ECS
2013 State of the State Address
Education-Related Proposals
Missouri


Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org

The following summary includes education-related proposals from the 2013 state of the state address. To assure that this information reaches you in a timely manner, minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) or format.

Governor Jay Nixon's State of the State Address
PROPOSALS

Economic/Workforce Development
-- Increase funding for workforce training that's custom-tailored to the needs of Missouri employers.

Finance
-- Increase funding for education by $150 million.
-That's $17 million more for early childhood education.
-That's $34 million more for higher education.
-And that's $100 million more for our K-12 classrooms.
-- Issue bonds that will allow the state to establish a permanent, low-interest loan fund dedicated to improving local schools. 
-- Create the BOOST (Building Opportunities in Our Schools Today) Fund for investment in first-rate, 21st Century facilities: state-of- the art computers and science labs, libraries and wired classrooms. 

P-3 - Preschool
-- Double funding for the Missouri Preschool Program and put more money into programs like Early Head Start.

Postsecondary Affordability
-- Invest $75 million for Access and Bright Flight scholarships and for A+ scholarships, which cover tuition and fees at all our public community colleges. 
-- Expand A+ scholarship program to every public high school in the state.

Postsecondary Completion
-- Help adult students finish their degrees on-line, from an accredited university that's putting down new roots in Missouri.

Postsecondary Facilities
-- Provide funds for cutting-edge university research facilities in areas critical to our competitiveness, such as engineering, math, and science with targeted bond issuance.

Postsecondary Finance
-- Tie new funding to specific performance goals - like increased student retention, higher graduation rates and improved learning.

School Schedule
-- Lengthen the school year (extend by 6 days).

Teacher Training
-- Invest in training more teachers

Technology
-- Invest in modern equipment.

ACCOMPLISHMENT

Graduation Rates
-- High school graduation rate is now the seventh-highest in the nation.

Postsecondary Affordability
-- Expanded the A+ program to 150 more schools.

Economic/Workforce Development
-- Dramatically increased Missouri's investment in worker training, helping 150,000 Missouri workers sharpen their skills and get better jobs in their field.

Full Text: http://governor.mo.gov/newsroom/2013/Gov_Nixon_delivers_2013_State_of_the_Address