Posts in COVID
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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Supporting Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic: Rural Districts Least Likely to Provide Information

In this brief, we provide an overview of how federally mandated special education services translate to virtual educational environments and examine how Missouri districts communicated information regarding these services in their Fall 2020 reopening plans.

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Public Pre-K Access and Enrollment: Assessing Take-up of Missouri’s Early Childhood Education Funding Expansion

In this brief, I describe the take-up of early childhood education funding from Missouri House Bill 1689. While public pre-K enrollment expanded in Missouri prior to the pandemic, many school districts have not leveraged this newly available state funding to support pre-K growth

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The Pandemic Digital Divide in Missouri: Rural Students Most Likely to Lack Full Access to Technology

In this brief, we use data from a statewide sample of Missouri traditional and charter school districts’ 2020-21 reopening plans. We describe the characteristics of districts that planned to provide students with devices and internet access for distanced learning.

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Technology Implications for Missouri Public Schools in the Era of COVID-19

In this policy brief, we consider the gap in technology access for Missouri’s school districts brought to light by the recent coronavirus pandemic. We further describe how trends in Missouri’s internet access lag those of our neighboring states and the nation, specifically regions with similar rural populations, and why rectifying these gaps is vital to meet students’ educational needs.

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Recessionary School Funding in Missouri: Lessons from the Great Recession

In this brief, we discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic recession, as well as how federal fiscal aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped mitigate similar budget cuts following the Great Recession. We note that districts with varying local wealth experienced heterogeneous school funding recoveries and discuss other policy implications in education.

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Brain Food: Student Meal Provision Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this policy brief, we summarize the issue of growing food insecurity among Missouri children, detailing the role of some of the federal programs that support them. As more families become food insecure in the wake of the pandemic, we also note evidence of the impact of hunger on critical student outcomes.

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