The Achievement & Assessment Institute at KU

05/28/2026

The Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership (CEEL) at AAI has announced Ryan Bodensteiner as its next director.

Bodensteiner brings both teaching and administrative experience to his new role, in which he'll work closely with schools and districts to evaluate needs and develop personalized support plans.

“It is a privilege to join CEEL during such a pivotal time for education,” Bodensteiner said. “By bridging the world-class research of the University of Kansas with the practical realities of school leadership, we have a unique opportunity to provide the customized, evidence-based support our partners need to maximize student and staff success.”

https://aai.ku.edu/news/article/ryan-bodensteiner-announced-as-new-director-of-the-center-for-evaluation-and-educational-leadership

05/27/2026

Join ATLAS4Learning for a critical conversation about the intersection of AI, accessibility, and state testing.

As artificial intelligence transforms assessment landscapes, we face a critical question: How do we ensure that technological advancement creates equity rather than deepening divides for students with disabilities?

📅Monday, June 1
⏰1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
📌 Zoom

To attend:
• Mark yourself as attending on LinkedIn
• Complete the Zoom registration using the event link to receive the webinar access link and password

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

https://www.linkedin.com/events/beyondcomplianceintheeraofai7462535918181228544/

05/27/2026

We are so proud of the Center for Public Partnerships & Research Family Strong team's commitment to strengthening the well-being of families across Kansas and their dedication to community-led solutions!

The team's work helped bring together service providers, community leaders and families to build a sustainable, connected system of universal supports in eight underserved southeast Kansas counties.

Family Strong was recognized as the 2026 KU Team of the Year at The University of Kansas Employee Recognition Ceremony on May 7.

https://aai.ku.edu/news/article/ku-team-of-the-year-builds-sustainable-system-of-support-for-kansas-families

04/20/2026

A streamlined credentialing system is helping Kansas get firefighters and emergency personnel into the field faster through computer-based assessments.

04/17/2026

Access to age-appropriate reading material is essential for children learning how to read and improve their literacy skills.

That’s why the Center for Public Partnerships & Research partnered with the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund to provide evaluation for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Kansas.

Founded by country music icon Dolly Parton, the Imagination Library provides free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, regardless of their family's income.

Learn more about the program on the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund website.

https://kschildrenscabinet.gov/imaginationlibrary/

03/26/2026

Kelsey Dugan is an assistant researcher senior at Center for Public Partnerships & Research with a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

Kelsey is part of the CPPR systems transformation team and spends most of her time doing evaluation for Family Resource Centers across Kansas.

Before coming to CPPR, Kelsey was nervous that a research role would mean making less of an impact compared to direct service, but she has since learned that you can't have one without the other.

"Sometimes helping people means improving programs, strengthening systems, and making sure organizations have the resources and tools that they need to better support communities and families."

03/19/2026

Meghan Cizek is an assistant director at Center for Public Partnerships & Research (CPPR) and a licensed social worker with a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.

Meghan is part of the CPPR transformations team and is a PI on multiple large-scale projects that focus on the well-being of children and families.

Before her time at CPPR, Meghan worked at a number of non-profit organizations across sectors working directly with people impacted by systems.

"One of the things that really drew me to social work was the idea that people are not just functioning in isolation," Meghan said. "We have to understand how the systems directly or indirectly affect people, and that's really what social work is all about. Understanding the person in their environment."

03/12/2026

Sarah Hernandez is a research project manager at Center for Public Partnerships & Research and a licensed social worker with a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

Sarah has worked on multiple projects that combine digital tools with family well-being. Her background in social work has helped her form strong relationships with partners that lead to community-led solutions.

“We really try to understand all the connections that impact whoever it is that we're working with, fully recognizing that there's no one-size-fits-all. There's no one way to approach the work or the partner, and it really does require a customized approach and perspective.”

03/05/2026

In honor of National Social Work month, we are highlighting AAI staff with social work degrees making an impact on communities across Kansas and beyond.

Today, we are introducing Kaleena Erwin.

Kaleena is a licensed social worker with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, and she is currently working toward her Master of Public Administration.

As a research project manager at Center for Public Partnerships & Research, Kaleena works on multiple projects that focus on the wellbeing of children and families in Kansas. Her social work degree has allowed her to better understand systems and the importance of centering those with lived experience.

“You can't just look at only individuals or communities or big level systems, you have to look at them all as a whole and how they work together, and social work really helps me do that.”

02/23/2026

Wichita teachers and their students turned an opportunity to learn about AI into a celebration of shared creativity with a school-wide storybook project. The project helped prepare students for a future with AI and allowed them to experiment fearlessly and express their unique storytelling style.

The process was approachable and accessible for teachers too, thanks to simple tools developed by the project leader, Devin Martinez.

"It feels freeing and like something that's going to be making the future of education brighter," Martinez said.

This is one of many ways the Center for Reimagining Education (CRE) is supporting Kansas educators in reimagining the future of education.

Through the CRE cohort, Wichita students created storybooks using AI.