JEFFERSON CITY, Mo — The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and State Board of Education (Board) are seeking stakeholder feedback on a refresh of DESE’s Strategic Plan.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo— The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Childhood completed its recommendation of changes to the Missouri child care licensing rules, as required in Executive Order 25-15. The order called for a 10 percent reduction of the state’s child care licensing regulations to reduce duplication, improve clarity, and strengthen support for providers and families.

DESE made the following recommendations to the Governor’s Office:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo— The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is excited to announce that seven educators have advanced as finalists for the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year award.

The finalists are:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo— The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced the 17 Regional Teachers of the Year who have been selected as semi-finalists for the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year award. The Teacher of the Year program spotlights the positive impact teachers have on their students.

The list of semi-finalists includes teachers from multiple grade levels, subject areas, and nearly every region of the state:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released preliminary statewide 2024-25 Grade Level and End-of-Course (EOC) assessment data during the August 12 State Board of Education meeting. The results represent data from the required state assessments: English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics for grades 3-8; Science for grades 5 and 8; and English II, Algebra I, Biology, and Government EOCs.

SEDALIA, Mo. — The State Board of Education (Board) approved to permanently close 12 DESE-operated Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) by next year.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) chose the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to pilot an innovative statewide assessment program focused on improving existing assessments in English language arts and mathematics.

USED selected DESE to take part in the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) Program beginning in the 2025-26 school year. This positions Missouri as a national leader in designing modern, flexible, and student-centered assessment systems.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has awarded nearly $2 million to seven local education agencies (LEAs) under the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Limited Access Grant (LAG). Each selected LEA was eligible to receive up to $400,000 to expand CTE programming for the 2026-27 school year where access to high-quality learning opportunities has been limited.

Six Pioneers in Education will be in the spotlight on Monday, July 28, in recognition of their commitment and contributions to public education in Missouri. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will recognize the 2025 Pioneers during the 64th Annual Cooperative Conference for School Administrators. The ceremony will take place during a luncheon with more than 600 school leaders in attendance.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced the 34 Regional Teachers of the Year who have been selected to represent their regions in the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year Program. The Teacher of the Year program spotlights the positive impact excellent teachers have on their students.

The Regional Teachers of the Year includes educators from multiple grade levels and subject areas: