A public hearing on the progress of education standards work groups under HB 1490 is scheduled for Monday, April 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:45 pm. The hearing will be held in the State Board of Education meeting room on the first floor of the Jefferson Building, 205 Jefferson St., Jefferson City, Mo.

Anyone wishing to make a public comment at the hearing will be asked to provide his or her name and address and to limit remarks to three minutes. Witness forms for written testimony will be available for those who do not get a chance to speak at the hearing. Anyone who is not able to attend the hearing may email comments to 1490Comments@dese.mo.gov.

This is the second of three planned hearings required under HB 1490. The date of the third hearing has not yet been determined.

The Missouri legislature passed HB 1490 during its 2014 session. The law calls for work groups of education professionals and parents to develop and recommend academic performance standards in English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. The resulting recommendations must be submitted to the State Board of Education by October 2015. The State Board sets academic standards for public schools in Missouri.

High academic performance standards relate directly to a primary goal of Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative: all Missouri students will graduate ready for college and career.