Policy Briefs database — PRiME Center

WHERE, WHEN, AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER STUDENTS TRANSFER BEFORE YEAR-END?

In this brief, our partners at Saint Louis Research Practice Collaborative analyze student mobility in Saint Louis schools.

TransfersEvan RhinesmithFebruary 19, 2024School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

Missouri Charter School Expansion Legislative Testimony

In this brief, we highlight poll results on public opinion regarding charter school expansion.

SLU PRiMEJanuary 29, 2024School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

What High School Did You Go To?

In this brief, we analyze the rapidly changing high school landscape in Saint Louis between 2011-2023.

Enrollment, Saint LouisSLU PRiMEJanuary 17, 2024School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

After COVID: Changes in Missouri MAP and NAEP Scores

In this brief, we analyze the newly released state test scores alongside national test score trends over the last five years.

Test Scores, AchievementCourtney VahleDecember 18, 2023School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

Four Day School Weeks and School Staffing Shortages

In this brief, we explore the relationship between four-day school week policies and teacher shortages in Missouri.

4DSWSLU PRiMEOctober 23, 2023School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

District Leave Benefits and Early Career Female Teachers in Missouri

In this brief, we analyze how varying school district leave benefits might affect the Missouri teacher pipeline - especially among early career female teachers.

SLU PRiMEOctober 12, 2023School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityComment

Who transfers before school's out?

In this brief, our partners at Saint Louis Research Practice Collaborative analyze student mobility in Saint Louis schools.

TransfersSLU PRiMEOctober 6, 2023School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityRich HallComment

Theme & Variation: Missouri Charter and Magnet Schools

In this brief, we analyze variation in charter and magnet schools based on their curriculum, pedagogy, and student body focus. This is a first-of-its-kind analysis for Missouri.

SLU PRiMESeptember 7, 2023School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityAmy SheltonComment

Open Enrollment in Missouri: Current Policies and Proposals

In this policy brief, we describe Missouri’s current open enrollment policy and outline a current proposal, House Bill 253, being considered to further increase students’ ability to transfer to schools located in other districts. We also discuss key elements of interdistrict open enrollment policies that must be considered in policy design to ensure all students and schools benefit.

Missouri School Accountability: Current and Future Directions for Elementary and Middle Schools

In this policy brief, we build on our previous brief, Missouri's School Accountability System, and take a deeper dive into two specific components of school accountability systems—school rating systems and accountability indicator weights. We discuss the weight of academic growth within performance indicators at the elementary and middle school level and consider the proposed changes to these areas under SB 341 and HB 558. We add evidence by examining school accountability systems in states with high growth and conclude by providing policy recommendations based on our findings.

Missouri's School Accountability System

In this policy brief, we describe Missouri’s current accountability system for traditional public and public charter schools—Missouri School Improvement Plan (MSIP) 6—and how it differs from the prior version known as MSIP 5. We add context by detailing federal school accountability system requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which also impacts the work of schools in Missouri.

Elementary Age Population Decline, School Closures, and Access to Public Elementary School Options in St. Louis City

UPDATED: In this brief, we examine the relationship between changes in the elementary age population in St. Louis City, school closures, school choice, and access to public elementary school options across the city.

School Choice, Saint LouisSLU PRiMENovember 30, 2022School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityAmy Shelton, Meg GortonComment

Missouri’s 2022 NAEP Scores: Decades of Achievement Gains Erased, Unprecedented Achievement Gaps

This brief examines Missouri’s 2022 NAEP results, which are the first look into NAEP performance after the pandemic. We focus on Missouri’s performance changes over time, gaps between student groups, and comparison to national trends.

The Demand and Supply of Private School Choice in Missouri

This brief considers the demand and supply sides of private school choice in Missouri and how the opinions of voters, parents, and private school leaders diverge on the MOScholars Program.

SLU Poll, School ChoiceSLU PRiMEOctober 11, 2022School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityAmy Shelton, Meg GortonComment

Reaching Missouri’s Big Goal for Higher Education: Lessons from High School Graduates’ College Access and Success

This brief describes Missouri’s approach to reach its “Big Goal” to have 60% of its working-age adults attain a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2025.

Higher EducationSLU PRiMESeptember 20, 2022School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityMisti JeffersComment

Pandemic Achievement Loss: NAEP Long-Term Trend and Missouri MAP Assessment Changes

This brief highlight trends from the the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend (LTT) results, which exclusively sampled a nationally-representative group of 9-year-old students and was intended to measure achievement changes during the pandemic in mathematics and reading. To contextualize, we examine the trends in MAP test scores for Missouri's 4th graders (typically 9-year-old students).

Assessment, AchievementSLU PRiMESeptember 9, 2022School of Education at Saint Louis UniversityRich Hall, Evan RhinesmithComment

Enrollment Changes in St. Louis' Catholic Schools

UPDATED: This brief examines changes to enrollment in schools under the Archdiocese of St. Louis, describing research on enrollment changes over the last ten years from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and using data from the Private School Universe Survey (PSS) from the U.S. Department of Education over the last 20 years. We describe trends in St. Louis and other major archdioceses and conclude with highlights of the current strategic planning processes for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and other large archdioceses

Reforming Missouri’s Minimum Teacher Salary

This brief examines the state’s minimum teacher salary and the new proposed plan to increase the state’s minimum salary. Specifically, we examine the Governor’s proposal to increase from $25,000 to $38,000.

Missouri’s Teacher Pipeline: Out-of-State Reciprocity and Alternative Pathways

In this brief, we describe Missouri’s certification reciprocity policy, alternative pathways to certification, and potential “blocks” in the pipeline due to salary.

Unpacking Missouri’s Pandemic-Induced Enrollment Changes

In this brief, we describe the changes to Missouri’s public school enrollment prior to and after the COVID-19-induced shutdown of 2020. We pay particular attention to the changes in enrollment by grade level and regionally, as well as putting Missouri’s changes in context with national statistics.

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