Learn about the Kansas Learning First Alliance via the
links below:
Who We Are:
The Kansas Learning First
Alliance (KLFA) is coalition of organizations in Kansas representing school
boards, administrators, teachers and teacher educators, parents and the
Kansas State Department of Education. Founded in February 1999, Kansas is
the first state to have a partnership affiliated with the national Learning
First Alliance.
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Our Mission:
KLFA’s mission is “Making Kansas first in the nation in teaching and
learning.” Given the high national ranking Kansas has on such indicators as
the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), college entrance
tests, post-secondary education levels and the adult literacy rate, we
believe this is an ambitious but obtainable goal.
Achieving such a goal requires not only the commitment of the alliance
partners and the constituencies, but also the support of the people of
Kansas and the political, business, labor and civic leaders of the state.
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To achieve this goal, KLFA has chosen three target areas:
- Improving student achievement;
- Strengthening the professional development of educators;
- Engaging the public in school improvement and student achievement
efforts.
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Over the past three years, KLFA achievements include the following:
- Distributed to all pre-K through third grade teachers in Kansas the
national Learning First Alliance booklet, Every Child Reading: An Action
Plan, along with a study guide for its use.
- Developed a presentation package based on Every Child Reading and
delivered it to nearly 1000 people in the state, including school site
council members, community groups, and professional organizations.
- Drafted and revised, based on input from hundreds of Kansas educators,
a self-assessment rubric to guide attainment of the Standards for
Professional Development established by the National Staff Development
Council.
- Helped revise state in-service education regulations to reflect these
higher standards of professional development.
- Partnered with NEA and Public Agenda to host a community conversation
about the “Changing Landscape of Public Education” to introduce the
structured conversation process to our constituent organizations and
school leaders.
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