SCS/SB 969 - This act renders alterations to the state's education policy. SECTION 163.031 - This section removes the proration factor for the Career Ladder program. SECTION 168.500 - Currently, a policy of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education allows teachers who have at least five years of teaching experience and who possess national board certification to automatically become eligible for stage III of the career ladder program. This section directs the Commissioner of Education to cause the department to regard a speech pathologist who holds both a valid certificate of license to teach and a Certificate of Clinical Competence to have fulfilled the standards required to be placed on Stage III of the career ladder program, provided that such speech pathologist has been employed by a public school in Missouri for at least five years and is approved for such placement by the local district. This section contains provisions similar to SB 1021. SECTION 171.053 - This section asserts that any school district which allows an excused absence for athletics or any other extra-curricular activity shall allow any student to use such regularly scheduled instructional time as is reasonably necessary for participation in an officially-sanctioned activity of any FFA, FCCLA and 4-H program. The section also provides that students may participate in FFA, FCCLA and 4-H events and Missouri State Fair competitions while having such participation count as regular school attendance for the purpose of state school aid. This section contains the provisions of SB 813. DONALD THALHUBER