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Kansas BOE To Decide The Relevancy Of Cursive Handwriting

Kansas State Board of Education members will decide this week whether the state's new handwriting standards will ask schools to ensure fifth- and sixth-graders can write legibly in cursive.

Multi-state academic standards the state adopted in 2010 require schools to teach young students cursive.

Some educators question whether it's a necessary skill, since people are using computer and cell phone keyboards more in communicating.

Still, cursive has its advocates.

A handful of states including Kansas have moved to include teaching it in their academic standards.

The handwriting standards are on the board's agenda on Tuesday. State law requires the board to regularly update academic standards.

The board will also review proposed standards for theater programs.

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