KANSAS AWARDED $9.1 MILLION TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL DATA SYSTEMS
Kansas Board of Regents and Kansas State Department of Education
Collaborate to Address Data Needs
TOPEKA—May 25, 2010—Today the Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas State Department of Education announced that Kansas has received a $9.1 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. The two Kansas agencies will use the funds to continue the development and implementation of an educational statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) enabling examination of student progress from early childhood into the workforce.
“Developing the capacity to effectively monitor the educational progress of our students from early childhood through higher education and into the workforce, while protecting privacy, represents an enormous opportunity for Kansas,” said Reginald L. Robinson, President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents. “Accurate longitudinal data will enable our state’s educators, policy makers, and workforce development leaders to take-in a more meaningful and comprehensive picture of whether we are effectively educating our students at each stage of the educational process. This data will also provide an enhanced, and data-based, capacity for us to identify and repair performance gaps in our educational systems.”
“The Statewide Longitudinal Data System grant will allow us to continue our efforts to provide schools and districts with the necessary data to inform instruction and provide every student with the most appropriate education possible,” remarked Dr. Diane M. DeBacker, Interim Commissioner of Education. “We are extremely proud of the progress we’ve made in this area in the past few years and look forward to the exciting advances planned with the new grant.”
Kansas was one of 20 states to receive funding totaling $250 million. States earned varying award sizes based on differing needs and requests. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands applied. For a complete list of grantees, visit http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/stateinfo.asp. Funding for the three-year grant is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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About the Kansas Board of Regents:
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (seven public universities, 19 community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, GED, and career and technical education programs. The Board also authorizes private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions to operate in Kansas, and administers the Kan-ed network, a statewide network that provides broadband Internet access and distance learning capabilities for schools, hospitals, and libraries.
About the Kansas State Department of Education:
The Kansas State Department of Education ensures the policies and programs prescribed by state law and the State Board of Education are met while providing students and educators with the necessary support in order to meet and exceed academic goals. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for public and private accredited K–12 schools in all areas including standards, assessments, nutrition, licensure and finance.
For more information contact Kip Peterson at (785) 296-3421 or kpeterson@ksbor.org; or Anne Gilmore at (785) 296-4910 or aegilmore@ksde.org.
Visit the Kansas Board of Regents online at www.kansasregents.org and the Kansas State Department of Education at www.ksde.org.