Kansas rethinks classroom technology use
Earlier this month, the Kansas State Board of Education reviewed draft policy language (starts on pg. 206) on use of technology in schools.
We know that parents have expressed significant concern about the impact technology has on their children’s well-being and academic success. In response, a growing number of states are considering legislation and regulations aimed at classroom technology use.
While this proposed policy can be seen in this wider context, it’s important to note how it differs: it does not specifically limit screen time. Instead, the policy would require districts and accredited private schools to adopt their own technology-use policies and plans.
One key point: the policy does establish a state-level expectation that technology should be used intentionally to add instructional value.
How the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will support implementation of these expectations remains an outstanding question.
In sum, the draft policy covers the following:
- Require intentional use. The given rationale for the policy is to support effective instruction by humans and not substitute or reduce human interaction.
- Ensure technology is effective. The proposal calls for technology “purchased or adopted to provide targeted or supplemental support” to demonstrate effectiveness by meeting Tier I or II ESSA evidentiary standards, employing an outcomes-based contract, or submitting to ongoing evaluation.
- Require local technology plans. Districts would develop policies covering device access, expectations, take-home use, AI use, privacy/security concerns, and promote digital citizenship.
- Protect necessary technology use. The policy states that policies should not limit necessary technology use among students with disabilities and English language learners. Additionally, administering assessments, screeners, and diagnostic tools should not be limited by district technology policies.
The State Board indicated that they would finalize and act on the policy at their October or November meeting.
A familiar state vs. local debate
During the debate about student cell phone use during school hours, the State Board initially recommended that districts create their own student cell phone policies, allowing differentiated standards among districts.
Not long after members of the State Legislature and Governor Laura Kelly enacted a statewide bell-to-bell cell phone ban, creating a universal standard.
This is important to keep in mind when thinking about the proposed technology use policy, especially since the Senate considered SB 350 this year.
- This legislation would have established grade-specific technology standards in all Kansas classrooms, prohibiting classroom use of digital devices in grades K-5.
- Missouri lawmakers also considered similar legislation this year.
- The bill ultimately died in committee after an initial hearing.
As with the cell phone debate, this issue is moving quickly. The debate has increasingly shifted from whether schools should scrutinize technology use to what those standards should look like and who should set them.
What do you make of the proposed policy? Does it go far enough? What changes would you like to see made, if any? Let us know by replying to this email.
Aligned’s take: Screen time and instructional technology deserve thoughtful scrutiny, but there is unlikely to be a single right approach for every classroom. The goal of any policy should be ensuring technology adds instructional value while preparing students for a world where digital skills are increasingly essential.
Missouri News
New estimates reveal differences between school funding models
The Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force’s September meeting marked the beginning of the end of an 18-month process.
With only two scheduled meetings remaining before the December reporting deadline, the Task Force continued refining its two working models and provided updated funding increase estimates for each.
Here’s a quick refresher on where those models currently stand:
- Model A would retain the current formula structure while modernizing key inputs, including the state adequacy target, student weights, local effort, and the data used in those calculations.
- Model B would use a combined wealth index, incorporating property wealth and median household income, to determine the percentage of the adequacy target funded by the state.
Both models share many of the same assumptions when estimating funding increases, including a $9,329 adequacy target and a 50/50 blend of enrollment and attendance for student counts.
The two models produce estimated funding increases in the same general range (~$71M difference), but the composition of those increases are considerably different.
Estimated formula increases by Model
| Model A | Model B | |
| New formula funding | $368M | $433M |
| Hold harmless | $326M | $190M |
| Total increase | $694M | $623M |
| Hold harmless districts | 195 | 149 |
Model B currently generates more additional funding through the new formula itself, while fewer districts require hold-harmless funding. Model A’s higher overall estimate is driven largely by its substantially larger hold harmless cost.
What drives the difference? Under the current assumptions, Model B both generates more additional funding through the formula itself and leaves fewer districts below their existing funding levels. Those districts also have smaller average funding gaps, resulting in substantially lower estimated hold-harmless costs than Model A.
Task Force facilitator Kari Monsees, a retired Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Deputy Commissioner, cautioned that these remain working estimates. The estimates could change considerably as variables like student weights and assumed local effort change.
Small-school options narrow as other questions remain
The Task Force also spent considerable time on small-school funding, an issue that intersects directly with its hold-harmless discussions.
Missouri currently provides $30 million through the Small Schools Grant to districts with 350 or fewer students in prior-year average daily attendance. The current cutoff creates a funding cliff: once a district exceeds the eligibility threshold, it loses access to the grant.
Task Force members discussed replacing this separate grant with a dedicated formula weight specific to small schools. The Task Force appeared to coalesce around this as an idea, discussing several potential features including:
- Using a sliding scale rather than a hard eligibility cutoff.
- Applying a potential 0.20 weight that gradually declines as enrollment approaches 500 students.
- Focusing the weight on district size rather than sparsity, with some members arguing that transportation funding already accounts for many sparsity-related costs.
- Incorporating the funding directly into the formula rather than maintaining a separate grant.
In contrast, the Task Force’s direction remains unsettled on a few outstanding topics:
- Proration. How funding reductions would be distributed if state appropriations fall short. Members appeared to move away from reducing the State Adequacy Target when appropriations fall short, while leaving several alternatives on the table for distributing reductions among districts.
- Hold harmless. The draft illustrates a possible 20-year phaseout, but several members pushed for a shorter timeline and discussed whether the phaseout should begin only after the new formula is fully implemented.
- Virtual schools. A draft recommendation would fund full-time hosted virtual students at 75% of the State Adequacy Target, although members have not settled on that percentage.
- Charter schools. Members agreed with the principle that district and charter students should be funded equivalently, but the mechanics remain unresolved and may not be fully addressed through this process.
The Task Force plans to conduct public outreach through September and October before finalizing recommendations in November and submitting its report to Governor Mike Kehoe by December 1.
DESE officials are also working on simulations and side-by-side comparisons that should provide a clearer picture of how the models would affect individual districts.
Over the past several months, we’ve tracked how Models A and B work and the policy tradeoffs underlying each. The latest estimates make one distinction increasingly clear: the balance between formula-driven increases and hold harmless protections differs substantially between the two approaches.
Meanwhile, the Task Force is narrowing its remaining design choices. As its recommendations crystallize, the state’s fiscal picture will be an important backdrop, a point underscored at this month’s State Board meeting.
State Board splits over full school funding request
At its September meeting, the Missouri State Board of Education took an unusual step when considering the DESE’s FY 2028 budget request. A proposal that included full funding for the state’s foundation formula failed on a 4-4 vote.
The Board ultimately approved a compromise directing DESE to request $4.283 billion for the formula, the same amount appropriated for FY 2027 and approximately $270 million below the amount currently calculated to fully fund it.
The decision followed a debate over the state’s tightening fiscal outlook.
- Some members argued the Board should acknowledge fiscal constraints when making requests of the General Assembly.
- Others maintained that the Board should identify what schools are owed under the statutory formula and leave affordability decisions to the Governor and General Assembly.
The decision comes as the cost of the existing formula continues to rise, including as changes lawmakers enacted in 2024 phase in.
This provides important context for the School Funding Modernization Task Force, which is considering new formulas that could result in additional state funding under their current assumptions.
In addition to voting on DESE’s budget request, the State Board also approved DESE’s A-F School and District Grading Framework by a vote of 8-1. DESE plans to pilot the framework before grades are publicly released.
The Board also heard an update from St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS), which the state moved to provisionally accredited status in January.
Superintendent Dr. Myra Berry reported progress on four priority areas identified with DESE:
- Attendance: SLPS aims to increase its attendance rates from 52.5% to 82.5% by 2028, using school-based attendance teams, staff training, and a districtwide attendance campaign.
- Literacy: The district is expanding phonics instruction, LETRS training, high-dosage tutoring, and regular benchmark assessments.
- Finance: SLPS reported stronger internal controls, earlier budget planning, improved grants management, and a fund balance above 50%.
- Operations: The district is implementing a new enterprise resource planning system and other operational improvements intended to strengthen district systems and oversight.
The State Board’s next meeting is scheduled for October 20. SLPS will continue working with DESE on the four priority areas as the district operates under provisional accreditation.
Kansas News
Kansas secures $8.4 million to expand teacher pathways
This week, KSDE announced that the U.S. Department of Education had awarded the state with $8.4 million over three years through the Teacher and School Leadership Incentive Program.
This federal grant program supports performance-based compensation and workforce management strategies in states to improve teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.
KSDE says the funding will support new efforts to recruit, develop, and retain effective teachers in high-need schools. These funds will help expand the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program and create new registered programs for principals and reading specialists.
In a post on LinkedIn celebrating the announcement, Shonda Anderson, Director of Internship and Apprenticeship at the Kansas Department of Commerce, put the news in context:
“KSDE has been awarded $8.4 MILLION in U.S. Department of Education funding to take educator Registered Apprenticeships to an even BIGGER level — including expanded opportunities for youth, aspiring teachers and principals.”
The existing Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program provides an alternative pathway into the profession.
- The program allows aspiring educators to earn wages, gain classroom experience under the guidance of a mentor teacher, and earn their bachelor’s degree simultaneously.
- Apprentices receive up to $1,500 annually in tuition assistance, and the program typically takes four years to finish — although those with previous college credits may finish sooner.
This new federal grant builds on Kansas’ efforts to offer opportunities to enter the teaching profession, as well as advancing those in school into instructional and leadership roles.
Aligned’s take: Teachers are central to student success. We’re excited to see expanded pathways into the teaching profession and more opportunities for effective teachers to advance in their careers.