nbeatty136@yahoo.com
417.882.4785

Missouri Quick Facts

Pre-K-12 Education

Missouri Is Ranked “ Worst Case State ” In Education Performance. The Associated Press reported, “A federal team detailed dozens of problems with Missouri schools in a report last month, both minor infractions and major concerns about underperforming schools.” The article went on to quote Phyllis McClure, a Washington consultant “who has helped monitor states on points of education law” as saying that Missouri is “a worst-case state”. [Associated Press, 09/05/2007; http://www.joplinglobe.com/statenews/local_story_248010622.html ]

Missouri Has Not Held Schools Accountable. According to the Associated Press, “[McClure] was stunned Missouri hadn't been monitoring district progress more closely. The state had not asked to see district letters that should have been sent to parents, explaining that their children could be eligible for tutoring or transfers from failing schools, the report said. Missouri also had not required evidence that districts were giving the right amount of federal money to each school. And while Missouri had monitored schools for test-score progress, it hadn't held districts accountable for low scores.” [Associated Press, 09/05/2007; http://www.joplinglobe.com/statenews/local_story_248010622.html ]

“ Missouri Is Absolutely Going In The Wrong Direction” With Regards To Early Childhood Education. According to Libby Doggett, the executive director of a Washington-based early childhood education advocacy group called PreK-Now, “ Missouri is absolutely going in the wrong direction.” “…Doggett said, a study of gubernatorial and legislative initiatives in Missouri reflects little support for expanding pre-kindergarten.” The same article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted, “In a much-cited 2003 study, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis called publicly subsidized pre-kindergarten a cornerstone of economic growth. ‘The return on investment from early childhood development is extraordinary, resulting in better working public schools, more educated workers and less crime,' the Fed's report said.” [ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/13/2007]

Higher Education

MO Ranked At Bottom Of Nation In “Innovation” Survey. Citing a recent Corporation for Enterprise Development study, the Kansas City Star editorialized that their survey of “innovation assets” ranked Missouri at “34 th for graduate students in science and engineering; 36 th for patents issued; and 45 th for businesses created as a result of university research and development.” The Star called the data, which resulted in a grade of a “C” for Missouri , “disturbing”. [Editorial, Kansas City Star, 10/21/2007]

University of Missouri Ranks 91 Among Large Research Universities – Univ. Of Illinois Ranked 38. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The University of Missouri system's flagship campus in Columbia placed 91st among large universities on the widely distributed annual quality rankings of U.S. News & World Report. The University of Illinois ranked 38.” [ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8/30/2007]

Missouri Higher Education Spending “Fails In Comparison To Every Border State .” The News-Leader wrote, “Regionally, Missouri 's spending on higher education fails in comparison to every border state. The race isn't even close. Missouri's 2.7 percent increase in the last two fiscal years is minuscule compared to 3.9 percent in Illinois, 8.2 percent in Iowa, 10.2 percent in Kansas, 10.6 percent in Tennessee, 11.9 percent in Kentucky, 13.4 percent in Nebraska and 14.6 percent in Arkansas.” [ Springfield News-Leader, 8/27/2007]

Missouri Ranks 47 th Among Per Capita Higher Education Funding. According to an editorial in the Springfield News-Leader, “Indeed, our state's higher education institutions are among our greatest assets when they are given the resources to keep our future intellectual assets, our students, in Missouri , learning here and working here. Yet even with this year's one-time capital infusion of more than $300 million dollars statewide, our state still falls behind almost every other state in the nation in terms of higher education funding per capita. Missouri ranks an abysmal 47th in fiscal year per capita higher education spending according to the Center for the Study of Education Policy. Our border states all rank significantly higher. Nebraska is 9th; Kentucky is 11th; Kansas is 13th; Arkansas is 14th; Iowa is 18th; Oklahoma is 19th. Only Illinois at 32nd and Tennessee at 35th come close to Missouri 's poor performance.” [Editorial, Springfield News-Leader, 7/15/2007]

Under Blunt The Cost Of College Represents 46% Of The Income Of Almost Half Of Missouri 's Families. Under Blunt, the 40% of Missouri families earning the least pay an average of 46% of their income to pay for college. [Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education, The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 9/7/06; http://measuringup.highereducation.org/_docs/2006/statereports/MO06.pdf ]

Tuition Rates For Many Missouri Families Have Skyrocketed By 56.8% Since 2002. In a survey conducted by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, average resident undergraduate tuition and fees at selected public comprehensive Universities in Missouri increased by 58.6 percent from FY2002 to FY2007. [ Midwestern Higher Education Compact, Average Tuition and Required Fees: A Comparison of Public Colleges and Universities in the Midwest and Beyond, March 2007; http://www.mhec.org/mhecwww/pdfs/tuition&fees07mar.pdf ]

Missouri Failed In The Category Of Affordability In Higher Education. The National Report Card on Higher Education gave Missouri a failing grade when it comes to affordability saying, “The state makes a very low investment in need-based financial aid compared with leading states, and Missouri offers no low-tuition college opportunities. The state makes a very low investment in need-based financial aid compared with leading states, and Missouri offers no low-tuition college opportunities.” [Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education, The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 9/7/06]

Missouri Students Have An Average Student Debt Of $18,635 When They Graduate From 4 Year Institutions. Missouri students have an average student debt of $18,635 upon graduation from a four year institution. [Project On Student Debt, September 2007; http://projectonstudentdebt.org/files/pub//State_by_State_report_FINAL.pdf ]

High School Drop Out Rates Increased To 4% In The 2006 – 2007 School Year. For the fourth year in a row, high school drop out rates increased. In the 2006 – 2007 school year, they increased to 4.2% from 4.% the previous year. [Missouri Department of Education Accountability Report, 2006 – 2007 School Year; http://dese.mo.gov/commissioner/statereportcard/src.pdf ]

Under Matt Blunt The High School Graduation Rate Decreased. Prior to Matt Blunt entering office, high school graduation rates were inclining. But during the 2005 – 2006 school year, the high school graduation rate dropped; this rate remained the same for the 2006 – 2007 school year. [Missouri Department of Education Accountability Report, 2006 – 2007 School Year; http://dese.mo.gov/commissioner/statereportcard/src.pdf ]