“This legislative session, Missouri lawmakers established their state as a national leader in funding fairness for public charter schools. They also passed policies to enable student-centered innovation, give students equal access to online learning and support early literacy.
These wins for students would not have been possible without the leadership of House Speaker Rob Vescovo, Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, Sens. Andrew Koenig, Lauren Arthur, Karla Eslinger and Cindy O’Laughlin, and Reps. Mike Henderson and Doug Richey.”
Key legislative accomplishments include:
- Ensuring all public-school students receive their fair share of support by providing charter schools with the same level of funding per student as district schools.
- Improving the state’s literacy policy for students by requiring schools and teacher training programs to prepare all educators to use evidence-based literacy practices in their classrooms.
- Expanding student-centered learning by establishing a competency-based education grant program, fund and task force to help schools and districts design systems in which students progress at their own pace, advancing based on their mastery of material rather than the amount of time they spend in class.
- Creating the Show Me Success Diploma, which provides a new option for students in 10th grade and above who demonstrate they are ready for college-level work. These students can choose to receive their diplomas and remain in their high school to participate in flexible learning programs, or to enroll in qualifying post-secondary institutions.
- Establishing a process to support innovation by allowing districts and schools to apply for waivers from state rules and regulations. The increased flexibility will allow schools to design new approaches to improve college and career readiness for students and to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession
- Enhancing the state’s virtual education program by allowing statewide rules to open up more access that was otherwise limited when districts set their own policies on virtual education access.
These measures await Gov. Mike Parson’s signature.
Solution Areas:
College & Career Pathways, Early Literacy, Education Funding, Next Generation Learning, Public Education Choice
