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Hello,
Welcome to a new school year! I look forward to working with you this coming year and our team wishes you the very best! We appreciate all you do for your communities and for our Kansas students. In this issue you will find registration for several professional learning opportunities. One of those is provided by a national expert on Developmental Language Disorder. If you are not sure what that is...please make sure to join us on September 24th and learn about something that may affect over 10% of your students and impact their acquisition of literacy. Come learn what it is, how to identify it and how to support students you may have in your classrooms who struggle with this.
In addition to two virtual text-based studies, please read on to learn important information regarding the implementation of the new KSDE School Improvement Model. The work that my team and others at KSDE will be striving to support will be focused on our four fundamentals of school improvement (Structured Literacy, Balanced Assessment, Standards Alignment and Quality Instruction). Doing those things...and doing them well will be tied to school accreditation in Kansas as we move forward. Stay tuned to learn more in the upcoming issues of this newsletter! Please share this newsletter widely and let me know if you have questions or need additional support. If you know of someone who wants to sign up to get this newsletter automatically , just encourage them to sign up to receive it via the listserv by emailing ELitDyslexia@ksde.org.
Yours in education
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Curtis
KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager
Important Updates from KSDE
Starting in July 1,2028, those renewing a license who are teaching elementary students literacy skills or in a position where they make decisions about the risk level of a student's literacy skills, are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the science of reading, specifically structured literacy, by completing training (at 80%/ mastery level) or by taking an exam in order to receive the Kansas Seal of Literacy and renew their license. Any Kansas licensed educator who receives training in one of the KSDE approved courses or who has demonstrated a high level of understanding by passing a KSDE approved exam will receive this seal. More details will be forthcoming.
Currently the options are as follows:
LETRS Training for Educators (3rd edition), LETRS for Administrators, LETRS Early Childhood, and these options are currently funded by the KSDE. LETRS cohorts have been established for fall, but pre-registration is occurring for the January cohorts. If you are planning to sign up through a service center, please do not also sign up for a state cohort. If you are not signing up through a service center and wish to sign up, please contact kddavis@pittstate.edu to pre-register for January!
If your district does not choose to use the KSDE funded LETRS option, there are two options that are also accredited by the International Dyslexia Association that have been approved for independent/ district funding. AIM Pathways and Keys to Literacy can meet the requirement/ verification for the Seal of Literacy. Information on those options can be found below:
We realize there will be questions on this new requirement and the FAQ document below will be helpful. There will be additional FAQ documents and clarification provided as this initiative moves forward.
Helpful Document for Parents and Educators! Collaboration is Key.
This infographic was developed collaboratively with parents, Families Together, and KSDE to provide clear communication when a child is struggling to acquire reading skills.
What to Do When My Child is Identified as a Struggling Reader is available in both English and Spanish to encourage clear and open communication between families and teachers as we work to provide the best support for all students of all ages. This important document can be accessed at the links below or found on the KSDE Dyslexia Page.
What to Do When My Child is Identified as a Struggling Reader Infographic in English
What to Do When My Child is Identified as a Struggling Reader Infographic in Spanish
You may be hearing that we are providing districts the option of having a LETRS facilitator trained for their own district and then those facilitators will be part of a KSDE Kansas Literacy Leadership Cadre that will network facilitators across the state! Stay tuned to learn more as details become available.
Information for Promising Practice
There have been no changes made to the state universal/ dyslexia screening protocol or reporting expectations for the 2024-2025 academic year. There are several approved screeners that can be used to meet the expectations for screening K-9 (and beyond if needed). If you district is using FastBridge to meet the requirements, I wanted you to know of the resource they have provided on their Kansas "landing" page. It may be helpful and assure that you are gaining the most information from the tools that they provide in support of our dyslexia initiatives.
KSDE-Dyslexia-Screening-Guidelines-for-FastBridge.pdf (widen.net)
Additional professional learning can be found here: FastBridge/MTSS Training Event
Evidence-Based Assessment in the Science of Reading
This helpful "cheat sheet" provides a quick guide related to the why, what, who and when for assessment of learning and assessment for learning. This easy to understand table related to various forms of assessment, including universal screeners, diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring and summative assessments. If you still have questions about assessment, the helpful analogies provided in this document and examples might help you sort out questions you may have about the critical role assessment plays in identifying who needs our help and clearly knowing if the help we are providing is helping...and helping us know if our students are learning and retaining what we are teaching.
Evidence-Based Assessment in the Science of Reading: Cheat Sheet (LD@school)
The Art and Science of Teaching Reading...(and the effort good teaching takes).
Words from a recent blog by Timothy Shanahan
"I work hard on the science part – not because I’m anti-art – but because that has been a missing piece, a piece that I can add. The idea of teaching those things that have led to greater learning appeals to me. The same can be said for teaching in ways that have been found more successful."
"In the studies, teachers worked hard – using certain tools – to confer a learning advantage. Positive results say that they succeeded. Multiple studies say several teachers were able to succeed this way. I can’t be sure that I can teach this well but knowing that others have done so and how they went about that is a good start."
"The science of reading isn’t one of blind compliance or high-fidelity implementation."
"Science reveals what can work. The art of teaching suggests what I might do to make the science work."
"Science powerfully identifies what has been proven to be workable. I believe only foolish educators would ignore the valuable insights it offers. But those educators must recognize that these findings cannot be implemented successfully without a lot of effort aimed at making them work."
"Art, on the other hand, includes everything else that teachers do to increase success. For me, William Faulkner’s definition of art is best: 'Art means anything consciously well done.' That’s where patience, careful listening, empathy, rapport, clarity, and persistence come in. Knowing when to double down and when to back off. Implementing a science of reading successfully requires a thoughtful dose of such ingredients – items that may not have shown up in the research study, but which certainly were in the classrooms with the greatest learning."
Timothy Shanahan, The Science of Reading Versus the Art of Teaching Reading, August 24, 2024 www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/the-science-of-reading-versus-the-art-of-teaching-reading
Professional Learning Opportunities
You are invited!
Come learn from a leading scholar about DLD, Developmental Language Disorder...what it looks like alongside dyslexia, how it may present without dyslexia, how might we identify it with our youngest of students and get them the help they need before they struggle with comprehension as they get older?
Registration is OPEN and free of charge! Join us for both sessions- a virtual 1 hour webinar on Tuesday, September 24th from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm and also for the follow-up panel with Dr. Hogan and Kansas educators/ specialists on October 8th from 4:00 - 5:00 pm.
You can register for both session at the following link:
You may have seen her at the Plain Talk conference, or read her articles in The Reading League Journal...but as a Kansas educator, YOU are now personally invited to learn from Dr. Tiffany Hogan!
Dr. Hogan is the Director of the Speech and Language Literacy Lab (SAiL) and Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at MGH Institute in Boston. She studies the genetic, neurological nd behavioral links between oral and written language and literacy development. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. She also serves as a Research Associate for Harvard Medical School.
These sessions are designed for: PK-6 teachers/ paraeducators, speech-language pathologists, reading specialists, special education teachers, and school psychologists! Everyone is welcome! Spread the word! Zoom link will be sent prior to September 24th.
While we are hoping to record Dr. Hogan's presentation on Septmeber 24th, a KSDE certificate of attendance will only be provided for those in attendance for the live sessions on September 24th and/ or October 8th.
You can learn more about Dr. Hogan and the work she does by following the links below!
If you want to learn more about Dr. Hogan's scholarly work, check out her profile on Google Scholar below:
Registration is Open!
Come and Learn about differentiating phonics instruction with your Kansas colleagues!
Last year many of you joined us for a study on Wiley Blevins' book called A Fresh Look at Phonics. We will be exploring his brand new book, called "Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact: How to Scaffold Whole-Group Instruction So all Students Can Access Grade-Level Content (Corwin Literacy).
This study will be held weekly for 10 weeks via Zoom, starting September 16, 2024, from 5:00 - 6:00 pm CST. There is no cost to participate except for the purchase of the book prior to the study.
Graduate credit (1-2 hours) will be offered from Ft. Hays State University for this study. Contact Heather Musil at hjmusil@fhsu.edu for more information regarding enrollment and fees for graduate credit. For details about how to receive credit. See this link: FHSU College Credit
This study meets from 5:00 - 6:00 CST, which allows our colleagues in the west edge of the state to dismiss students and participate! Spread the word!
Dates will include:
September 16, 23, 30
October 7, 14, 21, 28
November 4,11,18
All are welcome!
Register below for:
What are the BEST Structured Literacy Interventions?
Come learn from the edited work of award-winning, Louise Spear-Swerling!
PD hours documented via KSDE certificate will be provided.
Our recent text-based virtual PLC: Structured Literacy Interventions: Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties K-6 was well-received and comes with an amazing Padlet of resources to support your practice of providing interventions to enhance student learning. Sign up yourself or get a group of colleagues to join you as a building-level cohort!
The editor of this book has just received the highest honor from the International Dyslexia Association. See their recent award notification, "The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is pleased to announce Louise Spear-Swerling, Ph.D., as the 2024 recipient of the Margaret Byrd Rawson Award. This prestigious award is among the highest honors given by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA)."
The Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team will be offering this study again via Zoom but on a different week night this coming Fall/Winter. The dates are below. Please mark your calendar! This ten-week study (plus an introductory week) will begin September 18th and meet every other week via Zoom on Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:00 pm, CST.
Registration can be found HERE
DATES for the study:
September 18
Oct. 2nd, 16, 30
Nov. 13th- no study the week of Thanksgiving
Dec. 4, 18
January 8, 22
February 5, 19
This symposium is free and available to anyone who wishes to register.
Reasons to Celebrate!
If you are doing some things aligned with the science of reading and you want to share those amazing evidence-based practices with others, please let me know so we can share the great ideas here! If you have a cohort of those finishing LETRS, let us know that as well. I want to honor and celebrate great things happening in our Kansas classrooms related to literacy learning!
Literacy Lifeline Questions/ Answers
Literacy Lifeline is up and running!
As school gets underway, we have questions coming in through our Literacy Lifeline. 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! Our KSDE Literacy Lifeline is back up and running for the upcoming school year! 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.
A few points of clarification based on e-mails and/ or questions I have received:
New teachers who are taking LETRS still are required to the KSDE Initial Dyslexia modules. The modules and LETRS do not have the same content, although you might find some overlap in Module 4- but good information is worth repeating.
These modules are not intended to be independently completed by teacher, which is why there is a facilitation guide and participant handouts/ materials provided. When the training is provided by a facilitator there will be opportunities to correct misunderstandings and clarify any question our new educators may have. The person who is facilitating the training should maintain attendance for your verification on the So66 report and I would encourage at the completion of the day's learning to have your participants complete the process your school has in place for teachers to manage their professional learning.
These modules do not all have to be completed on one day but can be spread out if you like as long as they are all completed by March 1st. The pre and post-test draws from all modules.
There is not a certificate that is generated automatically for teachers when they complete the modules. If you have seen that before, it was implemented by a service center, not generated by KSDE, and is no longer available. If other than attendance rosters you would like a paper generated as an accountability measure, I would suggest at the end of all the modules you ask the teachers to print the post-test and provide that as a record of completion. Your district is welcome to create any additional measures of accountability at the end of each module if you like, prior to the summative post-test.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see" Mark Twain
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at ELitDyslexia@ksde.org 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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