State
Follow the latest K-12 education developments across Missouri, including news from school districts, the state education agency, associations and education organizations.
Last updated: September 15, 2026
As of October 7, 2026, K-12 News has published 7 Missouri stories in total, from 1 organization. The most frequent themes are Teacher Workforce, School Districts and STEM.
Sarah Steffens, a K–4 reading interventionist at Elm Grove Elementary, was selected from seven statewide finalists and will represent Missouri in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
Missouri residents will get no-cost access to Google Career Certificates and online AI courses. Educators, students and staff will also receive access to AI tools, with adoption left to schools.
Seven Missouri educators are finalists for the state’s 2027 teaching award. A state selection committee will interview them Sept. 9, with the winner to be announced later in the fall.
Missouri education officials presented preliminary 2025-26 assessment results showing modest gains in English language arts, math, science and government across grade-level and high school exams.
Missouri education officials selected 16 educators from a pool of 35 regional honorees for the state’s 2027 teaching award. Finalists will be announced at the end of August.
Gov. Mike Kehoe named Michael McDonald and Vincent Schoemehl Jr. to Missouri’s education board. McDonald, a Park Hill math teacher, fills a nonvoting advisory seat vacant since its creation in 2018.
A group of 35 educators in Missouri has been chosen for regional Teacher of the Year honors, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Board Member
Math Teacher
K–4 reading interventionist
Governor
States and districts are taking different approaches to AI in education: Florida’s responsible-use approach spans prekindergarten through college, Illinois has issued nonbinding K-12 guidance, and New York City has announced a generative AI moratorium in public schools. Missouri is expanding access to free AI training and tools while leaving school adoption decisions local, and Massachusetts is expanding paid AI internships for 400 students through a $500,000 public-private investment. In higher education, Idaho has announced seven AI innovation awards across five colleges and universities.
Professional learning initiatives include newly available self-paced bus safety courses in Maine, planned free online AI training in Missouri, and a new educator institute tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary in New York City. Connecticut’s five-year federal literacy grant will expand small-group reading interventions across 75 elementary schools and provide educator coaching. In Rhode Island and Maryland, Advance CTE is coaching efforts to expand career pathway access while embedding student participation in program and policy design.
Connecticut and Missouri reported 2025–26 assessment gains across multiple subjects, while Colorado reported gains in elementary math and literacy but declining middle school English language arts scores and persistent achievement gaps. Mississippi reported higher science performance, steady English language arts results and a slight decline in math proficiency. Connecticut’s chronic absenteeism fell to 16.4%, down from 23.7% in 2021–22. Kansas received federal approval to pilot assessments administered throughout the school year.
States are funding educator recruitment and preparation and changing certification pathways: Kansas received an $8.4 million federal educator-pipeline grant, while Illinois allocated $15 million for recruitment and retention in 100 districts accounting for about 77% of reported teacher vacancies. Pennsylvania joined the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to reduce certification barriers for eligible out-of-state teachers, and Connecticut opened registration for a free six-week paraeducator preparation academy. Teacher recognition programs also progressed from regional selections to finalists and statewide winners in Missouri and Iowa, while Colorado announced finalists and Hawaii, Kansas, Indiana, New York and Florida named 2027 Teachers of the Year.
Connecticut is expanding K–3 reading interventions and educator coaching through a five-year, $10 million grant covering 75 elementary schools, while Massachusetts is continuing early literacy tutoring funding for 338 schools and awarded nearly $25 million for literacy instruction. Nine Pennsylvania teacher preparation programs received accreditation aligned with structured literacy standards, and Mississippi designated science-of-reading schools and is implementing a statewide adolescent literacy initiative for 2026–27. Indiana reported its fifth consecutive year of rising literacy rates, while Colorado reported elementary literacy gains alongside persistent achievement gaps and declining middle school English language arts scores. In Maine, the number of students earning biliteracy recognition rose 18 percent, and the number of high schools offering it grew 11.5 percent.
State and district education leaders are making appointments and involving teachers and students in governance: Florida named a new education commissioner, New York City appointed an early childhood deputy chancellor, Missouri added its first active classroom teacher to the state board, and Illinois selected a student advisory council. Technology policies differ across jurisdictions, with New York City announcing a generative AI moratorium while Illinois issued nonbinding AI guidance and Connecticut recommended bell-to-bell limits on personal devices without a statewide mandate. Illinois increased school funding and awarded teacher recruitment and retention grants, while New York City expanded pre-K special education and Mississippi began implementing statewide math and adolescent literacy initiatives for 2026–27. Maryland reported a four-year decline in chronic absenteeism.
Based on: Missouri Education Agencies Partner with Google to Provide Free AI Training
Orange County Department of Education · Oct 7, 2026
Clark County School District · Oct 6, 2026
Orange County Department of Education · Oct 6, 2026
Maine Department of Education · Oct 6, 2026
Clark County School District · Oct 6, 2026
