Missouri Governor Mike Parson eased regulatory burdens for the state’s educators. Under the order, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced:
- Missouri is canceling statewide-required assessments for the remainder of this school year.
- Some graduating seniors eligible for the A+ Scholarship may still need to take an assessment.
- Schools will not be required to make up the days/hours lost due to COVID-19 this school year, and missed calendar hours will not affect the calculation of average daily attendance.
- Missouri’s foundation formula – DESE’s school funding mechanism – is designed to absorb a one-year attendance irregularity for schools that are paid on the first or second preceding year’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA).
- Basic formula payments will not be interrupted if student attendance is lower this school year. Next year’s basic formula payments can be based on the highest of a district’s first or second preceding year’s ADA.
- DESE has waived the requirements for any remaining student teaching and internship activities that would have taken place in schools.
In addition:
- High school seniors working toward A+ eligibility will have a reduced number of tutoring/mentoring hours from 50 to 25. A student with a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of either the Fall 2019 or Spring 2020 semester will be eligible.
