§ 74-32,291 — Literacy advisory committee; membership; duties

(a) There is hereby established a literacy advisory committee. The committee shall be composed of:
(1) 15 voting members as follows:
(A) The director of literacy education, appointed pursuant to K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,292, and amendments thereto, who shall serve as chairperson of the committee;
(B) one member appointed by the governor;
(C) one member of the house of representatives or a literacy expert appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(D) one member of the house of representatives or a literacy expert appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;
(E) one member of the senate or a literacy expert appointed by the president of the senate;
(F) one member of the senate or a literacy expert appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
(G) one member appointed by and representing the Kansas national education association;
(H) one member appointed by and representing a school of education from Emporia state university, Fort Hays state university or Pittsburg state university;
(I) one member appointed by and representing a school of education from the university of Kansas, Kansas state university or Wichita state university;
(J) one member appointed by and representing Washburn university school of education;
(K) one member appointed by the Kansas association of community colleges to represent community colleges;
(L) one member appointed by the Kansas independent colleges association to represent a not-for-profit institution of postsecondary education school or college of education;
(M) one member appointed by the state board of education;
(N) one member of the state board of regents appointed by the state board of regents; and
(O) one member who is an English for speakers of other languages literacy expert appointed by the united school administrators of Kansas; and
(2) nonvoting members as follows:
(A) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee; and
(B) any number of members appointed by the director of literacy education pursuant to K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,292, and amendments thereto.
(b) (1) Members shall be appointed on or before July 1, 2024.
(2) Except for the director of literacy education, voting members shall serve for a term of four years.
(3) Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled by appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the original appointment.
(4) A quorum of the committee shall be a majority of the voting members. All actions of the committee may be taken by a majority of the voting members present when there is a quorum.
(5) The committee may meet at any time and at any place within the state upon the call of the chairperson.
(6) If any member of the committee fails to attend three meetings of the committee within any 12-month period, such member's appointment shall terminate and a new member shall be appointed in the same manner prescribed by this section for the original appointment.
(c) The literacy advisory committee shall:
(1) Monitor progress of literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students;
(2) designate best practices for literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students;
(3) be responsible for the attainment of the transformational goal to have 100% of the Kansas special education, English for speakers of other languages and elementary teacher workforce achieve a micro-credential in the science of reading and structured literacy by 2030, leading to at least 50% of students in each of the grades three through eight achieving level 3 or above and at least 90% of students in each of the grades three through eight achieving level 2 or above on the English language arts state assessment by 2033;
(4) make recommendations to the director of literacy education;
(5) make recommendations to the state board of education, the state board of regents and the postsecondary educational institution presidents or chancellors on:
(A) Literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers and literacy education of elementary and secondary students; and
(B) reading instruction methods based on the science of reading;
(6) make recommendations to the house of representatives standing committee on education and the senate standing committee on education on the implementation of the goals of the Kansas blueprint for literacy and any changes necessary to achieve such goals;
(7) (A) submit a progress report to the legislature on:
(i) English language arts state assessment scores for each grade level and all defined subgroups, including, but not limited to, English language learners, students receiving free meals pursuant to the national school lunch act, students in the custody of the secretary for children and families and race and ethnicity subgroups;
(ii) literacy training for in-service and pre-service teachers; and
(iii) the literacy advisory committee's goals and requirements provided in the Kansas blueprint for literacy;
(B) Such progress report shall be provided at the following times each calendar year:
(i) Once on or before February 1 to the senate committee on education and the house of representatives committee on education;
(ii) once on or before May 1 to the senate committee on education and the house of representatives committee on education; and
(iii) once on or before December 1 to any interim, special, or select committee, task force or commission that has membership that includes legislators, is related to education, has been approved by the legislative coordinating council and requests such report; and
(8) submit a plan to the state board of regents and the legislature, including the house of representatives standing committee on education and the senate standing committee on education, on the establishment of centers of excellence in reading pursuant to K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,296, and amendments thereto, on or before January 1, 2025.
(d) The committee shall be subject to the Kansas open records act, K.S.A. 45-419 et seq., and amendments thereto, and the Kansas open meetings act, K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq., and amendments thereto. The committee shall publish each meeting agenda and any available meeting documents online prior to each scheduled meeting of the committee.
(e) (1) Legislative members of the committee and members appointed by a member of the legislature who attend meetings of the committee shall be paid for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223(e), and amendments thereto.
(2) Members of the committee who are not members of the legislature may be paid for expenses, mileage and subsistence by the entity each such member was appointed by and represents.
(f) (1) The director of literacy education shall provide executive support to the committee.
(2) The staff of the state board of regents, office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research department and the division of legislative administrative services shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the committee.

Legislative History

L. 2024, ch. 82, § 3; May 2.