JEFFERSON CITY –In advance of the 2018 legislative session, Sen. Bob Onder, R-St. Charles, pre-filed legislation allowing Missouri high school students to take additional courses that are not offered by their high school.
The legislation, called the 21st Century Course Access Act, will allow a student to take additional courses in an online or blended setting, paid for by their school district out of their state funding. The courses must be classes not offered by the school district. In order to be eligible, the student must be a public school student and the course must be approved by a school counselor or registrar.
“For students to be college or career-ready, they must have access to the courses they need to succeed,” said Sen. Onder. “The courses must be offered, and students must be encouraged to take them. We need to use 21st century technology to give our students the tools they need to succeed beyond high school.”
Of the 507 school districts in Missouri that offer high school, 20 percent of those districts do not have a single student enrolled in chemistry. Forty-two percent of high schools do not have a single student enrolled in calculus, and 56 percent do not have a single student enrolled in an advanced placement (AP) course. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Leaders and Laggards report, only 9.5 percent of Missouri students in the class of 2014 graduated having passed an AP exam, ranking Missouri 47th in the nation.
“The 21st Century Course Access Act will allow all Missouri students access to the tools they need to be prepared for educational and career opportunities after graduating from high school,” Sen. Onder said.
For more information on this or other legislation Sen. Onder has pre-filed for the 2018 legislative session please visit, https://www.senate.mo.gov/onder.