Kansas
U.S.
Rank
Score:
55%
Grade:
F
Rank:
#45
Another law in name only, attempts to open up the environment have repeatedly been rebuffed by an embrace of the status quo.
Law passed: 1994
Most recently amended: 2002
Number of charter schools: 9
Number of charter students: 3,066
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: School districts are the sole authorizers with approval by the State Board of Education.
GROWTH: Kansas does not cap the number of charter schools, but there has been no growth in the state’s charter sector in recent years. The district-controlled authorizing makes growth unlikely.
OPERATIONS: Charter schools receive no blanket exemptions from regulations that affect district schools. Instead, they must request exemptions from specific regulations, including collective bargaining agreements, in their applications, which is why there are so few schools or applicants.
EQUITY: The state’s charter law does not address charter school funding at all. This leaves funding decisions entirely to district authorizers, which inevitably leads to inequity.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#23
A small but modest improvement was made to the state’s tiny tax credit scholarship program in 2021 to be able to serve additional low income children.
Law enacted: 2014
Number of programs: 1
Statewide Participation: 369
Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit, Education Savings Account
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program
Kansas’ tax- credit scholarship program is currently serving 632 low-income students but in May 2021 HB 2134 was passed, expanding geographic and income eligibility for K-8 students. The new legislation eliminates restrictions based on zip code and allows for any student on free and reduced lunch to enroll; previously only students assigned to one of the 100 lowest-performing schools in the state were eligible to participate. It also increases the income limit from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to 185 percent, further expanding access to educational opportunities. The budget cap remains unchanged at $10 million, and there is still no enrollment cap so not much movement will happen until it does. The program was enacted in 2014 and gives individuals and businesses that donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) 70% tax credit value.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#40
Does not have any specific policies in place that offer teachers additional compensation based on evidence of effectiveness, but has eliminated tenure.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 69%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 60%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 90%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 62%
Alternate Routes 70%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 69%
Hiring 75%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 68%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
55%
Grade:
F
Rank:
#45
Another law in name only, attempts to open up the environment have repeatedly been rebuffed by an embrace of the status quo.
Law passed: 1994
Most recently amended: 2002
Number of charter schools: 9
Number of charter students: 3,066
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: School districts are the sole authorizers with approval by the State Board of Education.
GROWTH: Kansas does not cap the number of charter schools, but there has been no growth in the state’s charter sector in recent years. The district-controlled authorizing makes growth unlikely.
OPERATIONS: Charter schools receive no blanket exemptions from regulations that affect district schools. Instead, they must request exemptions from specific regulations, including collective bargaining agreements, in their applications, which is why there are so few schools or applicants.
EQUITY: The state’s charter law does not address charter school funding at all. This leaves funding decisions entirely to district authorizers, which inevitably leads to inequity.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#23
A small but modest improvement was made to the state’s tiny tax credit scholarship program in 2021 to be able to serve additional low income children.
Law enacted: 2014
Number of programs: 1
Statewide Participation: 369
Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit, Education Savings Account
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program
Kansas’ tax- credit scholarship program is currently serving 632 low-income students but in May 2021 HB 2134 was passed, expanding geographic and income eligibility for K-8 students. The new legislation eliminates restrictions based on zip code and allows for any student on free and reduced lunch to enroll; previously only students assigned to one of the 100 lowest-performing schools in the state were eligible to participate. It also increases the income limit from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to 185 percent, further expanding access to educational opportunities. The budget cap remains unchanged at $10 million, and there is still no enrollment cap so not much movement will happen until it does. The program was enacted in 2014 and gives individuals and businesses that donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) 70% tax credit value.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#40
Does not have any specific policies in place that offer teachers additional compensation based on evidence of effectiveness, but has eliminated tenure.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 69%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 60%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 90%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 62%
Alternate Routes 70%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 69%
Hiring 75%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 68%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#12
Kansas has shown their commitment to increasing opportunities for digital learning through their various programs and initiatives in the state. The Kansas DOE provides resources on technology planning, tools afor educators, and information on equitable access through the Kansas Partnership for Accessible Technology.
The Kansas Connect & Learn Initiative is a partnership between KDOE and EducationSuperHighway to close the connectivity gap in schools. Between 2013 and 2018, 40.7% of students gained high-speed internet access and 94% of schools without scalable infrastructure have upgraded to fiber-optic connections.
Kansas Online Learning Program is open to K-12 students, as well as adult learners who have not received their diploma. Kansas Online Learning Program is free to all residents in the state and expands educational opportunities for many.
The state also has 91 accredited virtual school programs that span from elementary to adult learning and provide courses for various reasons such as general education, credit recovery, and summer school programs.
Kansas’ Blue Valley Unified School District 229 is a member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, giving over 20,000 students digital learning opportunities. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Kansas can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Although there is no statewide effort, some school districts are using personalized learning in their classrooms. The Kansas Can School Redesign project aims to personalize student learning and focuses on 4 driving principles: Personalized Learning, Student Success Skills, Community Partnership, and Real World Applications. Online Learning Platforms is also an important piece of the project, which helps drive personalized instruction for students. There are currently 66 school districts participating.
On March 18, Kansas was one of the first to close all schools for the remainder of the school year. On March 27, guidelines for continuous learning were released which emphasized the term Continuous Learning, and asked schools to refrain from using “distance learning” or “virtual learning” and promoted “Less is More” as the best approach. The education department created a Continuous Learning Task Force to develop plans for moving education online. The intention for all students to continue to learn in the wake of the crisis is clear, but the state was unprepared on how districts should provide that and, as a result, education was delivered unevenly.
Kansas failed to provide any technological resources to students who needed them from the state level. Districts were instructed to reach out to providers to see if accommodations could be made, but resources were not committed to getting devices or internet access to those who need them most for successful continuous learning.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#12
Kansas has shown their commitment to increasing opportunities for digital learning through their various programs and initiatives in the state. The Kansas DOE provides resources on technology planning, tools afor educators, and information on equitable access through the Kansas Partnership for Accessible Technology.
The Kansas Connect & Learn Initiative is a partnership between KDOE and EducationSuperHighway to close the connectivity gap in schools. Between 2013 and 2018, 40.7% of students gained high-speed internet access and 94% of schools without scalable infrastructure have upgraded to fiber-optic connections.
Kansas Online Learning Program is open to K-12 students, as well as adult learners who have not received their diploma. Kansas Online Learning Program is free to all residents in the state and expands educational opportunities for many.
The state also has 91 accredited virtual school programs that span from elementary to adult learning and provide courses for various reasons such as general education, credit recovery, and summer school programs.
Kansas’ Blue Valley Unified School District 229 is a member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, giving over 20,000 students digital learning opportunities. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Kansas can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Although there is no statewide effort, some school districts are using personalized learning in their classrooms. The Kansas Can School Redesign project aims to personalize student learning and focuses on 4 driving principles: Personalized Learning, Student Success Skills, Community Partnership, and Real World Applications. Online Learning Platforms is also an important piece of the project, which helps drive personalized instruction for students. There are currently 66 school districts participating.
On March 18, Kansas was one of the first to close all schools for the remainder of the school year. On March 27, guidelines for continuous learning were released which emphasized the term Continuous Learning, and asked schools to refrain from using “distance learning” or “virtual learning” and promoted “Less is More” as the best approach. The education department created a Continuous Learning Task Force to develop plans for moving education online. The intention for all students to continue to learn in the wake of the crisis is clear, but the state was unprepared on how districts should provide that and, as a result, education was delivered unevenly.
Kansas failed to provide any technological resources to students who needed them from the state level. Districts were instructed to reach out to providers to see if accommodations could be made, but resources were not committed to getting devices or internet access to those who need them most for successful continuous learning.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Laura Kelly (D)
First term began in 2019 (two-term limit)
Governor Laura Kelly has stated her position on the state’s tax credit scholarship program by saying, “It is sort of an indirect way of directing taxpayer dollars to private schools,” Kelly said. “I’m not enthusiastic about that.” While campaigning for re-election her platform states she is focused on strengthening the state’s economic development tools – especially Kansas’ education system. Maybe she will realize that there is a market for educational freedom and that will bring the state of Kansas a better economy.
There has been a slight push for improving educational choice options but proposals for things like ESAs consistently get shot down, and the state continues to have one of the worst-ranked charter laws in the country, a sign that lawmakers need a lesson or two on parent power.
“The Kansas Constitution contains a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment but neither has received much judicial attention. Relative to other states’ variations, the scope of the Kansas Blaine Amendment is very limited; it only prevents religious sects from controlling public educational funds.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are highlighted on the main page of Kansas’ DOE website. Data is easy to understand and visually appealing through their use of charts and colors, but it requires navigating through multiple menus and links to be able to find what you’re looking for. Report includes data on performance, teacher quality, demographics, and enrollment. Educational options are also easily accessible by clicking Teaching and Learning, then School Choice.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.
Laura Kelly (D)
First term began in 2019 (two-term limit)
Governor Laura Kelly has stated her position on the state’s tax credit scholarship program by saying, “It is sort of an indirect way of directing taxpayer dollars to private schools,” Kelly said. “I’m not enthusiastic about that.” While campaigning for re-election her platform states she is focused on strengthening the state’s economic development tools – especially Kansas’ education system. Maybe she will realize that there is a market for educational freedom and that will bring the state of Kansas a better economy.
There has been a slight push for improving educational choice options but proposals for things like ESAs consistently get shot down, and the state continues to have one of the worst-ranked charter laws in the country, a sign that lawmakers need a lesson or two on parent power.
“The Kansas Constitution contains a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment but neither has received much judicial attention. Relative to other states’ variations, the scope of the Kansas Blaine Amendment is very limited; it only prevents religious sects from controlling public educational funds.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are highlighted on the main page of Kansas’ DOE website. Data is easy to understand and visually appealing through their use of charts and colors, but it requires navigating through multiple menus and links to be able to find what you’re looking for. Report includes data on performance, teacher quality, demographics, and enrollment. Educational options are also easily accessible by clicking Teaching and Learning, then School Choice.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.