Open Enrollment in Missouri: Current Policies and Proposals
In this policy brief, we describe Missouri’s current open enrollment policy and outline a current proposal, House Bill 253, being considered to further increase students’ ability to transfer to schools located in other districts. We also discuss key elements of interdistrict open enrollment policies that must be considered in policy design to ensure all students and schools benefit.
Unpacking Missouri’s Pandemic-Induced Enrollment Changes
In this brief, we describe the changes to Missouri’s public school enrollment prior to and after the COVID-19-induced shutdown of 2020. We pay particular attention to the changes in enrollment by grade level and regionally, as well as putting Missouri’s changes in context with national statistics.
Supporting Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic: Rural Districts Least Likely to Provide Information
In this brief, we provide an overview of how federally mandated special education services translate to virtual educational environments and examine how Missouri districts communicated information regarding these services in their Fall 2020 reopening plans.
How Did Missouri Support English Language Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The Policy Research in Missouri Education (PRiME) Center analyzed school district reopening plans in fall 2020 to understand how Missouri districts responded to English Language Learners.
Policy Analysis: The Rise and Fall of Missouri’s Performance Assessments of Student Teachers
This policy brief chronicles the birth, adoption, and expiration of MoPTA and the educational policy dynamics that prevented the stable adoption of the assessment. We summarize our complete analysis which finds that MoPTA serves as an illustrative study for how teacher education policy delivery is formed and implemented within a network of interdependent actors.
The Pandemic Digital Divide in Missouri: Rural Students Most Likely to Lack Full Access to Technology
In this brief, we use data from a statewide sample of Missouri traditional and charter school districts’ 2020-21 reopening plans. We describe the characteristics of districts that planned to provide students with devices and internet access for distanced learning.
Brain Food: Student Meal Provision Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
In this policy brief, we summarize the issue of growing food insecurity among Missouri children, detailing the role of some of the federal programs that support them. As more families become food insecure in the wake of the pandemic, we also note evidence of the impact of hunger on critical student outcomes.