MSTA ACTION
THE LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN OF THE MISSOURI STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION • PLEASE POST
Truly Agreed to and
Finally Passed Bills
SB586 (Wasson) modifies the definition
of “current operating expenditures”
by removing the 2010 expiration date
on the 5 percent per calculation cap
on the growth of current operating
expenditures. The act also modifies the
definition of “state adequacy target.”
SB620 (Romine) requires the State
Board of Education and the Career and
Technical Education Advisory Council
to establish a minimum requirement
for a career and technical education
certificate (CTE) that students can earn
in addition to their high school diploma.
SB635 (Hegeman) includes provisions
related to dyslexia and CPR instruction
in schools.
SB638 (Riddle) deals with many
education-related provisions (see
related article).
SB711 (Brown) requires instruction in
CPR prior to graduation.
SB997 (Pearce) includes provisions
dealing with student loan forgiveness.
HB2379 (Swan) includes provision for
a dyslexia task force and screening
as well as suicide awareness and
prevention.
HB2428 (Swan) changes the term
“guidance counselor” to “school
counselor” in laws relating to
elementary and secondary education.
HB1583 (Allen) modifies the requirements for school anti-bullying policies
and allows any licensed educator to
annually complete up to two hours of
training or professional development
in youth suicide awareness.
HB1646 (Swan) requires students who
attend a public, charter, or private
school, except for private trade
schools, must, as a condition of high
school graduation, to take and pass an
American civics test.
Education issues not listed
as session accomplishments
This year, for the first time in two years, both
chambers had no education issues to list
among session accomplishments when they
adjourned May 13.
While affordable retirement options
(2.55 factor for staying 31 or more years)
were overwhelming passed by the House,
the Senate remained fiercely opposed. Many
people worked to negotiate a compromise
with the senators who opposed this
legislation, but it became obvious that they
were not interested in agreeing to anything.
Legislation that would have placed
an active classroom teacher on the State
Board of Education moved further than it
has before as it was strongly supported by
the House, but ran out of time to receive
consideration in the Senate. Former MSTA
President, Rep. Becky Ruth worked hard
to modify this legislation to relieve some
concerns critics had. MSTA learned in the
final week of session that DESE worked to
kill this legislation, even though they did
not go on record in opposition during the
hearings that were held on this bill. We
can expect this bill to be back with more
support in future years.
The bill with the most education issues
that passed was SB638 (Riddle). While this
bill included many different provisions,
the most wide-ranging provisions include
establishing a task force on dyslexia,
requiring CPR training prior to high school
graduation, repealing a law that prohibits
© 2016, Missouri State Teachers Association
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Missouri State Teachers Association.
MSTA ACTION • FINAL • MAY 19, 2016
the establishment of a quality rating system
for early childhood education and requiring
DESE to provide information for traumainformed approach to all districts.
School funding is always important to
watch during the legislative session. This
year the legislature approved a $70 million
increase to the Foundation Formula and
passed legislation to change the Foundation
Formula. SB586 (Wasson) will reinstate
a 5 percent cap on the growth of the state
adequacy target used in the calculation of
funding for schools.
Career and technical education saw
improvements with the passage of SB620
(Romine) that requires the State Board of
Education and the Career And Technical
Education Advisory Council to establish
a minimum requirement for a career and
technical education certificate (CTE) that
students can earn in addition to their high
school diploma.
Finally, changes were made to the civics
education requirement that is already in
place. Any student entering ninth grade
after July 1, 2017, who is attending a public,
charter, or private school, except for private
trade schools, shall pass an examination on
the provisions and principles of American
civics.
The test will consist of 100 questions
similar to the 100 questions used by the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services.
This is the last Action for 2016. Thanks
for reading and be sure to keep an eye
out in January 2017 when the new
legislative session begins. Have a great
summer!
One big education bill goes to governor
What started out as a simple bill (SB638
Riddle) that required students to be tested
in American civics prior to graduation
expanded into a very large education bill.
The civics portion requires the subject
of American civics to be included in the
exam required for graduation from any
public or private school, other than private
trade schools. Any student entering ninth
grade after July 1, 2017, attending a public,
charter, or private school, except for private
trade schools, shall pass an examination on
the provisions and principles of American
civics. The test will consist of 100 questions
similar to the 100 questions used by the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Other provisions in this bill include:
• The Constitution Project of the Missouri
Supreme Court.
• Creating a Legislative Task Force on
Dyslexia. The task force will advise and
make recommendations to the governor,
General Assembly and relevant state
agencies. The task force will consist of
17 members. Except for four legislative
members and the Commissioner
of Education, the members will be
appointed by the President Pro Tempore
of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives. The task
force will make recommendations for
a statewide system for identification,
intervention, and delivery of supports
for students with dyslexia.
• Allowing each student during his
or her ninth grade year at a public
school or charter school to develop a
personal plan of study with help from
the school’s guidance counselors that
must be reviewed at least annually by
school personnel and the student’s
parent or guardian and updated based
on the needs of the student. It requires,
no later than Jan. 1, 2017, DESE to
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develop a process for recognition of a
school district’s program for developing
personalized plans of study for all
students prior to entering ninth grade.
The bill requires each school district to
develop a policy and implement a system
by July 1, 2018, for identifying students
in their ninth-grade year who are at
risk of not being ready for college-level
work or for entry-level career positions.
By Jan. 1, 2017, DESE must develop
a process for recognition of a school
district’s program of academic and
career counseling for these specified
students.
Clarifying that if a school board
in a county that has a charter form
of government has more than two
vacancies, those vacancies will be
filled by the county executive with the
approval of the county council.
Requiring the Pledge of Allegiance be
recited no less than once per day instead
of once per week.
Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, a
student may not receive a certificate of
graduation from any public or charter
school unless he or she has received
30 minutes of CPR instruction and
training in the proper performance of
the Heimlich maneuver or other first aid
for choking given any time during the
student’s four years of high school and
included in the school district’s existing
health or physical education curriculum.
Modifies several provisions related to
charter schools including academic
performance, sponsorship, application
and renewal procedures and financial
obligations for charter schools.
Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year,
a school district will incur a reduction
in funding if it experiences a decrease
in its gifted program enrollment. If a
school district experiences a decrease of
MSTA ACTION • FINAL • MAY 19, 2016
20 percent or more in its gifted program
enrollment, The district will recieve a
reduction from its payment of $680 per
student if the enrollment declined. This
provision does not apply to a school with
less than 350 enrolled students.
• Establishing an early learning quality
assurance report three-year pilot
program in collaboration with the
Missouri Head Start Collaboration
Office and the departments of Health
and Senior Services, Mental Health,
and Social Services. The program is
voluntary for any licensed or licenseexempt early learning providers that
are center-based or home-based and
providing services for children from
any age up to kindergarten. This bill
also repeals a current section of law that
prohibits certain public institutions from
operating or mandating participation
in a quality rating system or training
quality assurance system.
• Beginning July 1, 2017, this bill
establishes the Trauma-Informed
Schools Initiative. Accordingly, DESE
shall provide information regarding
the trauma-informed approach to all
school districts, and offer training on
recognizing and responding to trauma.
This bill also establishes the TraumaInformed Schools Pilot Program. Under
this program, DESE shall choose five
schools to receive intensive traumainformed training regarding how to
recognize and respond to the signs of
trauma in students, teachers and staff.
The program will be terminated on
Aug. 28, 2019, and the department shall
submit a report to the General Assembly
on the results of the pilot program before
Dec. 31, 2019.
• Extends the A+ program to students
graduating from private high schools.
Education budget gets approval
During every legislative session the work on the state budget takes quite a bit of time and can be
very contentious as legislators try to get their priorities funded.
HB2002 (Flanigan) contains the budget for the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education and was signed by the governor on May 6. Highlights of the education budget include:
• Increase funding to the Foundation Formula by $70 million.
• Parents as Teachers received $537,750 to provide additional services in provisionally
accredited and unaccredited districts.
• A new line was added to the budget to provide $150,000 to support basic needs of students
and reduce dropout rates by increasing community partnerships.
• School board member training funding was cut to zero while grants for school safety
training was raised to $700,000.
• $50,000 was added to fund a pilot program designed to increase interest in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers among middle school and
early high school students by using web-based content.
• $100,000 was added for Orton-Gillingham training through regional sessions, electronic
documents, and webinars for teachers in identifying signs and symptoms of dyslexia, to
screen students for dyslexia, and to provide appropriate accommodations for students
with dyslexia.
• $100,000 was added to fund advanced placement examination fees for low-income families
and for science and mathematics exams.
• $200,000 for development of resources by the department to support school districts
in becoming trauma informed and disbursements to school districts that enable
understanding and response to the symptoms of chronic trauma and traumatic stress
across the lifespan.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requested $6 million for support
and intervention in struggling schools. The Senate recommended half the requested amount, the
House recommended zero and the Conference Committee took the House position.
The amount of $2 million was added to the Charter School Commission Personal Service
and/or Expense and Equipment, with 100% flexibility between personal service and expense and
equipment. The department did not request this funding and because it was added late in the
appropriations process with little examination by the Budget and Appropriations committees, it
is unclear what the funding would be used for.
Bills passed to address
youth suicide and awareness
The legislature passed and sent to the
governor HB1583 (Allen) and HB2379
(Swan) that contain provisions dealing
with professional development for suicide
awareness.
Beginning in the 2017-18 school year,
any licensed educator will be allowed to
annually complete up to two hours of training
or professional development in youth suicide
awareness and prevention as part of the
professional development hours required for
State Board of Education certification.
DESE will be required to develop
guidelines suitable for this training, and
by July 1, 2018, each district must adopt
a policy, which must address strategies
that can help identify students who are at
possible risk of suicide.
By July 1, 2017, DESE must develop
a model policy that districts may adopt.
By July 1, 2021, and at least every
three years after, DESE must request
information and seek feedback from
districts on their experience with the
policy for youth suicide awareness and
prevention and review this information.
MSTA ACTION • FINAL • MAY 19, 2016
Legislature
address dyslexia
The legislature approved bills providing
assistance to schools to help identify and
assist students with dyslexia. HB2379
(Swan) as well as a provision contained in
SB635 (Hegeman) and SB638 (Riddle) now
await action by the governor.
Each school district will be required
to screen students for dyslexia and
related disorders at appropriate times in
accordance with rules established by the
State Board of Education. DESE must
develop guidelines for the appropriate
screening of students and the necessary
classroom supports. The requirements
and guidelines must be consistent with
the findings and recommendations of the
Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia, which is
also created by this bill. The school board
of each district and governing board of each
charter school must provide reasonable
support consistent with the guidelines
developed by DESE.
Beginning in the 2018-19 school year,
practicing teacher assistance programs will
include two hours of in-service training
regarding dyslexia and related disorders.
This bill also establishes the Legislative
Task Force on Dyslexia. The task force
consists of 21 specified members including
two members appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives and two
members appointed by the President Pro
Tem of the Senate. The task force must
meet quarterly and make recommendations
to the governor, the Joint Committee on
Education, and other state agencies. The
task force will make recommendations
for a statewide system for identification,
intervention, and delivery of supports
for students with dyslexia including
the development of resource materials,
professional development activities, and
proposed legislation.
The task force authorized under these
provisions will expire on Aug. 31, 2018,
unless extended by the legislature.