Show-Me Institute

06/18/2026

42% of Missouri 4th graders can barely read. Many teacher-prep programs still teach reading methods that don't work. Lawmakers could fix this by refusing to license teachers trained in debunked methods.

Test data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that 42% of Missouri fourth graders can barely read. Some of these children are functionally illiterate; others can read

06/16/2026

🎙️NEW Podcast: Risk, Reform, and Public Safety in Missouri with Doug Burris

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Doug Burris, retired Justice Services Director and Chief United States Probation Officer, about criminal justice reform in Missouri and St. Louis. They discuss Missouri’s risk-based approach […]

06/15/2026

Nearly two months after announcing a new downtown ballpark, KC still can't tell taxpayers how much it'll cost them.

It has been nearly two months since Kansas City leaders and the Royals announced plans for a new downtown ballpark at Crown Center. Yet we still don’t know the amount […]

06/11/2026

NEW Podcast: Missouri’s Stalled Education Reforms with Cory Koedel

Show-Me Institute · Missouri’s Stalled Education Reforms with Cory Koedel Susan Pendergrass speaks with Cory Koedel, director of education policy at the Show-Me Institute, about Missouri education policy following the […]

06/10/2026

The demographic writing is on the wall. One way or another, our school system will need to respond.

Birth rates have been declining in the United States for decades, and there is little indication that the trend will reverse anytime soon. This poses challenges for many of our […]

06/10/2026

NEW: The challenges at the St. Louis Public Schools District underscore a deeper failure of accountability.

The St. Louis Public Schools District (SLPS) routinely overspends its budget. A recent state auditor’s report warns that continued deficit spending could push the district’s reserve fund below the 3% […]

06/10/2026

"You get stuck without wanting to."

American Enterprise Institute's Tim Carney on year-round youth sports and the "travel team trap".

Full episode: https://bit.ly/43UlmoL

06/09/2026

New Podcast: Is America Family Unfriendly? With American Enterprise Institute's Tim Carney

  Susan Pendergrass speaks with Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, about why American culture may be making it harder to have and raise children. They discuss […]

06/08/2026

NEW: Critics of K-12 open enrollment argue it will disrupt school district enrollments and budgets. Our latest report examined five states with open enrollment policies to assess the validity of those claims.

Critics fear chaos for Missouri school districts with open enrollment. But what does the data show about enrollment shifts and funding?

06/07/2026

NEW from Cory Koedel: Missouri lawmakers are fully capable of passing legislation when they decide an issue matters. Their inaction on education sends a troubling message: they fail to recognize the severity of the problem.

Despite declining reading scores, Missouri lawmakers failed to pass critical education reforms, the Show-Me Institute's Cory Koedel writes.