During the campaign season, President-elect Donald Trump promised to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, an idea championed by conservatives since President Jimmy Carter signed the Education Organization Act into law on October 17, 1979, which split the Department of Health, Education and Welfare into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dismantling the Department of Education requires congressional action and at least 60 votes in the Senate. While the pundits debate the pros and cons of eliminating a cabinet-level agency, we wanted to provide our readers with a brief explanation of the department's size and scope.

The Department of Education (ED) started as a cabinet-level agency on May 4, 1980. Currently, ED has 4,400 employees, making it the smallest staff among cabinet agencies. For comparison purposes, the Department of Defense employs 2.1 million military service members, including those on active duty, the National Guard and the Reserve, 770,000 civilian employees, and 972,000 prime and subprime contractor employees. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) comprises 29 agencies with nearly 100,000 employees.

To understand its budget to other departments, here is a breakdown of agency spending in the U.S. and the percentage of the federal budget each represents.

The Department of Education has four main divisions: Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and Administration. The department's primary purpose is to carry out federal laws designed to protect and serve vulnerable populations and distribute federal funding associated with these programs.

The primary laws administered by the Department of Education include:

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which includes Title I programs, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, Career & Technical Education Discrimination, Section 504 and Harassment, Private Schools and Federal Programs, School Safety, Monitoring & Compliance, and Federal Program Accountability.
• Higher Education Act, which governs federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and other student loans and grants
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which ensures students with a disability receive a free and appropriate public education
• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which requires states to develop accountability systems to measure student achievement and replaced the No Child Left Behind Act

State and local governments are still the primary funder of K-12 education. In the 2020-21 school year, the federal government spent $88 billion on elementary and secondary education, whereas state and local governments combined spent $749 billion. Much of the federal portion is for programs like Title I and IDEA, which directs resources to school districts that serve low-income families and students receiving special education assistance respectively.

If the Trump Administration succeeds in convincing Congress to eliminate the department, its duties would still have to be discharged by another arm of government. Funding for programs like Title I and IDEA could go to states through block grants; however, there is the potential to lose oversight and administrative questions that Congress must adjudicate. For instance, the Treasury Department could administer the federal student loan program, and the Justice Department could oversee the administration of civil rights protections.

Conservatives argue the department is a federal bureaucracy that infringes on states' rights under the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. At the same time, supporters say ED plays an integral role in ensuring the fair treatment of students and school accountability.

Aligned will monitor federal action in the coming year.

Missouri News

DESE releases school performance scores which show some gains

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released its Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2023-24 school year yesterday. The reports reveal how schools are meeting standards and indicators in the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP).

“The data show that Missouri schools are meeting the more rigorous requirements and higher expectations set forth in MSIP 6,” said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger. “MSIP 6 takes a closer look at what districts are doing to implement effective practices and sustain improvements while increasing the focus on individual student outcomes. We are seeing positive movement because of hard work at the local level.”

According to the DESE, APR scores are improving, with more than 86 percent of LEAs meeting or exceeding the expectations outlined in MSIP 6.

The graph above shows the distributions of APR scores in percentage groups from 2022 to 2024. In 2024, 57 LEAs scored in the 90 percent range, and 109 scored in the 80 percent range. Together, this represents about 45 percent of all Missouri schools.

See the schools that scored in the top and bottom 5% range.

What is MSIP?

DESE uses the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) to make recommendations to the State Board of Education for public school accreditation in Missouri. MSIP 6 is the most current version, and it includes student growth as a key indicator rather than just relying on test proficiency. It emphasizes systemic improvement rather than just a single set of standards.

State accountability systems help identify schools with low-performing students, especially those who are traditionally underserved, and give schools meaningful data to improve student outcomes and close opportunity gaps.

DESE produces an Annual Performance Report (APR) for each public district or charter school every year and assigns scores based on performance metrics and continuous improvement documents. The APR is equal to Performance Score (140 pts) + Continuous Improvement Score (60 pts). The APR percentage is the total points earned divided by the total points possible and multiplied by 100%

DESE requires LEAs to use the Missouri Assessment Program, otherwise known as the MAP test, to assess performance in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science (grades 5 and 8) and uses the results from End-of-Course assessments (EOC) in English II, Algebra I, Biology I, and Government for high schoolers.

DESE calculates a MAP Performance Index (MPI) from those scores to assign categories of Target, On-Track, Approaching, and Floor. DESE also uses the Missouri Growth Model, a regression-based statistical analysis model, to measure how much students improve academically yearly, which is also a factor in the APR.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for accessing the 2024 APR data. You can also find additional resources on DESE’s MSIP 6 webpage. 

This release includes the first draft of an alternate APR for the 20 LEAs participating in a State School Innovation Waiver with the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN). This APR will help inform the design of future iterations of MSIP. Learn more about the alternate APR and view the LEAs’ draft dashboards here.

Aligned's take:

Many schools with the lowest APR scores have high rates of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, a proxy for poverty. Aligned has supported legislation to utilize census data as an alternative way to measure poverty and provide greater accuracy. We are also studying school finance policies to identify ways to direct additional resources to underserved public districts and charter schools.

Other updates:

The State Board of Education did not meet in November but will meet on December 3rd at 8:30 in Jefferson City. Access the live stream here.

The meeting will include the following:

• Report on Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) Program Evaluation 
• Advisory Council Report on the Education of Gifted and Talented Children
• Annual Report on the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP)
• Report on the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) 6 Annual Performance Report (APR) Release.

Childcare Report—A report from the University of Missouri and UnitedWe released this week shows nearly three times as many children under the age of 6 as there are available childcare seats in the state and nearly 400 fewer licensed childcare providers in operation than the number before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leadership Drama - After announcing a challenge to Speaker-Designee Jon Patterson, the first Asian American who will be elected as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, St. Louis County Representative Justin Sparks scored a minor victory during the House Republican Winter Caucus by extracting an agreement from incoming house leaders to make attempts to limit the implementation of Amendment 3, the reproductive healthcare access amendment, next legislative session.

Budget and Revenue Update

The Senate Appropriations Committee met earlier this month to receive fiscal updates from State Budget Director Dan Haug. Chairman Lincoln Hough started the meeting by explaining that he wanted to give the committee a "broad overview of where we are" and stated that "things aren't as rosy as they have been in the last few years."

Haug said that the FY25 Supplemental Budget Request, which lawmakers will have to approve when they reconvene in January, is about $2 billion, including $334 million in general revenue, $1.5 billion in federal funds, and $168 million from other sources.

A large chunk, about $48 million, is for the PK-12 foundation formula due to the passage of SB 727 last session, specifically the switch to paying districts on enrollment versus attendance, which is currently being phased in.

"This is my PSA; when the General Assembly enacts pieces of legislation, they oftentimes have financial consequences," said Hough.

Haug noted that general revenue is down 3.3% compared to the previous year, citing the impact of recent tax cuts. Rates dropped to 4.8% in January 2024 and are expected to decrease further to 4.7% in January 2025. He emphasizes that while revenues have dipped, it doesn't necessarily indicate a poor economic situation in Missouri.

"When you do these tax cuts, it takes a while for that to normalize," said Haug. "Some of that money will be reinvested, and it will have some effects positively on our tax position, but that takes a while, and it's certainly not one-to-one."

With the federal relief dollars spent, he expects the state to return to a more normal pre-COVID budget.

Additionally, Gov.-Elect Mike Kehoe has announced several key members of Gov. Parson's administration, including state Budget Director Dan Haug, Commissioner of Administration Ken Zellers, and Director of the Department of Economic Development Michelle Hataway will remain in their roles when he assumes office on January 13.

In other news

• How education by "earn to learn" can meet America's workforce demand
• Missouri's new education Commissioner has a lifetime of classroom experience
• STL residents push Board of Aldermen to dedicate Rams settlement to childcare
• Kansas City Public Schools says enrollment is up for the third year in a row
• What a Moberly court case from 1955 tells us about diversity in education today

Kansas News

Task force says bell-to-bell cellphone ban is best for students

At the Kansas State Board of Education meeting this month, members received recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time. Among its many recommendations, the Task Force suggested that districts adopt a bell-to-bell prohibition on cellphone use and require students to put their phones away in a secure space during school hours.

The Kansas Association of School Boards issued a thorough recap of the task force's considerations, the input gathered from educators and experts, and policy actions underway in Kansas and other states.

Here are five key takeaways from the task force's work:

1) Recommendations: The Task Force on Student Screen Time recommended measures to mitigate screen time's impact on students, including bell-to-bell prohibitions on cell phone use, digital citizenship education, and enhanced parental controls on district-provided devices.

2) Mental Health and Technology: The Task Force emphasized how excessive screen time can lead to mental health challenges, like social deprivation, sleep disruption, attention fragmentation, and technology addiction, with distinct gender-based effects.

3) Mixed Reactions to Policies: School-hour phone bans draw mixed opinions from parents, students, and educators. Some view this as overreach, while others appreciate the improvements in focus, mental health, and social interaction.

4) District Responses: Some Kansas districts have implemented phone bans that align with actions in other states and have seen positive results.

5) Finding the Right Balance: The report highlights that a balanced approach to regulating cellphone use can mitigate the harms of technology while permitting productive use in appropriate settings. 

Education Commission of the States recently published a blog post outlining how other states approach cell phone use in schools. The post cites a Pew Research study that suggests that 95 percent of teens in 2022 had access to a smartphone.

In other news

• Fewer students switched schools during the first year of open enrollment
• State Board of Education shifts to the right
• Annual legislative priorities discussed at state board meeting
• New research features a Kansas school that paved way for Brown v. Board of Ed

Last Friday, Aligned took the show on the road and traveled to Springfield to discuss policy and politics with area business and education leaders. High schoolers welcomed attendees, including more than a dozen area school district administrators, with a tour of the Ozark School District's Innovation Center.

Aligned President Torree Pederson started the afternoon with an overview of our agenda and our focus on early learning, school finance, and reform. Garrett Webb, Aligned Legislative Affairs consultant, presented results from the November election and discussed the potential impact on the Missouri General Assembly, followed by the Missouri Legislative Session Priority Review led by Jim Malle, Director of Policy for Aligned.

We want to thank Karen Kunkel from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Pam Hedgpeth from the Greater Ozark's Cooperating School District, for their work collaborating on this event. We look forward to hosting many more of these informative events in 2025.

If you want to join the Springfield Advisory Board, please contact Jim Malle at jim@wearealigned.org.

Upcoming Events at Aligned

Preview the 2025 legislative session with our team of experts

You are welcome to join our Advocacy Team next month to learn about our 2025 policy priorities and get a sneak peek at what to expect during the upcoming legislative session in Missouri.

December 16th

1:00 p.m. via Zoom

Click here to register.

Work smarter, not harder, with Edunomics

We are partnering with Georgetown University to bring the Edunomics Certificate in Education Finance course to the Kansas City area next June.

Enroll in this course to learn about allocation and accountability structures, instruction delivery model implications, ESSA and state policy effects in a local context, productivity analyses, and common (but often ill-understood) cost drivers in education.

Participants earn 3.0 CEUs, 36 CPEs, and/or 30 professional development credits upon successful program completion.

Download our brochure to learn about sponsorship opportunities.

Register to attend the in-person event.

Aligned is thrilled to announce that Eric Syverson has joined our team as Director of Policy and Research - Kansas and will be instrumental in leading our Kansas advocacy efforts and policy analysis and development initiatives.

Eric brings a nonpartisan public policy professional with over six years of experience in policy analysis, legislative tracking, and stakeholder engagement. Most recently, he served as a Senior Policy Specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, where he provided research, authored policy briefs, and testified on tax and fiscal policy issues to support state legislators nationwide.

Previously, Eric worked at the Education Commission of the States, where he tracked legislation across all 50 states, developed multi-state policy comparisons, and collaborated with stakeholders to support policymakers in crafting informed solutions.

A native Kansan and proud graduate of the University of Kansas, Eric is excited to return to his home state and contribute his skills and expertise to advancing education and workforce outcomes in Kansas and Missouri.

We are certainly thankful for our incredible and growing team and the abundance of exciting policy initiatives underway at Aligend.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Torree Pederson

President

Aligned

Torree@WeAreAligned.org

(913) 484-4202

Linda Rallo

Vice President

Aligned

Linda@WeAreAligned.org

(314) 330-8442

About Aligned

Aligned is the only state-wide non-profit, nonpartisan business group working in Kansas and Missouri on educational issues impacting the full development of our children, from supporting high-quality early learning to solid secondary programs that provide rigorous academic programs and real-world learning opportunities.

Our vision is that our public education systems in Kansas and Missouri have the resources and flexibility to prepare students to pursue the future of their choice.

We are currently focused on education policies that will strengthen early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and school finance reform.

Learn more about our work.