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Minutes for HB2839 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Establishing a blueprint for literacy to create a literacy advisory committee, appoint a director of literacy education, require the state board of regents and the state board of education to collaborate on a literacy micro-credential and professional development, authorize the state board of regents to recommend diagnostic and formative literacy assessments, authorize university presidents and deans of education oversight over postsecondary literacy courses and require a plan to establish centers of excellence in reading.
Minutes Content for Tue, Mar 19, 2024
Chair Thomas opened the hearing on HB 2839.
Jason Long gave an overview of the bill.(Attachment 1)
Dr. Cynthia Lane spoke about the importance of the bill. The Board of Regents recognizes that the teaching methods now used have not met every child's needs, changes must be made, not only in how reading is taught but how institutions prepare teachers.
The bill will create the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy. It is not just a new government program. It is a clearly marked path with practical steps to which we will commit a postsecondary education to ensure our in-service teachers and pre-service teachers have the tools they need for success in the classroom. The Kansas Board of Regents has a strategic plan "Building a Future" that is focused on helping families supporting businesses, and advancing economic prosperity.Collaboration is necessary for this bill to work. Collaboration with State Board of Education and postsecondary educational institutions and reading experts are written into the bill.
Several amendments are included in the testimony.(Attachment 2)
Mike O'Neal said it is heartening to see the consensus of support for the teaching of structured literacy. The individual student comes first, not the institution as a whole, and this literacy blueprint is intended to focus on the individual needs of every student. He is concerned that the levels 3 & 4 are not being considered as attainable by students considered at-risk and that research shows that as few as 5% of students may not have the ability to master reading effectively.(Attachment 3)
Shannon Kimball also suggested several changes to the bill to make it stronger. Teacher training is important. Also the literacy advisory committee should be subject to the Kansas Open Meetings and Kansas Open Records Acts. Several amendments were made to the Senate and were asked to be adopted by the House also. One of which concerns the cost of the bill. So therefore, an amendment that makes implementation of the provisions of the bill "subject to appropriations" with the amended language recognizes the need for resources to implement the work. (Attachment 4)
Ann Mah stated the the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) believes that the Kansas blueprint for literacy is a good continuation of KSBE's Kansas Education Framework for Literacy which began in 2019 with the board's adoption of the Dyslexia Taskforce recommendations.
Some areas of concern in the bill need revising due to unclear wording. With the clarifications, we support the passage of the bill. (Attachment 5)
Matt Lindsey is neutral on the bill. Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) has no governing, coordinating, or general regulatory role over the programs or curriculum at private non-profit colleges. Our programs that lead to specific licenses granted by the state, are required to receive program approval from the appropriate state agencies for our graduates to be licensed by the state to practice in their field. The current language is the bill could be seen as granting curriculum oversight over non-profit colleges' teacher education programs to KBOR.(Attachment 6)
The Board of Regents did not engage private colleges in the planning for this important statewide effort. KICA institutions educate 17% of the teachers in the state each year and with particularly strong presences in many smaller and rural schools.
Chair Thomas adjourned the meeting until Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 1:30 for a continuation of the hearing on HB 2839.
