SB 992 - This act repeals provisions of law requiring the State Board of Education to develop a statewide assessment system. Instead, school districts shall use nationally norm-referenced assessments, rather than the Missouri Assessment Program, to test students' knowledge and skills. This act shall become effective only upon notification to the Revisor of Statutes by an opinion by the Attorney General of Missouri, a proclamation by the Governor of Missouri, or the adoption of a concurrent resolution by the Missouri General Assembly that the United States Department of Education has been abolished or dismantled by an act of the United States Congress. This act is similar to SB 542 (2025) and HB 1123 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON

2026 Regular Session

Repeals Missouri's state assessment requirement for school districts to use nationally norm-referenced tests instead, but only if the U.S. Department of Education is abolished.

Second Read and Referred S Education Committee

Legislative bill overview

SB 992 repeals Missouri's requirement to maintain a state-developed assessment system (Missouri Assessment Program) and directs school districts to use nationally norm-referenced assessments instead. The bill contains a conditional trigger: it only becomes effective if the U.S. Department of Education is abolished by Congress, as confirmed through Attorney General opinion, gubernatorial proclamation, or legislative concurrent resolution.

Why is this important

This bill reflects ongoing debate about education assessment standardization and federal versus state control. The conditional trigger makes this largely symbolic legislation at present, but it signals intent to shift away from state-level testing coordination if federal education oversight is eliminated. The practical effect would give individual districts more autonomy in choosing assessments, potentially creating inconsistency in how student achievement is measured statewide.

Potential points of contention

Federal dependence assumption: The bill assumes the U.S. Department of Education will be abolished, which is speculative; this makes the bill's actual implementation uncertain and potentially creates legal ambiguity about current assessment requirements.

Assessment comparability: Replacing a unified state system with multiple national norm-referenced tests could make it difficult to compare student performance across districts, complicating policy decisions about resource allocation and school accountability.

Implementation costs: Districts may face expense in adopting new assessments and training staff on unfamiliar systems, with unclear guidance on who bears these costs.