Implementation of ESA programs will not be easy. The ESA model is novel and foreign to most state education agencies, which have little to no experience with helping families purchase a wide variety of educational goods and services using government funds. Even if agencies had the relevant experience, ESA programs are complex, involving millions…

School systems--and the challenges they face--are often complex and diverse. Effectively addressing these challenges may require a leadership approach that moves beyond traditional teacher and administrator roles. Teacher leadership is one strategy many states and districts are pursuing to facilitate meaningful change and support better outcomes…

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) "Communities of Practice" project builds upon SHEEO's ongoing efforts to measure the capacity and effective use of state postsecondary data systems and provides states with opportunities to develop solutions to common issues with those systems. The sixth Community of…

This brief is the third in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

Career and technical education (CTE) programs of study are subject to rigorous state and federal accountability systems that provide information on key student outcomes. However, while these outcome measures can form a basis for identifying high- and low-performing programs, they are insufficient for answering underlying questions about how or why…

Policy shapes practice, and the increasingly important realm of professional development is no exception. To identify effective professional development policies and strategies, a Stanford University research team examined the policy frameworks supporting high levels of professional development activity in four states--(1) Colorado; (2) Missouri;…

Online learning has steadily become a more integral strategy for schools and districts in their efforts to offer students greater access to the courses they need. Where in the past, much of the online learning activity happened at the state level or regional level, more and more schools are exercising greater control over their online and digital…

Obligations of state education agencies (SEAs) and Part C lead agencies set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) pertaining to early childhood transition from Part C to Part B of IDEA are described in several regulatory and guidance documents including Part C draft regulations (34 CFR Part 303), Part B regulations (34…

CO-SPONSORED BY THE STATE LIBRARIES OF ILLINOIS, INDIANA, AND MISSOURI, THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL OF STATE LIBRARIES IN THE EXPANSION OF THEIR ROLE AS COLLECTORS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF LIBRARY STATISTICS ON A REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SCALE, AND TO OBTAIN SOME IDEA OF THE USES AND USERS OF CURRENTLY PUBLISHED STATISTICS AS…

A survey of 42 chief executive officers (28%), 72 line managers (47%), and 37 state agency personnel directors (24%) found that all 3 groups viewed the personnel department as primarily service providers, directors regarded themselves more involved in advisory roles than did the other 2 groups, and there was limited support for policymaking…

This guide to Missouri State Government documents is intended to help information professionals and the general public locate electronic state information in a timely fashion. Only state agencies are included, with a few exceptions where deemed appropriate. The guide is divided into two sections. The first is an alphabetical keyword/title index.…

Now that all 50 states and the District of Columbia are building statewide longitudinal data systems, the next step is to ensure that the information in these systems is used to improve student learning. The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has identified 10 actions that states can take to ensure that the right data are available and accessible and…

This 2010 Annual Report for the Missouri Department of Higher Education takes a close look at the performance of Missouri's system of postsecondary education in Fiscal Year 2010. The annual report follows the format of the state's public agenda for higher education, "Imperatives for Change: Building a Higher Education System for the 21st…

The document is a summary of the Missouri State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which was designed to provide guidelines for allocation of resources for needed recreation facilities. The plan identifies the present and future needs for outdoor recreation and recommends ways of meeting these needs. This 1967 document provides a brief history…

Recent litigation indicates that physicians and institutions can be held financially liable for injuries resulting from the use of psychotropic drugs. Several cases have established guidelines regarding the use of pyschotropic drugs, involving: review of drug regimens; upkeep and review of written records; and prescription and administration of…