Kansas Students Improve on State Assessments in 2026
State report shows gains in core subjects alongside a reduction in teacher vacancies and student absenteeism.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Kansas students recorded improvements in English language arts and math proficiency during the 2026 school year. These findings were detailed in the state's 2025-26 annual education report, titled What Matters Most.
Why it matters
The performance gains and improved staffing metrics provide a retrospective look at the state of public education following the implementation of new testing standards in 2025. These results serve as a benchmark for student achievement and operational stability across Kansas schools.
Teacher vacancies fell by 28% to 1,588 in spring 2026, while chronic absenteeism dropped to 17.8% for the 2025-26 school year. Additionally, the state added 14,851 Seals of Literacy to educator licenses by September 30, 2026.
The players
Kansas State Department of Education
This agency oversees the administration of public education and state-level assessment programs across all Kansas districts.
The details
Students in grades 3-8 and 10 participated in assessments that utilized new cut scores following a 2025 testing overhaul. The data indicates that fewer students fell into the lowest performance category, with Level 1 scores for ELA and math declining by 1.0 and 1.8 percentage points respectively.
Timeline
Chronic absenteeism peaked at 24.5 percent during the 2021-2022 school year.
Kansas introduced a new assessment in the spring of 2025.
State assessment results were measured throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
Educators received 14,851 Seals of Literacy by September 30, 2026.
Culture Shift
The 2026 report results follow the operational patterns set by the 2025 Kansas state assessment transition. This reflects a broader shift toward refining educational standards to better align with contemporary academic expectations.
Families and students can use these performance trends to understand the academic benchmarks being set for grades 3-8 and 10 across the state. The reduction in teacher vacancies may also signal more stable classroom staffing levels for local school districts in the coming year.
The takeaway
The latest data highlights a positive trend in both student proficiency and staffing levels across the state. Stakeholders can use these figures to evaluate the ongoing success of the new assessment framework implemented last year.
Further reading
For more information on state performance metrics, visit Secondary Education.
More information
View the full KSDE annual report and data to see district-level breakdowns.
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Are local schools in your community providing a better education for students than in previous years?
