Since the pandemic began, parents have been less satisfied with existing school systems, and they want to see greater transparency and education customization that meets students where they are. Nearing the final deadline to obligate remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, state and local policymakers can take…

Innovation in education is vital for responding to emerging challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and for building progress on longstanding challenges in schools. The infusion of substantial, highly flexible pots of federal relief dollars created an opportunity to pilot new programs and initiatives. Many states and districts opted to invest…

This guide was developed to provide guidance to states or districts wishing to monitor implementation of educator evaluation systems. It describes a three-step process: develop state guidelines for educator evaluation systems; develop data collection methods; and determine adherence criteria and review data against criteria. The process was…

Historically, state departments of education, or SEAs, have--for the most part--been compliance-focused organizations that managed federal education policy. Over the past several decades, these agencies have been education policy implementation entities. Today, while their compliance responsibilities have remained, they are taking on more…

In December 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB), as the nation's major law governing public schools. ESSA retains the requirement that states test all students in reading and math in grades three through eight and once in high school, as well as the requirement that…

Each year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education publishes an online "school accountability report card" for each public school district, each building and each charter school. This document provides a statewide report card on key accountability measures about Missouri public schools, including information…

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook"…

A Missouri school system has cut benefit costs by establishing a self-funded health insurance plan for employees. Reviews areas to consider and ways to set up such a plan. (MD)

Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report is…

Analysis of budgetary, personnel, and enrollemnt records from school districts in the Saint Louis, Missouri, area reveals that the administrative share of resources grows as funding increases or enrollment declines. Tendencies to cut administrative staffing when funds are restricted suggest that improved cost-benefit analysis of administration may…

Describes a 9-district, 750 employee self-insurance cooperative in northeast Missouri that achieved a $90,000 balance over claims in just 9 months of operation. Explains mechanics of plan operation including level of benefits, premiums, financial integrity, and results. (NEC)

An initiative petition passed in 1982 for a 1-cent sales tax accounted for between 13 and 15 percent of the total public school budget in Missouri as of the 1991-92 school year. Outlines the steps necessary to gather the necessary signatures from registered voters and to get the measure approved. (MLF)

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

Data from interviews, surveys, and archival records were used to examine gifted education policy implementation in Missouri. The study found that school districts tend to use a programmed approach to policy implementation when identifying gifted students with state guidelines usually being used prescriptively. Results suggest a need for greater…

The Missouri edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…