Students & Parents — Missouri K-12 Education Reference

Table of Contents

1. Graduation Requirements
2. A+ Schools Program
3. Student Attendance & Truancy
4. Student Discipline Rights
5. Student Records & Privacy (FERPA)
6. Parent Rights in Education
7. College & Career Readiness
8. Scholarships & Financial Aid
9. Transfer & Open Enrollment
10. Homeschool Requirements
11. GED/HiSET Equivalency

1. Graduation Requirements

Minimum credits for graduation: 24 units of credit (DESE minimum; districts may require more)

Required Subject Areas

Key notes:

• Districts may set higher requirements (e.g., 26 or 28 credits)
• Students with IEPs may have modified graduation requirements per their IEP team
• CPR instruction required prior to graduation (RSMo 170.310)
• Students must participate in MAP/EOC assessments (scores do not prevent graduation, but participation is required)

End-of-Course (EOC) Exams

Missouri requires EOC exams in:

• English II
• Algebra I (or Algebra II if taken)
• Biology
• American Government

EOC scores are factored into course grades per local board policy. Participation is mandatory; passing is not a graduation gate (as of current DESE guidance).

Early Graduation

Districts may allow early graduation. Student must meet all credit and assessment requirements. Board policy governs the process.

2. A+ Schools Program

Statutory basis: RSMo 160.545

Eligibility Requirements (Student)

To qualify for A+ tuition reimbursement at participating Missouri community colleges and vocational/technical schools:

1. Attend a designated A+ school for 3 consecutive years prior to graduation (or the student's entire high school enrollment if fewer than 3 years)
2. Graduate with a minimum 2.5 GPA (unweighted, cumulative)
3. Maintain 95% cumulative attendance for grades 9-12
4. Complete 50 hours of unpaid tutoring/mentoring (documented by the school's A+ coordinator)
5. Maintain good citizenship — avoid the unlawful use of drugs, and avoid conviction of or guilty plea/nolo contendere to a felony or certain misdemeanors (per RSMo 160.545)
6. Have made a good faith effort to secure all available federal financial aid — complete the FAFSA (or FAFSA waiver if applicable)
7. Score Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra I EOC (or a qualifying score on the Math section of an approved alternative assessment)

A+ Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement (not fees/books) at any Missouri public community college or vocational/technical school
• Benefits last for up to 48 months after high school graduation (students must use benefits within this window)
• Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and attend full-time (12+ credit hours) at the college level
• Benefits are "last dollar" — applied after all other non-loan financial aid

A+ Coordinator Role

Each A+ school designates a coordinator who tracks student eligibility, mentoring hours, citizenship, and GPA/attendance. Students should check with their A+ coordinator regularly.

3. Student Attendance & Truancy

Compulsory Attendance

• Ages 7 through 17 must attend school regularly (RSMo 167.031)
• Children may begin kindergarten if they turn 5 before August 1 of that school year
• Compulsory attendance exceptions: homeschool (RSMo 167.031.2), documented illness, religious holidays, suspension/expulsion, certain employment situations

Truancy Definitions

• Truant: absent without valid excuse
• Habitual truant: absent without valid excuse for a specified number of days (typically 10+ in Missouri, but district policy varies)
• Schools must have truancy intervention plans; referral to juvenile court or Children's Division is a last resort

Attendance Interventions (Typical Progression)

1. Parent notification (phone, letter) after 3-5 unexcused absences
2. School-based meeting with family (attendance team, counselor, social worker)
3. Written attendance contract/improvement plan
4. Referral to community resources (mental health, transportation, housing)
5. Referral to juvenile office or Division of Family Services (habitual truancy)

Chronic Absenteeism

ESSA defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of school days (excused or unexcused). Missouri reports chronic absenteeism as part of MSIP 6 / school quality indicators.

4. Student Discipline Rights

Due Process Requirements (RSMo 167.161, 167.171)

Short-term suspension (≤10 school days):

• Oral or written notice of charges
• Opportunity for the student to present their side
• Parent/guardian notification
• No formal hearing required, but must be fair

Long-term suspension (>10 days) or expulsion:

• Written notice of charges with specific allegations
• Right to a hearing before the board or designated hearing officer
• Right to be represented (by parent, advocate, or attorney)
• Right to present evidence and witnesses
• Right to cross-examine witnesses
• Written decision with findings of fact
• Right to appeal to the school board (if initial hearing was before a hearing officer)

Discipline of Students with Disabilities (IDEA / Section 504)

• Manifestation Determination Review (MDR): required before any removal exceeding 10 cumulative school days in a year for a student with an IEP or 504 plan
• MDR team must determine: (1) Was the conduct caused by or substantially related to the disability? (2) Was the conduct a direct result of the district's failure to implement the IEP/504?
• If YES to either → the behavior IS a manifestation → student returns to placement; IEP/504 team reviews and revises the plan; FBA/BIP conducted
• If NO → district may apply standard discipline, but must continue FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) during removal
• Special circumstances exceptions: weapons, drugs, serious bodily injury → district may move student to interim alternative educational setting for up to 45 school days regardless of manifestation finding

Corporal Punishment

Missouri law does not prohibit corporal punishment statewide, but individual districts may prohibit it by board policy. Many Missouri districts have eliminated it.

Restorative Practices

Increasingly adopted across Missouri districts as alternative/complementary to exclusionary discipline. Not mandated statewide but encouraged by DESE.

5. Student Records & Privacy (FERPA)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. §1232g) (full legal reference)

• Parents (or eligible students age 18+) have the right to inspect and review education records
• Schools must respond to requests within 45 days
• Parents may request amendment of records they believe are inaccurate
• Schools may not disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from education records without consent, except under specific FERPA exceptions (school officials with legitimate educational interest, transfer to another school, health/safety emergency, etc.)

Directory Information

• Schools may designate certain information as "directory information" (name, address, phone, grade level, participation in activities, honors, etc.)
• Parents must be notified annually and given the right to opt out of directory information disclosure
• Missouri districts must include this in their annual FERPA notice

Record Retention

Missouri DESE requires retention of student records per the Missouri Secretary of State's records retention schedule. Permanent records (transcript, immunization, demographic) are retained indefinitely.

6. Parent Rights in Education

General Rights

• Right to review curriculum materials
• Right to opt child out of sex education (RSMo 170.015)
• Right to opt child out of surveys collecting sensitive information (PPRA)
• Right to request teacher qualifications (ESSA parent right-to-know)
• Right to participate in school governance (PTO, advisory councils, board meetings)
• Right to file complaints with DESE or OCR for civil rights violations

Rights at IEP/504 Meetings

• Right to participate as equal member of the IEP team
• Right to receive Prior Written Notice (PWN) of proposed changes
• Right to consent (or refuse consent) for evaluation, initial placement, and services
• Right to obtain Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense if they disagree with the school's evaluation
• Right to dispute resolution: mediation, state complaint, due process hearing
• Right to request meetings at mutually agreed times
• Right to bring advocates, attorneys, or other support persons

Rights of Non-Custodial Parents

• Both parents generally have equal rights to access education records (unless a court order restricts access)
• Schools should not require a custody agreement to provide records to either parent
• Schools must comply with court orders that restrict a parent's access

7. College & Career Readiness

Missouri Connections

Missouri's career planning platform (missouriconnections.org) — free for all Missouri students:

• Career assessments and exploration
• College and program searches
• Resume builder and portfolio tools
• Financial aid information

College Readiness Indicators

• ACT/SAT scores (Missouri participates in statewide ACT testing for juniors)
• AP/IB/dual enrollment course completion
• EOC exam performance
• College-ready benchmark: ACT composite 21+ (or subject-specific benchmarks)

Dual Credit / Dual Enrollment

• Students earn both high school and college credit simultaneously
• Governed by district partnership agreements with colleges
• DESE provides dual credit guidance; some state funding support available
• A+ benefits can be used for dual enrollment courses at community colleges

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• Missouri has 16 career clusters aligned to Perkins V
• Area Career Centers serve multiple districts
• Students can earn industry-recognized credentials
• CTE concentrators tracked under MSIP 6

8. Scholarships & Financial Aid

State Scholarships

FAFSA Requirement

• A+ students must complete the FAFSA to receive A+ benefits
• FAFSA (or the simplified FAFSA for 2024-25 forward) opens October 1 annually
• Missouri's FAFSA priority deadline is typically February 1

Missouri 529 Plans (MOST)

Missouri offers the MOST 529 Education Plan with state tax deductions for contributions.

9. Transfer & Open Enrollment

Voluntary Interdistrict Transfer

• RSMo 162.1010-162.1060 governs student transfers between districts
• Receiving districts may accept transfer students based on capacity
• Transportation is generally the parent's responsibility unless otherwise agreed
• Unaccredited district provisions: students in unaccredited districts may transfer to accredited districts; sending district pays tuition (RSMo 167.131)

Intradistrict Transfer

• Board policy governs within-district transfers (school-to-school)
• Common reasons: safety, special programs, childcare proximity, IEP placement

10. Homeschool Requirements

Statutory basis: RSMo 167.031.2

Missouri homeschool requirements:

• 1,000 hours of instruction annually (600 hours in core subjects: reading, language arts, math, social studies, science)
• At least 400 of those 600 core hours must be at the regular home or other location approved by the parent
• Maintain records of: subjects taught, activities, portfolio of student work or other evidence of educational progress, and a log of hours (not required to be submitted, but must be available for review)
• No registration or notification to the district required (Missouri is among the least regulated states for homeschool)
• Homeschool students may participate in public school activities in some districts (board policy varies)

11. GED/HiSET Equivalency

Missouri High School Equivalency (HSE)

• Missouri uses the HiSET exam (replaced GED in 2014 as the state-approved HSE test)
• Eligibility: age 17+ (with documented withdrawal from school), or age 16 with special circumstances
• Five subtests: Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
• Testing centers: Missouri Job Centers, community colleges, adult education providers
• HSE diploma is issued by DESE upon passing all subtests
• A+ benefits are NOT available to HiSET/GED recipients (must be a traditional high school graduate from an A+ school)

Related Resources

• Graduation Audit Template -- credit tracking worksheet and A+ eligibility check
• Discipline & Behavior -- student discipline rights, PBIS, and due process details
• Specialists (IEP & 504) -- special education process, IEP components, and 504 plans
• Missouri Education Law -- FERPA, IDEA, and parent rights legal references
• Crisis & Emergency -- safety procedures and crisis response protocols