Statehouse Live: State receives $9.1 million grant to track student progress

? Kansas has received a $9.1 million federal education grant to develop and implement a system to track student academic progress.

“Developing the capacity to effectively monitor the educational progress of our students from early childhood through higher education and into the workforce, while protecting privacy, represents an enormous opportunity for Kansas,” said Reginald Robinson, president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents.

The three-year grant will be used in development of an educational statewide longitudinal data system.

The grant “will allow us to continue our efforts to provide schools and districts with the necessary data to inform instruction and provide every student with the most appropriate education possible,” said Diane DeBacker, Interim Commissioner of Education.

The grant was from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. Kansas was one of 20 states to receive funding, which was provided by the federal stimulus bill.