approved screeners as guided by their technical manual. While only spring data is uploaded for K,1,2,3, and 8, screening for the other times of year in all grades is an expectation for all systems and may be part of your school improvement day conversations. For more information, see: KSDE Dyslexia Screening Protocol
Initial Dyslexia Training for new teachers, or teachers who are new to teaching in Kansas that hold these licenses: elementary education (PK-6), early childhood unified, high incidence special education (K-12), ELA grades 5-12, reading specialists, school psychologists, temporary non-renewable. These training modules are provided by KSDE and are to be used in facilitated training- with a knowledgeable facilitator- who can identify misunderstandings and answer questions. There are slide decks, videos, and a facilitator guide to allow for you to provide this training to your new teachers. Slide decks or the videos can be used (whatever you prefer), based on the way your district wishes to provide the training. The training can be completed in a full day, or broken into five sessions. All training should be completed by March 1st- but the earlier the better for teachers to have this completed! There is not a substitute for this training. There are few changes. There is now a pre-test and a post-test for this training. The post-test is taken at the end of module 5. It can be printed off, signed and dated and a copy can be provided for verification of the completed training to the district facilitator- or the district can keep a roster of attendance. I would encourage the educator to keep a copy for their own records in case they move to another district. This verification had been part of the SO66 report that a system does, however, starting this year the verification will be collected via survey. The system that provides the training should retain records of who meets this requirement for reporting to complete the survey. The survey will be sent to the Educator Licensure Coordinator that is designated for your district. This will not appear on the SO66 report this fall.
If you have a teacher who is not able to attend your in-person training for the set of modules (if they move in, or were hired, after your training has been completed), please do not have them complete videos/ training independently, but instead, please reach out to me for other options at ELitDyslexia.gov.
Required Annual Structured Literacy and/ or Dyslexia Training is to be provided for teachers that hold licenses in the areas of elementary education (PK-6), early childhood unified, high incidence special education (K-12), ELA grades 5-12, reading specialists, school psychologists, temporary non-renewable. The school system can customize this training to meet the needs of individuals in their district and can determine the time and duration of the training. The training should be hands-on, with evidence-based practices, on the nature of dyslexia, procedures to identify students who are struggling in reading, intervention strategies and procedures, tiered interventions practices or progress monitoring. The training can be held during consecutive PLC meetings. If teachers are actively participating in one of the trainings that have been approved for the Kansas Seal of Literacy, a system may decide to use that as the designated annual Structured Literacy training for those teachers who are participating in that training.
Information on DLM Alignment with ELA Standards
For your students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are using the Dynamic Learning Maps ® (DLM) Assessment System, there is a new document to show the alignment between the Kansas English Language Arts Standards and the Dynamic Learning Maps® Essential Elements in English Language Arts. That document can be found at the link below as we make sure all students are taught and assessed in the most appropriate ways. For additional information on the DLM, please see this link. Questions can be directed to Cary.Rogers@ksde.gov
Alignment of Kansas English Language Arts Standards with Dynamic Learning Maps® Essential Elements in English Language Arts
Concerns regarding Lexia's new assessment upgrades for LETRS.
What we know:
Lexia has made changes to their assessment practices and those changes have occurred over the past few months, being finalized a few weeks ago. The purpose was to increase test security, as there were test answers and information being shared on social media which encouraged some to not fully engage in training, but to capture screenshots and take an assessment without engaging in the learning. This was not only a Kansas concern...but a concern for the company nationally, so we were assured that there would be upgrades in assessment security that would be put into practice. Those changes were to provide multiple forms of the assessment and to limit the question to one per page, as well as randomization of the test items. We were told the assessment was not to be more difficult, but that there would be additional items provided with the updates. TASN, the Lexia team, and I are in regular communication and all are aware of the concerns being voiced by those who have recently taken the assessment. However, Please don't believe all you may read on social media! We have been assured that the items were not developed with AI or intentionally created to "trick" teachers- please don't forward on those rumors if you see them!
Things to remember:
These assessments are not timed. Educators should take all the time needed to complete the assessment and not rush.
These assessments are open book/ manual. Educators should have their resources nearby and look up information in their manual to help answer any questions they are unsure of. Think of the old QAR model...not all questions may be "right there" with exact wording from the test- similar to the assessments you would give your students. Lexia is able to point to where the guiding information in the manual is to correctly answer their questions.
To prepare best for the post-test, encourage teachers to fully engage in the online modules, read the manual, engage in the facilitated training days and do the bridge to practice. Those elements of the training should prepare you well. If you take the post assessment and you feel that your assessment was mis-graded, you can reach out to Lexia support. Screenshots can be provided to them to help clarify your concerns. You can reach them at: support@lexialearning.com
Your Kansas team meets weekly with Lexia and we will share additional information through KSDE Weekly or our listservs as we learn more and receive any additional helpful or clarifying information.
Follow up on the KSDE Literacy Leadership Summit
The KSDE Great Ideas Conference was held the last week of July and provided an opportunity for KSDE to host the first EVER KSDE Literacy Leadership Summit. This event was planned to bring together our local LETRS facilitators and other literacy leaders across the state. We had 117 in the room for a full day of professional learning. Casey Peine, from USD 264, and one of the Teacher Leader Consultants with KSDE provided a half day of guidancee on using a Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle to identify a problem of practice, create a plan, collect data, analyze results and move forward within a building or system PLC that leads to impact and accountability. In the afternoon Becca Silver, founder of The Whole Educator, provided information about the Catalyst Mindsets and how to coach beyond initial resistance to provide educators the information and assistance they need to transition to different practice and for all of us to empower one another to strive to be better each day!
If you missed Casey's presentation, she will be doing an abbreviated session at the MTSS Symposium- so you can learn more there! See: TASN MTSS Symposium September 10-11, 2025
At that session the objectives will be:
Explore the research behind collaborative inquiry and why it is a high-impact professional learning practice.
See real-world examples of how structured inquiry cycles have led to improved instruction and student learning.
Learn strategies to build collaborative, data-driven teams that engage in meaningful problem-solving.
Becca Silver pointing to screen with Coaching Supports listed
Casey Peine presenting Plan, Do, Study, Act Process at KSDE Literacy Leadership Conference July 29, 2025
Professional Learning Opportunities
WE ARE BACK!
Our pause on funding for our collaborative professional learning session with our service center partners has been lifted and the opportunity restored. This FREE PD includes a day of professional learning for educators which includes a half-unit of graduate credit (and lunch). Professional learning will occur in multiple locations between September and the end of January for this planned PD. Below you will see the offerings specific to structured literacy- but many of the ELA sessions are also based on the principles and elements of structured literacy. For ALL offerings, including the ELA options. see THIS LINK.
Sessions specific to the ELitDyslexia Team for Structured Literacy are listed below along with registration links.
Data-Driven Success: Unpacking LIteracy Assessments for Maximum Impact
Join us for an interactive session where educators dive into a variety of literacy assessments, exploring how each provides valuable insights into student growth. Using guidance from KSDE, we’ll examine effective models for reviewing and responding to assessment data, turning information into action to drive success in the classroom. Learn practical strategies to make data meaningful and maximize the impact on structured literacy outcomes!
Dates, Location and Registration:
September 17, 2025 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
Cracking the Code: Practical Strategies for Teaching Word Recognition
Join us for an engaging professional development session designed for educators seeking to enhance their instructional practices in word recognition. This session will equip participants with evidence-based strategies for assessing and teaching essential components of reading, including phonological awareness, decoding, and sight words. Educators will learn and practice effective assessment techniques to identify students' needs, along with proven instructional methods to foster skill development in these critical areas. Participants will leave with a toolkit of resources, activities, and practical applications to improve literacy outcomes in their classrooms.
Dates, Location and Registration:
September 17, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
September 23, 2025 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
September 29, 2025 Southwest Plains(Sublette) Register HERE
October 28, 2025 Greenbush (Lawrence Register HERE
Empowering Educators: Effective Strategies for Differentiated Phonics Instruction
In this interactive professional learning session, educators will explore proven strategies to differentiate phonics instruction effectively, meeting students at their individual levels and fostering a supportive learning environment. Through examples, hands-on activities, and collaborative discussions, attendees will leave with a toolkit of adaptable strategies, designed to support diverse learning needs. Join us to transform your approach to phonics and make small group instruction more impactful and manageable.
Dates, Location and Registration:
October 8, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
October 14, 2025 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
October 20, 2025 Southwest Plains (Sublette) Register HERE
October 29, 2025 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
November 6, 2025 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
December 17, 2025 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
Fluency Matters: Enhancing Educator Expertise in Instruction and Assessment
Join us for an engaging workshop focused on enhancing your expertise in fluency instruction and assessment! Participants will explore evidence-based practices for assessing fluency, share successful teaching methods, and collaborate with peers to develop actionable plans for the classroom. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to the field, this workshop will deepen your understanding and empower you to support your students’ fluency development. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your instructional skills and make a lasting impact on your students’ literacy journeys!
Dates, Location and Registration:
October 15, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
October 24, 2025 Southwest Plains (Sublette) Register HERE
November 3, 2025 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
December 9, 2025 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
December 10, 2025 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 6, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
Word Power: Proven Routines to Strengthen Vocabulary Schoolwide
Unlock the secrets to building a robust vocabulary across your entire school! In this hands-on session, educators will explore evidence-based routines designed to expand students’ word knowledge for students in grades K-5. From daily practices to schoolwide strategies, you'll walk away with practical tools to integrate vocabulary-building activities into your classroom culture—empowering students with the words they need to succeed!
Dates, Location and Registration:
November 14, 2025 Southwest Plains (Sublette) Register HERE
November 18, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
November 18, 2025 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
January 9, 2025 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 13, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
January 27, 2026 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
Understanding and Addressing Developmental Language Disorder (DLD): Prevalence and Effective Instructional Strategies for Educators
This session will provide educators with a comprehensive understanding of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), which affects language acquisition in approximately 7% of children in grades PreK-12. Participants will learn about the prevalence and impact of DLD on academic and social development, along with the importance of early identification. The session will explore practical, research-based instructional strategies designed to support students with DLD in the classroom, promote language development and reading comprehension, and foster language-enriched learning environments.
Dates, Location and Registration:
November 21, 2025 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
December 9, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
December 12, 2025 Southwest Plains (Sublette) Register HERE
January 16, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
January 20, 2026 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 20, 2026 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
Information for Promising Practice
Talking to Others about How Reading Develops
Sometimes it is difficult to explain to those who are not educators what you are "seeing" a child do in your classroom as they move through the stages of learning to read. The document I have linked below, provided by Dr. Holly Lane through UFLI, shares the research and scholarship of Dr. Linnea Ehri in a clear and concise way- describing the phases of acquisition students display on their way to becoming a proficient reader. This may serve as a helpful resource to use when you are sharing a student's development in reading with parents or other colleagues. I also have found that this information can also provide a framework for how reading skills present within in a child's writing. It is when we can describe what a child is doing or thinking that we know how to bring in instruction to move them forward.
Let's all be All In for Kansas Kids!
We know that a strong literacy foundation starts long before a child enters our school!
A reminder of the great work being done for early childhood in Kansas. Also...a reminder to share with families about the opportunity for ALL young children to enroll in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!
More information can be found at the link below about the new Kansas Office of Early Childhood, and see this link to find information to help us all be ALL IN FOR KANSAS KIDS!
As our students load busses to see our beautiful Kansas landscape out their window- you might want to share the book, One Boy Watching by Grant Snider. A picture book that Snider wrote from his memory of being a Kansas child riding a school bus near Mulvane, Kansas! If you are interested in his reason/ process of writing the book, to include how he used details and even a playlist of songs in his writing- to provide a model for how to encourage your own students to write about what they know... I have included the information below:
Special Teachers THIS IS FOR YOU...Aren't we all special?
Art, music, library, physical education...our specialists are helping our students learn what it means to talk, read, write and think like an athlete, artist, musician...what might support for structrued literacy look like in those areas of study? This document that was distributed by the Rhode Island Department of Education was provided to connect the science of reading to unique areas of instruction within our schools- it takes everyone having the same information guiding practice to build a coherent system. I personally love this as my own doctoral research was looking at connections between music and early literacy learning-so when a Kansas teacher asked I knew of information that would help include ALL teachers in the efforts of learning more about stsructured literacy, I was glad to pass this document on!
Connecting the Science of Reading to Special Area Instruction
Kansas/ Missouri IDA Conference
September 26-27, 2025
Pittsburg State University
L.E.A.D
Literacy, Equity, Advocacy for Dyslexia
International Dyslexia Association of Kansas/ Missouri State Conference Information
English Learner Support
Resource for Valuable Information
The National Center on Improving Literacy provides free resources to be used to support literacy initiatives in states or systems, including one that caught my eye, "Painting a Picture of Developmental Language Disorder in Language Minority Bilingual Children" . Resources here may be helpful in building knowledge during your PLC time.
There are many other excellent resources included to assist you in learning more about dyslexia and sharing your knowledge with others which can be found at THIS LINK.
Other resources and a search tool to help you find what you are interested in learning more about can be found at the HOME page for:
Reasons to Celebrate!
Well done! Celebrate with our brand new LETRSTM Facilitators from Southwest Kansas!
USD 290, Ottawa
Finishing a Volume 1 Cohort! Well Done!
Manhattan USD 383 LETRS cohort completion
Congratulations to this great cohort completing LETRS for Early Childhood through Greenbush!
Thanks Kim Perentis for sharing this joy!
Concordia Educators have lots to smile about! Congratulations!
Greenbush Girard Finishes Unit 8...and their course!
Unit 8 Complete!
Congratulations White City!
Unit 8 Completers: Greenbush Girard
Unit 8 Completers: Greenbush Lawrence
Early Childhood Completer Cohort!
Literacy Lifeline Questions/ Answers
Literacy Lifeline will continue to run over the summer!
If you have a question about literacy professional practice, or anything else related to improving student literacy learning - the KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia team is here to help! You can ask a question using the linked form below and request it be answered via a Zoom virtual conference/ consulting session, an email, or suggest it as a possible article in this newsletter.
I am learning to pay attention to the small things that may contain more depth than I initially realized!
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at ELitDyslexia@ksde.gov to request being added to the Early Literacy/ Dyslexia listserv, or visit the KSDE Dyslexia page and select the purple HERE button and select Newsletter to see the current and past issues.
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