Across Kansas and Missouri, voters are being asked to weigh in on school bond proposals that will shape the future of their local schools. From basic facility upgrades to new construction, these bonds are becoming a common tool for districts to modernize classrooms, address safety concerns, and...

Today, the Missouri State Board of Education approved a rule formalizing the Quality Assurance Report (QAR) program for early care and education. The QAR program is voluntary, helping early learning providers set benchmarks and improve program quality—not as a punitive measure but as a continuous...

As Kansas and Missouri work through their education budgets and consider changes to how they fund schools, special education funding is getting long-overdue attention — and the conversation couldn’t come at a more important time. In Kansas, special education funding is at a crossroads. The House...

Following our recent newsletter, some in the education community have raised concerns about our use of NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) data, suggesting that it overstates the number of students struggling with reading. NAEP has its limitations—it's a national benchmark based on a...

This week, test results revealed a sobering look at student achievement in the United States. The  National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a nationwide test administered to measure students' academic performance in the United States. It's often called the "Nation's Report Card" because...

Aligned believes that informed policy drives stronger education and workforce outcomes. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new Aligned Blog – a space where we will break down the latest education and workforce policy developments in Kansas and Missouri. Our blog will share insights from our...