As with healthcare professional licensure in HB 2974, SB 1233, which was also TAFP, created a temporary two-year license for out-of-state professionals to practice in Missouri to reduce workforce shortages. It also changes licensing requirements for respiratory therapists, dietitians, speech pathologists audiologists, social workers, certified public accountants (CPAs) and interior designers. This was a goal for Governor Kehoe, who highlighted it in his State of the State Address at the beginning of the legislative session. Dr. Jennifer Bean outlined the impacts of Interstate Compacts for Healthcare Professionals on workforce participation and licensure portability.
Another of the Governor’s priorities was creating an A-F accountability rating system for school districts. SB 1653 and HB 2710 aimed to do so, basing the system on student achievement, academic growth, and graduation rates. This would have replaced Missouri’s current report card system. Both were scheduled for the Senate floor but were ultimately not brought to a vote. Dr. Villegas Lopez wrote about the impacts of A-F School Ratings and which other states have implemented such systems.
Open enrollment was another of the Governor’s priorities that did not quite make it over the TAFP finish line. SB 971 and HB 2604 would have established MO’s first statewide Public School Open Enrollment Act, allowing any K-12 student to apply to transfer to a non-resident district, with state aid following the student. Neither bill made it out of their respective chambers. Drs. Whitley and Moss have explored the funding mechanisms of Interdistrict Open Enrollment and Dr. Warner has examined the impact of Open Enrollment and Student Achievement.
Last year, the General Assembly banned the three-cueing method of reading instruction as the primary method of teaching literacy in K-12 schools (SB 68). This year, legislators looked unsuccessfully to extend that by banning the use of three-cueing method entirely through HB 2872 and SB 1442. Both bills would have also required structured literacy instruction in Missouri schools, established a statewide reading screener for kindergarten through third card, and mandated grade retention, or being ‘held back,’ for third graders with substantial reading deficiencies. Both made it to the Senate floor, where they were not heard for a vote. Dr. Jennifer Bean wrote about the methods of reading instruction, including three-cueing and the Science Of Reading (SOR) in Phonics and Reading Proficiency and outlined how Missouri is teaching reading in Phonics Use in Schools.
Legislators considered HB 2120, which would have required school districts to adopt and enforce antibullying policies with specific procedural requirements. These include:
HB 2120 was voted to the Senate floor but did not come up for a final vote. As Dr. Hoyos Ensuncho wrote in Open Enrollment and Bullying, 23% of students reported being bullied in 2022, and students who are bullied are more likely to change schools and participate in open enrollment than their peers.
Similarly, HB 2335 would have modified training requirements for school employees, including instruction in safety and crisis response. They would receive training on:
Dr. Warner covered different Classroom Management Strategies and their relationship to student and disciplinary outcomes, as well as the impacts of Seclusion in Schools. Drs. Brittany Whitley and Jill Barnas dove deeper into Restraint & Seclusion and Dr. Alan Moss outlined the challenges of Dyslexia & Reading Difficulties. Dr. Joshua Mueller investigated School Nurse Seizure Action Plans and the impact of staff training for students with epilepsy.
Finally, the legislature revisited legislation that would require instruction on cursive writing in public schools. HB 1876 and HB 2115 would have required school districts to provide cursive writing instruction and were voted to the House floor but did not come up for a formal vote. Dr. Whitley's Science Note on Cursive Writing covers the research on cursive instruction and student outcomes.
A proposal to change term limits for state legislators (HJR 122) passed the House but not Senate. Dr. Madeleine Roberts wrote about the impacts of Term Limits for State Legislators on institutional knowledge, lobbying power, and legislative body diversity, and Dr. Brittany Whitley covered the specific impacts of term limits on Retaining Institutional Knowledge in the State Legislature.