Several studies have connected teacher turnover to declines in student outcomes. First-year teachers are 70% more likely than the average teacher to leave Missouri public education. Fewer and fewer teachers persist through their early-career years, with only six in ten reaching their sixth year in Missouri public education. Policymakers and education leaders should strategize ways to improve early-career teacher working conditions, training, and professional opportunities.

St. Louis schools have been looking into moving high school start times back. St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) discussed a Healthy Start Times initiative in a work session board meeting in January 2026.

The Missouri House just approved a bill (H.B. 2710) that would require the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to publish an annual report card that assigns a letter grade (A-F) to schools across the state. This would replace the already existing Annual Performance Report that DESE currently publishes.

The fifth edition of PRiME’s annual growth reports are live!  The “best” schools are usually thought to be those with the highest scores or proficiency rates on standardized tests. But that’s not necessarily the most effective way to evaluate school performance.  In these reports, schools are ranked according to the progress students made from one school year to the next.

A new report estimates that more than 3.4 million children in America are homeschooled – signaling yet again that the post-COVID homeschool surge is here to stay. 

On July 9, 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 into law, enacting a statewide ban on electronic communication devices in Missouri public and charter schools beginning with the 2025–26 academic year. This bill comes in response to growing concerns among Missourians about technology in the classroom and reflects a broader desire to promote educational attainment, safety, and effective working environments for employees in Missouri schools.