HB 1704: Education Freedom Act
Sponsor: Mazzie Christensen
SUPPORT
Major Step Forward
HB 1704 ("Education Freedom Act") restructures Missouri's K-12 accountability system. It narrows the statewide test to only what's required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), then requires each district and charter to design, buy, or adopt its own local assessment system, created with community input and open to public inspection. It replaces DESE-produced report cards with district-run "data dashboards" and, for five school years (2027-28 through 2031-32), lets districts choose accreditation from national school accreditation agencies recognized by the State Board, rather than using only DESE's accreditation system.
What Does This Bill Do?
- Narrowed Statewide Testing: Limits statewide testing to only what is required under federal ESSA mandates. This prevents DESE from using broader statewide tests as a tool for centralized control and classification.
- Local Assessment Systems: Mandates that every district and charter create or adopt a local assessment system. This must be performance-based, linked to curriculum, and developed with direct input from parents and the community.
- Alternative Accreditation: Creates a 5-year window (2027-2032) where districts can bypass DESE's accreditation system entirely and instead seek accreditation from state-recognized national agencies.
Constitutional or Critical Context
This bill fundamentally rebalances power between the state bureaucracy (DESE) and local districts. It introduces a "competition model" for accreditation—forcing DESE to compete with national accreditors. While it delegates some authority to these outside agencies, it does so only if a district chooses them, creating an "escape hatch" for districts tired of one-size-fits-all state mandates.
Red Flags & Recommended Amendments
Third-Party Metrics
The bill allows DESE to outsource grade-level equivalence metrics to third-party nonprofits. This creates a risk of mission creep or ideological bias if the nonprofit is not carefully vetted.
Act for Missouri Recommendation:
HB 1704 advances several of our core goals: it pulls testing and transparency down to the local level, gives parents a better foothold to shape assessment and accountability, and breaks DESE's monopoly on accreditation. The bill still has technical areas that deserve tightening (Federally required ESSA tether, third-party nonprofits), but taken as a whole it moves Missouri's education system toward more local control, more options, and less DESE-centric power.