K.S.A. § 72-5170 — KS Code / Chapter 72 / Article 51 / Section 72-5170
72-5170 - School district accreditation system, accountability plan; curriculum standards; statewide assessments, report to legislature; school site councils.
Status: in_force

72-5170. School district accreditation system, accountability plan; curriculum standards; statewide assessments, report to legislature; school site councils. (a) (1) In order to accomplish the mission for Kansas education, the state board shall design and adopt a school district accreditation system based upon improvement in performance that equals or exceeds the educational goal set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments thereto, and is measurable. The state board shall hold all school districts accountable through the Kansas education systems accreditation rules and regulations, or any successor accreditation system and accountability plan adopted by the state board. The state board also shall ensure that all school districts and the public schools operated by such districts have programs and initiatives in place for providing those educational capacities set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments thereto. On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall prepare and submit a report on the school district accreditation system to the governor and the legislature.

(2) The accountability measures established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be applied both at the district level and at the school level. Such accountability measures shall be reported by the state board for each school district and each school. All reports prepared pursuant to this section shall be published in accordance with K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-1181, and amendments thereto.

(3) If a school district is not fully accredited and a corrective action plan is required by the state board, such corrective action plan, and any subsequent reports prepared by the state board regarding the progress of such school district in implementing and executing such corrective action plan, shall be published on the state department of education's internet website and such school district's internet website in accordance with K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-1181, and amendments thereto.

(4) If a school district is not accredited, the superintendent, or the superintendent's designee, shall appear before the committee on education of the house of representatives and the committee on education of the senate during the regular legislative session that occurs during the same school year when such school district is not accredited. Such school district shall provide a report to such committees on the challenges and obstacles that are preventing such school district from becoming accredited.

(b) The state board shall establish curriculum standards that reflect high academic standards for the core academic areas of mathematics, science, reading, writing and social studies. The curriculum standards may be reviewed at least every seven years. The state board shall not substantially revise or update the English language arts or mathematics curriculum standards that are in effect on July 1, 2024, in a manner that would necessitate the development of new statewide assessments in English language arts or mathematics until the state board's long-term goal for all students submitted to the United States department of education in the consolidated state plan is achieved such that 75% of all students score in performance levels 3 and 4 combined on the statewide assessments in English language arts and mathematics by 2030. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed in any manner so as to impinge upon any school district's authority to determine its own curriculum.

(c) (1) The state board shall provide for statewide assessments in the core academic areas of mathematics, science, reading, writing and social studies. The board shall ensure compatibility between the statewide assessments and the curriculum standards established pursuant to subsection (b). Such assessments shall be administered at three grade levels, as determined by the state board. The state board shall determine performance levels on the statewide assessments, the achievement of which represents high academic standards in the academic area at the grade level to which the assessment applies. The state board should specify high academic standards both for individual performance and school performance on the assessments.

(2) (A) On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall prepare and submit to the legislature a report on students who take the statewide assessments. Such report shall include:

(i) The number of students and such number expressed as a percentage of the total number of students who took the statewide assessments during the immediately preceding school year disaggregated by core academic area and by grade level; and

(ii) the percentage of students who took the statewide assessments in grade 10 who, two years after graduating from high school, obtained some postsecondary education disaggregated by statewide assessment achievement level.

(B) When such information becomes available, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the state board shall publish the information required for the report under subparagraph (A) on the website of the state department of education and incorporate such information in the performance accountability reports and longitudinal achievement reports required under K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5178, and amendments thereto.

(C) The provisions of this paragraph shall expire on July 1, 2029.

(d) Each school year, on such date as specified by the state board, each school district shall submit the Kansas education system accreditation report to the state board in such form and manner as prescribed by the state board.

(e) Whenever the state board determines that a school district has failed either to meet the accreditation requirements established by rules and regulations or standards adopted by the state board or provide curriculum based on state standards and courses required by state law, the state board shall so notify the school district. Such notice shall specify the accreditation requirements that the school district has failed to meet and the curriculum that it has failed to provide. Upon receipt of such notice, the board of education of such school district is encouraged to reallocate the resources of the school district to remedy all deficiencies identified by the state board.

(f) Each school in every school district shall establish a school site council composed of the principal and representatives of teachers and other school personnel, parents of students attending the school, the business community and other community groups. School site councils shall be responsible for providing advice and counsel in evaluating state, school district, and school site performance goals and objectives and in determining the methods that should be employed at the school site to meet these goals and objectives. Site councils may make recommendations and proposals to the school board regarding budgetary items and school district matters, including, but not limited to, identifying and implementing the best practices for developing efficient and effective administrative and management functions. Site councils also may help school boards analyze the unique environment of schools, enhance the efficiency and maximize limited resources, including outsourcing arrangements and cooperative opportunities as a means to address limited budgets.