Bill > HB2841

This bill modifies provisions governing the Missouri assessment program test, a statewide system designed to assess student proficiency in adopted knowledge, skills, and competencies. Key changes include requiring the state board of education to develop and adopt a standardized assessment instrument based on academic performance standards, and ensuring the statewide assessment system tracks academic performance only against prior performance within the same school. The bill also introduces a system for "Outstanding Schools Waivers" for schools demonstrating exemplary student learning for three consecutive years, which can lead to waivers of certain rules and regulations, including pupil testing requirements under section 160.257. Furthermore, it mandates the development of alternate assessments for students receiving special educational services and for military dependents, and establishes a "grade-level equivalence" metric to report student performance relative to grade-level expectations. Crucially, for the 2026-27 school year and beyond, the bill requires the Missouri assessment program test to include twenty additional questions specifically on slavery, the Reconstruction era, and Jim Crow laws, which will be graded separately to evaluate student knowledge and school district instruction on these topics.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2841&year=2026&code=R