Student Achievement Rises with More Charter Schools
Missouri has long resisted the expansion of charter schools into any suburban or rural area. Opponents of charter schools argue...
It’s a Head-Scratcher
I just don’t get it. A recent article in The 74 describes how the vibrant charter school sector and strong...
After 50 Years, Low-Income Students Are Still Being Left Behind-When Will Enough Be Enough?
As part of the War on Poverty, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration pushed for comprehensive education legislation that became known...
States with School Choice Reap the Benefits
Kelly Clarkson says that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I believe her. You know who doesn’t believe...
Cyclical Poverty Is a Problem in Missouri-What Can Be Done About It?
Imagine the Game of Life played under different rules—with everyone randomly assigned at birth to one of two paths. One...
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
On November 19, the Missouri State Board of Education met in a closed session to determine who would be selected...
Charter Schools: The Education Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight
By next week, the Missouri State Board of Education should be up and running again. They’ve got plenty of business...
Like a Sore Thumb: Missouri’s Testing Standards Buck National Trend
Marching to the beat of your own drummer is all good and well as long as you know where you’re...
I Don’t Think We’ll Be Making the Honor Roll
The results are in, and they’re not great. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education released the Nation’s Report Card,...
2018 Blueprint: Education Savings Accounts
THE PROBLEM: Missouri students are underperforming. On the 2015 NAEP exam, only 31% of Missouri 8th-graders were found proficient in...
2017 Blueprint: Moving Missouri Forward
The 2017 Blueprint: Moving Missouri Forward presents 15 policy ideas covering a broad ranges of issues – from education to healthcare, from...
Education Reform Should Be Top Priority for Missouri’s Leaders
On November 8, Missourians sent a clear message: We want change. Republicans won every major statewide office—all of which but...
Statewide MAP Results Are Out, and They Don’t Look Great
Do you remember the feeling you’d get as a student, when the teacher was handing back exams—especially when you weren’t...
How Much Testing Is Too Much?
From a student’s point of view, standardized testing is stressful, particularly in the elementary school years. It can also be...
A Well Intentioned Disaster: A Presentation on the Merits of Common Core State Standards
The following is taken from a presentation given by Show-Me Institute Distinguished Fellow of Education Policy James Shuls on February...
Missouri’s Latest Report Card: C-
The National Center for Education Statistics recently released the latest assessment scores for all 50 states. Missouri ranks in the...
New Study Suggests Missouri is Still Stuck in the Middle
By almost every academic outcome measure, Missouri’s educational system ranks in the middle of all the states. This shouldn’t shock...
Public Schools Need Fewer Mandates, Parents Need More Choices
Over the past year, the Normandy School District has grabbed the state’s attention, and for good reason. Little more than...
The Report Card Is In
The 2013 results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, have been made public. These results, published in...
Education Needs More Money, STAT!
If you believe the popular media outlets, Missouri schools are in dire need of more cash. They claim that Missouri...
