Emergent Bilinguals (EBs), or students with a home language other than English, are a diverse group of students who bring additional linguistic assets to the classroom. Drawing on six decades of federal legislation and landmark court cases, the brief outlines the evolution of protections for EBs and examines how Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) implements these policies through identification, instruction, and assessment practices. The report also highlights ongoing challenges, including reduced federal funding and limited teacher preparation in English Language Development. We conclude with recommendations for community members, educators, and educational policy makers

This brief analyzes Missouri voters’ perceptions of public school quality using nine waves of the SLU/YouGov poll from 2020–2025 (N=7,281).

This brief explores how Missouri school districts respond to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in instruction. While the state lacks a formal AI education policy, local districts have begun implementing guidelines and integrating AI tools into classrooms. We describe current AI policies and implementation practices in Missouri school districts. We also provide recommendations for equitable, ethical, and effective AI adoption in Missouri education.