Kansas Statutes § 74-32,296 Establishment of a plan for regional centers of excellence in reading; requirements of plan.

74-32,296. Establishment of a plan for regional centers of excellence in reading; requirements of plan. The literacy advisory committee shall develop a plan to establish six regional centers of excellence in reading. The plan shall: (a) Require postsecondary educational institutions to collaborate with colleges or schools of education, the center for reading at Pittsburg state university and community-based literacy organizations; (b) include options that would allow centers for excellence in reading to be co-located in an existing building or school of a school district, postsecondary educational institution, community facility or other facility or building, as appropriate; and (c) require such centers to: (1) Provide evaluation and identification of reading difficulties and reading disabilities, including, but not limited, dyslexia; (2) collaborate with school districts to develop strategic literacy plans for individual students; (3) collaborate with the state department of education, state board of regents and postsecondary educational institutions to support pre-service and in-service teacher training; (4) support the professional development and training of school-based instructional coaches; (5) pilot structured reading applied learning simulation laboratories for pre-service and in-service teachers; (6) pilot a literacy education simulation training laboratory for pre-service elementary teachers as a controlled environment for the application of the science of reading; (7) identify projected cost, staffing and budget impacts to develop, expand and sustain the centers for excellence and reading simulation laboratories; and (8) make recommendations and provide progress reports to the literacy advisory committee. History: L. 2024, ch. 82, § 8; May 2.