UPDATES ON EDUCATION RESEARCH AND POLICY
NEW POSTS WEEKLY!
We want to help lawmakers, educators, and families make decisions about education by providing updates on national, regional and Missouri-specific research. While we strive to be objective, we want to facilitate discussion and will occasionally offer our own views on this blog.
Missouri Voters Support New A-F School Grading Scale, Paid Parental Leave for Teachers, and Increasing Teacher Salaries: 3 Takeaways From the New SLU/YouGov Poll
The PRiME Center has just released the education results from the August 2026 SLU/YouGov Poll. Here are three key takeaways from those results: Missouri voters like the A-F grading scale, most Missouri districts don’t offer paid parental leave to teachers, but most Missourians wish they did, and Missouri consistently wants to see teacher salaries increase.
3 Hot Takes: Missouri voters on Four-Day School Weeks, Charter Schools, and School Accountability
Currently, one in three Missouri districts operate on a four-day school week. Policies about four-day school weeks are intended to increase teacher retention. Support for four-day school weeks has slightly increased since February 2023, but has still not reached 50% support.
Statewide Ban on Cell Phones in Missouri Schools: What Does It Mean, Who is Affected, and How Do Missouri Voters Feel About it?
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.