In Kansas, 7 in 10 4th graders read below a proficient level on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standardized tests. To raise awareness and mobilize action toward improving childhood literacy in Kansas, a Reading Summit was held in Andover on June 11, 2024. Approximately 70 educators, community leaders, elected officials and other stakeholders attended the event, where they viewed and discussed seven data posters that spotlighted literacy in Kansas. The data showed:
- Three in 10 Kansas students took the ACT exam and met the reading benchmarks. However, racial and ethnic disparities exist in both ACT participation and performance.
- The average NAEP reading score for all Kansas 4th graders was below the proficient level on NAEP standardized testing.
- A greater proportion of Black students in grades 7−12 in Kansas dropped out of school compared to all other groups in 2022–2023.
- English Language Learners comprise 9.2 percent of all Kansas students.
- More than two-thirds of children in poverty in Kansas live in single-parent households.
Many factors shape health, including education, economic status, employment and access to essential goods and services. Improving these factors often requires a multifaceted approach that begins with mobilizing the community to act. During the Reading Summit, participants met with other community members and offered new and challenging interpretations of the data as well as unique ideas to get at the root causes of difficulties with reading.
Funding and support for the Reading Summit and Data Walk were provided by Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, Thrive Restaurant Group and the Kansas Health Foundation. The Kansas Health Institute (KHI) provided the analysis and design of posters for the Data Walk. This is the fifth Data Walk that KHI has contributed to in Kansas. Data Walks that focused on childhood poverty were held in Cowley County and Shawnee County. Two Data Walks have been held in Sedgwick County, one in partnership with the Wichita Department for Children and Families which focused on the welfare of foster children and the other in partnership with the Wichita Business Journal, which focused on the connection between health and employment.
