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Monthly Update — July 2026
Our July 2026 Kansas and Missouri education policy update examines Missouri school funding reform and A–F grades, a Kansas audit of industrial revenue bonds, and upcoming Aligned events and news. This originally appeared in Aligned’s monthly newsletter. Want future updates…
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Missouri school funding reform: Two models, difficult tradeoffs
On Monday, the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force convened in Jefferson City for its ninth full meeting. The meeting marked a shift in both tone and substance from the Task Force’s earlier work. Instead of analyzing problems with the…
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Building Talent Pipelines: Apprenticeships in Kansas
A conversation on career pathways, workforce needs, and how Kansas employers can get involved. Apprenticeships are one of the most practical ways to connect education and the workforce. Join Aligned for a virtual conversation on how apprenticeship programs can help…
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Childcare as a Workforce Issue: Childcare in Kansas
A conversation on child care, workforce, and what employers can do next. Child care is not just a family issue. It is a workforce, economic development, and community issue. Join Aligned for a virtual conversation on the current state of…
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Can a bachelor’s degree be earned in three years? Kansas wants to find out
The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) recently adopted a new policy that enables universities to propose bachelor’s degree programs that require only 90 credit hours instead of the traditional 120. The policy (which you can view starting on pg. 114…
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Kansas Regents approve tuition increases for FY 2027
At its June board meeting, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) approved tuition increases at five of Kansas’ six public universities for the 2026-27 academic year, ranging from 3.5% to 6.0%. These approved tuition increases are comparable to those approved…
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Monthly Update — June 2026
What a new Texas study teaches us about teacher compensation We are back and excited to bring you evidence from one of the more ambitious teacher compensation strategies in the country, with early research suggesting that it may be paying…
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Weekly Update — 05/15/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Also note that this will be our last weekly update; in June we will switch to monthly updates. New report shows academic recovery is still…
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Why CEP Is More Than a School Meals Debate in Kansas
A simple bill with a complicated question underneath Kansas HB 2402 looks simple on paper. It requires eligible school boards to consider whether to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, commonly called CEP, if more than 50% of students in one or more schools qualify for free meals via direct certification. The…
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Weekly Update — 05/08/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Phone-free schools are not a shortcut to better learning Last week, we noted one emerging second-order effect on school cell phone bans: when phones are…
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2026 Kansas Legislative Session Review
The 2026 Kansas Legislative Session advanced several important education policies focused on student outcomes, workforce readiness, transparency, and long-term success. This year, Kansas lawmakers took action to strengthen classroom learning environments, improve accountability, expand education and workforce pathways, support early…
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Weekly Update — 05/01/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. A promising side effect of cell phone bans Much of our work focuses on legislation, data, and the big debates shaping education and workforce policy.…
Resources Hub
Access nonpartisan research and news about the policies shaping education in Kansas and Missouri.