Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
State Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | K-12 Education
Recent News About Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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Office of Childhood conducts statewide sessions to revise child care licensing rules
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Childhood (OOC) has begun a series of listening sessions across the state.
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Missouri recognizes nine school districts with Purple Star designation
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Missouri Purple Star designation.
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Missouri completes review of child care subsidy backlog
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of Childhood has completed its review of the backlog in child care subsidy applications.
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Public hearings set by Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation for feedback on services
Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation (MVR) is set to hold two virtual public hearings in March to gather feedback on vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities.
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Missouri awards $2 million in grants for career and technical education expansion
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has distributed $2 million to six local education agencies through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Limited Access Grant.
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Missouri shows stable performance on national educational assessments
Missouri's performance on the 2024 national math and reading assessments has remained consistent, as indicated by data released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
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Missouri works to reduce child care subsidy backlog amid system challenges
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is actively working to reduce the backlog in child care subsidy applications and provider payment reviews.
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Missouri launches playbook to address teacher recruitment challenges
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in collaboration with the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC), has released its first-ever Teacher Recruitment and Retention Playbook.
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Hollister teacher honored with prestigious Milken Educator Award
Dallas DeWeese, a social studies teacher at Hollister Middle School in the Hollister R-V School District, has been awarded the Milken Educator Award.
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Missouri board considers lowering GPA requirement for teacher certifications
The Missouri State Board of Education has taken steps to revise the GPA requirement for certain teacher certifications.
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Missouri releases annual performance reports highlighting school progress
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has published the Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2023-24 school year.
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Missouri Parents as Teachers program linked to improved academic outcomes
A recent study published in the Early Childhood Research Quarterly highlights the positive impact of the Missouri Parents as Teachers (PAT) Parent Education Program on young children's academic outcomes.
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Study links parent education program to improved academic outcomes
A recent study published in the Early Childhood Research Quarterly highlights the positive impact of the Missouri Parents as Teachers (PAT) Parent Education Program on children's academic performance.
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Missouri awards grants to boost local teacher recruitment
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has awarded Grow Your Own (GYO) grants to 125 local education agencies (LEAs) for the second consecutive year.
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Missouri allocates $2.5 million for teacher recruitment through Grow Your Own grants
For the second consecutive year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in Missouri has awarded Grow Your Own (GYO) grants to 125 local education agencies (LEAs).
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Eight Missouri schools receive national blue ribbon recognition
Missouri has seen eight of its schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education for 2024.
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Missouri schedules public hearings on vocational rehabilitation services
Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation (MVR) has announced two virtual public hearings scheduled for October.
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Jennifer Jones named 2025 Missouri Teacher Of The Year
Jennifer Jones, an English teacher at Lee’s Summit West High School in the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, has been named the 2025 Missouri Teacher of the Year. Selected by a committee of her peers and education partners across the state, Jones becomes the 56th recipient of this award since its inception in 1957.
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Jennifer Jones named Missouri Teacher of Year for 2025
Jennifer Jones, an English teacher at Lee’s Summit West High School in the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, has been named the 2025 Missouri Teacher of the Year.
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Missouri DESE appoints Kelli Jones as deputy commissioner
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced that Kelli Jones will take on the role of deputy commissioner for the Division of Learning Services.