HB1856--EXTENDEDLEARNINGOPPORTUNITIESACT
SPONSOR: Baker
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
GeneralLawsbyavoteof15to0.
Thisbillestablishesthe"ExtendedLearningOpportunitiesAct".
Thebilldefines"extendedlearningopportunity"asanout-of-
classroomlearningexperienceasapprovedbytheStateBoardof
Education(SBE),schoolboard,oracharterschoolandthat
providesastudentwith:
(1)Enrichmentopportunities;
(2)Careerreadinessoremployabilityskillsopportunities
including,butnotlimitedto,internships;preapprenticeships; or
apprenticeships; or
(3)Anyotherapprovededucationalopportunities.
Thebillrequiresthatbythe2023-24schoolyeartheSBEandlocal
schoolboardsmustinformstudentsoftheopportunityto
participateandearncreditforextendedlearningopportunities.
TheSBEmustadoptapolicyandlocalschooldistrictsshall
distributeandimplementextendedlearningpoliciesthatincludean
applicationprocess,alistofeligibleentitiesofferingextended
learningopportunities, theprocessforreceivingcredit,and
criteriaforapprovalandcompletion.
Thebillprovidesinstructiononhowstudentsmayreceivecredit
forextendedlearningopportunitiesforcourseworkandtoward
graduationrequirements.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillproposespositivenew
opportunitiesforstudentsandfamiliesthatwillpropelthestate
forwardbyempoweringschoolleaderswiththeflexibilityto
implementinnovativeprogramsandlearningmodels.Thisbill
ensuresthatstudentsandtheirfamiliesarewell-informedabout
opportunitiesforlearningthatextendbeyondtheclassroomand
thattheyareprovidedinformationonapplyingtoreceivecredit
forthoseexperiences. Work-basedlearningexperiencesoffervalue
tobothstudentsandemployers. Thisbillworkstoaddressthe
skillsgapandworkforceshortagefacingthestate,maximizing
studentengagementopportunities.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Baker;CharlesRay
Batchelor;TimothyRayNolan;AmericansForProsperity;Aligned;
MissouriChamberofCommerceandIndustry;ArnieC.Dienoff;Carl Brooks;ScienceCoach;andyes.everykid.,Inc.;
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythebillprovidessome
directiononhowcreditwouldbeprovidedforextendedlearning
opportunitiesforcourseworkandtowardgraduationrequirements.
Thislanguagewouldcreateentirelynewlawandhasnotbeen
revisedbythelegislature. Someportionsofthewordingarenot
yetclear.Somerevisionofthebillwillhelpclarifytheprocess
bywhichextendedlearningopportunitiesareapprovedbyvarious
entitiesandtoclarifythattheamountofcourseandgraduation
creditwillreflecttheproportionofarequiredcoursethatis
demonstratedbythestudent.
TestifyingonthebillwasMissouriNEA.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.