News and Notes:  News Release
August 27, 2010

Topeka: Webinar, meeting kick off KLFA’s 2010-11 school year

The Kansas Learning First Alliance held its first meeting of the 2010-2011 school year Friday, Aug. 27, at the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) office. Almost three dozen participants representing 18 member organizations attended. This marks the twelfth school year education organizations, agencies and institutions have worked together to improve teaching and learning in Kansas under the KLFA banner. One of the first actions taken was to approve the membership request of the Advocates for High Ability Learners (AHA) as the 27th member organization. As part of the opening meeting, a Webinar was staged the night before. Almost 30 people came online to learn about the activities of the Kansas Education Commission, which was formed by the Kansas State Board of Education to help review and prepare for the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Act is currently known as No Child Left Behind. The reauthorization is being referred to as the Blueprint for Reform.

The opening part of the meeting included updates on the status of the Kansas Learning First Alliance Education Foundation; the executive summary of the Watch and Talk parties held in conjunction with Reading, Writing and a Worthwhile Education for Kansas Kids, which was shown statewide last fall; and an overview of the comments gathered the night before during the Webinar. Those comments were grouped by the Blueprint priorities the Commission is using to direct its work. The comments were also made available to the three workgroups KLFA uses to accomplish its work.

Key questions, of the almost 80 posted, included:

• What does it mean to be "career ready”? Or are we truly only thinking about college ready? How about those who are heading toward other forms of post-secondary formal education?
   

• What/where are the data-driven dialog/authentic conversations that occur around college/career readiness that will change our everyday practice in everyday classrooms?
   

• Will QPA regulations be revised to match the reauthorization and will KSDE then revamp the school improvement process?

The questions were shared with all those participating on the KEC the following Monday.
The three groups work toward improving student achievement; strengthening the professional development of educators; and engaging the public in school improvement and student achievement efforts. To focus their work, three general goals offer guidance. They are:
 

• KLFA will broadly disseminate its work to influence practitioners.

• KLFA will increase its visibility among policy makers.

• KLFA will strengthen and increase its organizational capacity.

The meetings for the rest of the 2010-11 school year are: Thursday, October 28; Thursday, January 6; Thursday, March 24; Thursday, May 12. All the meetings will start at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at KASB. KLFA will celebrate its twelfth birthday at the January meeting.

Visit the KLFA Website at www.klfa.org for more information, including agendas for upcoming meetings as they are developed.