A PILOT PROGRAM FOR MEDIA LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING (Section 161.355)

This act establishes the "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act", which requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to establish the "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking" pilot program during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years. Under the act, DESE shall select between five and seven school districts to participate in the pilot program. A pilot program site shall address each component of media literacy outlined in the act and report on how the site addresses news content literacy, visual literacy, digital fluency, and digital literacy, as those terms are defined in the act.

The media literacy and critical thinking pilot program shall terminate on June 30, 2027, and each pilot program site shall submit a report to DESE by August 1, 2027. DESE shall study the results of pilot program and develop guidelines for students on areas outlined in the act, including the safe use of social media platforms; digital ethics and etiquette; and identifying online misinformation. DESE shall also develop guidelines that provide school districts with examples of learning activities, resources, and training that promote critical thinking and the skills necessary to evaluate all forms of media.

Before January 1, 2028, DESE shall compile the reports from the pilot program sites and submit its summary to the General Assembly. DESE's summary shall include specific information described in the act, including qualitative and quantitative insights on how the pilot program sites addressed media literacy; strategies and resources used by educators; any professional development that was required; and recommendations for the facilities, instructional materials, and technologies necessary to implement a statewide media literacy and critical thinking program. DESE shall also provide the General Assembly with a draft of media literacy and critical thinking state standards for preschool to grade 12. The provisions of the act shall expire on December 31, 2027.

This provision is identical to SB 1311 (2024) and HB 1513 (2024), substantially similar to SB 678 (2023) and HB 492 (2023), and similar to HB 1249 (2023).

PUBLIC SCHOOL BACKGROUND CHECKS (Section 168.133)

The act adds charter schools to provisions of state law requiring background checks to be conducted on school personnel. The act repeals language specifying the types of work screened volunteers might do for a school district or charter school.

The act requires background checks to be conducted not only on school bus drivers, but also on the drivers of other vehicles owned by school districts and charter schools. For drivers employed or contracted by a pupil transportation company that is under contract with a school district or charter school, the pupil transportation company shall conduct the criminal background check.

This provision is identical to HCS/HB 2423 (2024).

READING INSTRUCTION IN GRADES K-3 (Section 170.014)

The act prohibits school districts from using a program of reading instruction for students in kindergarten through grade three that is based on any practice or intervention program that utilizes the three-cueing system model of reading and visual memory as the primary basis for teaching word recognition, or that is the three-cueing system model.

The act defines a "three-cueing system" as any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, which may also be known as "MSV".

INSTRUCTION IN CURSIVE WRITING (Section 170.025)

This act provides that school districts and charter schools may provide instruction in cursive writing to all students by the end of fifth grade and ensure that each student passes a teacher-constructed test demonstrating competency in both reading and writing cursive.

This provision is similar to SB 1462 (2024), HB 1502 (2024), SB 664 (2023), HB 232 (2023), HB 2073 (2022), SB 1071 (2020), HB 1262 (2020), HB 54 (2019), HB 2614 (2018), and a provision in HB 108 (2021).

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE MISSOURI NATIONAL GUARD (Section 173.239)

Currently, any Missouri National Guard member may be awarded an educational assistance grant to an approved public or private higher education institution. This act provides that any Missouri National Guard member may be awarded, upon application before each semester, either a tuition and fee waiver for undergraduate courses at a postsecondary institution of higher education located in this state that directly receives funds appropriated by the General Assembly or a grant to certain eligible institutions as defined in the act. The tuition and fee waiver shall not be implemented prior to the 2025-2026 academic year and shall only be applicable to tuition and fees remaining after the application of certain other tuition assistance programs and grants as provided in the act.

The educational assistance shall not exceed the lesser of the actual tuition charged at an institution where the member is enrolled or accepted for enrollment or the total of the number of credit hours taken multiplied by the average tuition cost per credit hour charged to a Missouri resident at the University of Missouri for attendance, with the average cost determined by the Missouri National Guard. In addition to the current application and eligibility requirements, this act provides that the member shall not have yet earned a baccalaureate degree and that the member has completed and submitted a FAFSA application for the applicable term.

The tuition and fee waiver shall be awarded if the member applies and is otherwise eligible, but shall only be awarded after the Missouri National Guard has distributed moneys available to the member through the State Tuition Assistance Program. Additionally, an applicant for the tuition and fee waiver shall cease to be eligible if his or her total completed credit hours exceeds 120 credit hours. Furthermore, this act provides that the tuition and fee waiver shall not be available in fiscal years in which the percentage of the total program costs covered by state appropriation for the educational assistance programs covered by this act has decreased compared to the previous fiscal year.

This provision is identical to SCS/SB 1322 (2024), substantially similar to a provision in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 912 (2024), and similar to a provision in HB 2166 (2024).

STEM GRANT (Section 173.685)

This act requires the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) to make available a grant to study science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subjects for up to $2000 to eligible recipients. The act outlines eligibility criteria for a grant, including financial considerations that are also included in the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. The act specifies certain requirements for renewing a grant, such as the achievement of satisfactory academic progress, as the term "satisfactory academic progress" is defined in the act, and having completed five or fewer semesters at a two-year institution or a total of 10 semesters at an approved four-year institution.

This provision shall sunset August 28, 2030.

This provision is identical to HB 2313 (2024).

CAREER-TECH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (Section 173.836)

The act establishes the "Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program" and the "Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program Fund" to reimburse the costs of eligible students' tuition, books, and fees to certain approved institutions, such as two-year community colleges and technical schools, that offer training programs or eligible programs of study.

The act defines an "eligible student" as a student who meets the eligibility requirements for the A+ Schools Program under current law, provided that such student has not received reimbursement for tuition, books, or fees under the A+ Schools Program.

A "training program" is defined as a program of study that leads to a certificate or degree that does not meet the length-of-program requirements for an eligible program under federal regulations regarding federal grants and loans for postsecondary students. Training programs include but are not limited to certified nurse assistant programs, certified medication technician programs, and commercial driver's license programs.

An "eligible program of study" is a program of instruction that results in the award of a certificate or credential below the graduate level in an area of occupational shortage, as determined annually by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The length of an eligible program of study shall not exceed the equivalent of 60 credit hours.

Beginning in the 2025-26 school year and all subsequent years, the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shall establish a procedure to reimburse the costs of tuition, books, and fees from the CTC Program Fund to the approved institution at which an eligible student is enrolled in an eligible program of study or a training program. Tuition reimbursements shall not exceed the tuition rate charged by a public community college for coursework offered by a two-year private vocational or technical school, virtual institution, or eligible training provider. Tuition reimbursements shall not be provided to an eligible student who enrolls in a private school or training provider if a public community college or vocational or technical school located within the service region of the private school or training provider offers the same or a substantially similar eligible program of study or training program, unless the private school obtains authorization from the Department, as set forth in the act.

Eligibility for reimbursements under the act shall expire upon the earliest of (a) the approved institution's receipt of the reimbursement for the required length of the eligible program of study or training program, (b) a student's successful completion of an eligible program of study or training program, or (c) a student's completion of 150% of the time usually required to complete an eligible program of study or training program.

The Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shall establish by rule procedures for the reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees to all approved institutions, provided that no rule established shall prohibit students from qualifying for tuition reimbursement solely because such student's program of study or training program does not meet the length-of-program requirements for federal financial aid or does not participate in federal student aid programs.

This provision is similar to SB 1065 (2024) and HB 76 (2023).

ACCESS MISSOURI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (Section 173.1105)

Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, this act increases the financial assistance award for eligible recipients of the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. For students who attend public two-year institutions, the minimum award increases from $300 to $500, and the maximum award increases from $1,300 to $1,700. For students who attend public four-year institutions, the State Technical College, and approved private and virtual institutions, the minimum award increases from $1,500 to $1,750, and the maximum award increases from $2,850 to $3,500.

This provision is identical to HB 2326 (2024).

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE EXAMINATIONS (Section 173.1352)

This act requires public institutions of higher education to adopt a policy for undergraduate course credit for any student who receives a score of 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam.

This provision is identical to HB 1578 (2024), HB 2051 (2024), and HB 2415 (2024).

FAST TRACK WORKFORCE INCENTIVE GRANT (Section 173.2553)

Beginning January 1, 2025, this act increases the maximum gross income for eligibility for the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant from $80,000 to $100,000 for taxpayers who are married filing jointly and from $40,000 to $50,000 for all other taxpayers, adjusted annually based on inflation.

This provision is identical to HB 2278 (2024) and substantially similar to SB 1056 (2024).

HIGHER EDUCATION CORE CURRICULA (Sections 178.786 and 178.787)

This act modifies provisions of the Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer Act.

The act provides that the Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of representatives from each public community college and public four-year institution of higher education in this state, approve a 60 credit-hour transferrable lower-division courses and common course numbering equivalency matrix for at least five degree programs that have substantial student enrollment, as determined by the Coordinating Board. Each public community college and public four-year institution of higher education that offers the applicable degree programs shall include in such degree programs the 60 credit-hour block of transferrable courses and common course numbering equivalency matrix approved by the Coordinating Board. The Coordinating Board shall complete its work with the advisory committee before June 30, 2026, and the transferrable courses and common course numbering equivalency matrix shall be implemented at all public institutions of higher education for the 2027-28 academic year. No institution of higher education shall be required to adopt the lower division courses for degree programs not offered at the institution.

If a student successfully completes the program-specific transferrable courses at a community college or other public institution of higher education, such courses may be transferred to any other public institution of higher education in this state and shall be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum for the same degree program. A student shall receive academic credit toward his or her degree for each of the courses transferred and shall not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution for the same degree program.

If a student transfers from one public institution of higher education to another public institution of higher education without completing all of the transferrable lower-division coursework curriculum of the sending institution, such student shall receive academic credit toward the same degree program from the receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has successfully completed. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the student may, if the student has not completed all of the transferrable lower-division courses, be required to satisfy further course requirements in the core curriculum of the receiving institution.

The Coordinating Board shall report to the House Committee on Higher Education and the Senate Committee on Education regarding progress made toward fulfilling the requirements of the act before December 31, 2025.

These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 2310 (2024) and substantially similar to SCS/SB 1075 (2024).

OLIVIA SHANNON