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Read. Follow. Verify.Kansas SB 517 revises the Blueprint for Literacy, mandating science-of-reading curricula, teacher practicums, and individual student intervention plans
Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in House Committee
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill mandates that Kansas school districts and postsecondary institutions adopt methods based on the , prohibits discredited methods like the , requires a 45-clock-hour for teacher licensure, and establishes individual student literacy plans for at-risk K-3 students.
School districts must employ licensed reading specialists in elementary schools by the 2029-2030 school year and provide targeted intervention plans for struggling students, while teacher preparation programs must overhaul coursework and meet new accreditation and passage rate requirements.
- The Kansas Blueprint for Literacy is an ongoing state initiative aimed at transforming reading instruction and teacher preparation to improve student literacy rates across Kansas. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
School districts
School districts must provide structured literacy instruction, employ reading specialists by 2029-2030, develop individual literacy plans for at-risk K-3 students, and submit annual implementation reports.
Postsecondary educational institutions
Colleges and universities must align their teacher preparation programs exclusively with the science of reading, eliminate discredited methodologies, and integrate required coursework and assessments.
Teachers and pre-service educators
Educators must complete literacy practicum hours for licensure, participate in professional development, and pursue micro-credentials or certifications in structured literacy.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
11 actions- Apr 10, 2026HouseDied in House Committee
- Mar 20, 2026HouseIntroducedReceived and Introduced
- Mar 20, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to House Committee on Education
- Mar 19, 2026SenateFloorFinal Action - Passed as amended
- Mar 18, 2026SenateCommittee of the Whole - Now working on
- Mar 18, 2026SenateFloorCommittee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
Show 5 earlier actions
- Mar 18, 2026SenateFloorCommittee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
- Mar 17, 2026SenateFloorCommittee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
- Mar 13, 2026SenateHearing: Friday, March 13, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 144-S
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Senate Committee on Education
- Feb 24, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Transition to Structured Literacy
The legislation establishes a strict state-level transition by legally designating the science of reading as the official tier I methodology while banning the three-cueing system across both K-12 schools and higher education teacher prep programs.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.kslegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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