HCS/HB 607 - This act creates and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education.
GRADE-LEVEL EQUIVALENCE (Sections 160.518 and 160.522)
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall develop and use a grade-level equivalence metric to assess students' knowledge and performance for grades 3-8. DESE shall define and categorize performance-level descriptors for advanced, proficient, grade level, basic, and below basic achievement, as described in the act, with each level representing varying degrees of mastery over educational content and readiness for the next grade level. The grade-level equivalence for each student shall be determined at the time of the statewide assessment and provided alongside the student's assessment score to both the student and his or her parent. DESE shall also ensure that data related to grade-level equivalence is made publicly accessible on a building, school, district, and statewide level, while ensuring that no data is disclosed in a way that allows for the personal identification of any student, except by the student and the student's parent. DESE may engage a third-party nonprofit entity to assist in developing the grade-level equivalence metric. The grade-level equivalence data shall be included in the annual performance reports DESE is required to compile under current law.
These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/HB 712 (2025).
ADULT HIGH SCHOOLS (Sections 160.2700, 160.2705, and 160.2710)
The act lowers the minimum age of a student who may enroll in an adult high school from 21 years of age to 18 years of age.
To be eligible to operate an adult high school, an organization shall demonstrate success in providing job placement services to adults 18 years of age or older, instead of 21 years of age or older, in addition to satisfying certain other conditions set forth in current law.
Additionally, a student transferring from a local education agency to an adult high school shall be considered a transfer student and not a dropout student from the local education agency.
These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 32 (2025) and similar to SB 426 (2025).
VIRTUAL ASSESSMENTS (Section 161.670)
This act provides that any virtual school or program that is part of the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program may administer any statewide assessment virtually, except for college readiness or workforce readiness assessments provided by a national college and career readiness assessment provider. The act outlines requirements for such virtual assessments, including the monitoring of students via a camera and the maintaining of a student-to-proctor ratio that is targeted at 10-1 or lower.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/HB 220 (2025) and similar to SB 266 (2025) and SB 1049 (2024).
SMALL SCHOOLS GRANT (Section 163.044)
Nonresident students who enroll in a school district through the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program shall not be included in such school district's total pupil count for purposes of determining the district's eligibility for the Small Schools Grant.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/HB 220 (2025).
STATE AID FOR SCHOOLS (Section 163.045)
A school district shall not be deemed ineligible to receive certain state aid moneys on the basis that such school district was in session for fewer than 169 days in a school term because of exceptional or emergency circumstances or a reduction of the required number of school days authorized by the Commissioner of Education under current law.
This provision is identical to HCS/HB 368 (2025) and similar to SB 364 (2025).
MINIMUM TEACHER'S SALARY (Section 163.172)
This act repeals the requirement for a teacher's master's degree to be in an academic teaching field directly related to the teacher's assignment in order for such teacher to qualify for the minimum salary for teachers with a master's degree and at least 10 years of teaching experience.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/HB 712 (2025).
CHILDREN OF SCHOOL CONTRACTORS (Section 167.151)
Under this act, the child of a contractor or regular employee of a school district may attend school in such school district even if the child is not a resident of the school district. The nonresident district shall provide the child with the same access to education as other pupils entitled to free instruction and without requiring tuition fees. The child shall be considered a resident of the nonresident district for the purpose of average daily attendance. If the child wishes to attend a magnet or academically selective school within the nonresident district, the parent must provide proof that the child meets the admission requirements. The nonresident district may require contractors or regular employees to provide documentation showing they meet the necessary qualifications and may also require a contractor or regular employee to work a minimum number of days, not exceeding 60, for the child to be eligible to attend school in the nonresident district. Neither the resident nor nonresident district shall be responsible for providing transportation services. If the parent ceases to be a contractor or regular employee of the school district, the child may continue attending school in the nonresident district for the remainder of the school year.
This provision is identical to HCS/HB 1238 (2025).
ZERO-TOLERANCE DISCIPLINARY POLICIES (Section 167.167)
This act requires school districts to prohibit, in name and practice, any zero-tolerance disciplinary policy that results in an automatic consequence against a pupil without the discretion to modify such disciplinary consequence on a case-by-case basis.
This provision is identical to HB 454 (2025) and a provision in HCS/HB 712 (2025).
TEACHER CERTIFICATION (Section 168.021)
The act adds Teachers of Tomorrow to the list of certificating entities from which the State Board of Education shall accept a teacher's credentials for purposes of granting a license to teach in the public schools of this state, provided that the individual also meets certain other conditions outlined in current law.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/HB 1153 (2025) and similar to SB 639 (2025).
TEACHER EXTERNSHIPS (Section 168.025)
The act repeals the August 28, 2024, expiration of the teacher externship program.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/HB 267 (2025).
SUBSTITUTE TEACHING IN RETIREMENT (Section 168.036)
Under this act, retired teachers may continue to work as substitutes without discontinuing their retirement benefits until 2030, rather than 2025.
This provision is identical to provisions in HCS/HB 267 (2025) and HCS/HB 1153 (2025).
MODELS OF READING INSTRUCTION (Section 170.014)
Phonics instruction for decoding and encoding words shall be the primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading in school districts and charter schools. An instructional strategy based on a three-cueing system, as such term is defined in the act, may not be used for instruction in word reading. Visual information may be used in reading instruction to improve background and add context, but shall not be used to teach word reading.
This provision is identical to HCS/HB 941 (2025) and similar to SB 556 (2025) and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).
TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SCHOLARSHIPS (Section 173.232)
The act adds "educational costs" related to teacher preparation to the costs covered by the Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program.
If the number of scholarships or maximum amount awarded does not exceed limits established in current law, the act requires DESE to use any remaining funds to award additional scholarships to students who are in the final semester of a state-approved baccalaureate-level teacher preparation program and are student teaching. DESE shall determine the amount of each scholarship awarded under this provision based on equal distribution of remaining funds among all eligible students. No amount granted shall exceed the amount of tuition charged a Missouri resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia for attendance for one semester.
The act provides that DESE "shall", rather than "may", sell to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority loans of scholarship funds that were awarded to scholarship recipients who failed to teach in a hard-to-staff school or hard-to-staff subject area as required under the Program. The act repeals a provision that a school district that hires such an individual as a teacher shall repay 25% of the 1/8 portion of such teacher's scholarship that is not subject to repayment as a loan.
This provision is identical to HB 792 (2025) and a provision in HCS/HB 712 (2025).
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BIDDING (Section 177.086)
Currently, any school district authorizing the construction of facilities which may exceed an expenditure of $50,000 shall publicly advertise for bids on the contract. The act exempts from this provision school districts that utilize a cooperative procurement process, state procurement services, or other purchasing processes authorized by state or federal law.
OLIVIA SHANNON