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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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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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Post-Session Analysis: 2026 Missouri Education Policy
Event Overview This webinar walked through the major education issues, key bills, and policy conversations that shaped the session. We will also share what passed, what stalled, and what to watch as Missouri leaders continue working to strengthen student outcomes…
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Weekly Update — 04/24/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Missouri’s assessment pilot and the case for balanced accountability Missouri’s new assessment pilot has given life to an age-old debate in education policy. As we wrote last August,…
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Weekly Update — 04/10/26
Many of Aligned’s priority bills become law This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. As lawmakers returned to Topeka for the final days of session, several of Aligned’s priority bills ranging across…
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Weekly Update
This Week’s Highlights: Top story — Kansas and Missouri begin shaping how Workforce Pell Grants will work in practice, with legislation in both states outlining program approval and implementation. Kansas — Lawmakers finalize the FY 2027 state budget and wrap up major education bills in conference committees ahead…
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Kansas Legislature passes state budget
This analysis originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter, where we track key education and workforce policy developments across Kansas and Missouri. Subscribe to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. Late Thursday night into earlier this morning, the Kansas Senate (23-16) and House of…
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Weekly Update
This Week’s Highlights: Top story — Kansas lawmakers advance SB 517, a sweeping literacy bill focused on strengthening implementation, accountability, and early intervention as the state pushes toward a 90% third-grade reading goal. Kansas — Cell phone ban signed into law. And several education bills await…
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Weekly Update
This Week’s Highlights: Top story — Missouri’s School Funding Modernization Task Force confronts a core structural question: how to update local effort calculations tied to 2004 property values while ensuring assessment practices are consistent across counties. We break down the tradeoffs and what…
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Aligned Releases 2025 Annual Report
In 2025, Aligned navigated leadership transition while expanding its policy impact across Kansas and Missouri. The organization deepened engagement with lawmakers, business leaders, and education stakeholders through statewide listening tours, advisory boards, research, and convenings. Highlights include major investments in education finance…
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Cradle to Career Listening Tour 2025
Cradle to Career Listening Tour 2025 Overview In 2025, Aligned launched the Cradle to Career Listening Tour with a simple goal: listen first. We traveled across Kansas to hear directly from parents, educators, employers, and community leaders about what is…
Resources Hub
Access nonpartisan research and news about the policies shaping education in Kansas and Missouri.