EVERY. STUDENT. PREPARED. INVESTING IN THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW

Every. Student. Prepared.

Aligned is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of business leaders committed to improving education in Kansas and Missouri.

40% of 4th graders are not proficient in reading
Missouri is behind the national average in educational attainment
47% of Kansas graduates leave the state
Aligned aims to crack this paradox by advocating for policies that will improve K-12 education and post-secondary outcomes, strengthen our workforce, and empower a generation of learners. Together with business leaders and policymakers, we’re reforming systems to unlock the full potential of Kansas and Missouri students and create a brighter future for all learners.
Updates & News
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Monthly Update - August 2024
Empty college classroom

Monthly Update - August 2024

This month’s highlights : Top News - The number of college closures has surged dramatically, with at least 30 institutions shutting down in 2023 and a rate of one per week in 2024, starkly higher than the previous highest annual closure rate of 13. Missouri Update - The Scholarship Foundation of St...

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Monthly Update
States surrounding Missouri and Kansas and child well being rankings

Monthly Update

This week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 35th edition of its KIDS COUNT Data Book. Among all states, Missouri ranked #32, and Kansas ranked #19 in overall child well-being, which examines economic well-being, education, health, and family and community data.

Weekly Legislative Update
House members toss papers as session ends

Weekly Legislative Update

As this is the last week of the Missouri legislative session, we are taking inventory of our wins this year and the incremental gains over the past ten years.

Problems Solved
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Missouri law prohibited measuring quality in early care and education centers. We removed that ban and established the Quality Assurance Report.
School districts could not use state aid dollars to partner with quality early childhood programs. We worked to pass language to allow contracting which increased the supply of quality pre-K. .
Administrators had few ways to address staffing challenges. We wrote language to allow alternative certification pathways for hard-to-staff schools and subject areas.
Kansas lacked a way to answer questions about education and workforce policy. We supported efforts to create a state longitudinal data system.
Uncover the power of aligning business with education to prepare every student.

Our members

Success Story
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Operation Breakthrough's Transformative Pre-K Program

In this case study, we explore the transformative impact of a policy initiative spearheaded by Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, addressing the critical nexus of education, accessibility, and community welfare. Leveraging new state education funding facilitated by the KC Pre-K Cooperative and championed by the nonpartisan coalition Aligned, Operation Breakthrough serves low-income children and helps students over come barriers to learning and fosters Kindergarten readiness through its holistic approach to early education. This profile serves as a testament to the importance of effective policy advocacy and its transformative potential in addressing critical societal issues.

Operation Breakthrough preschool teacher leads students through lesson.
Student eating fresh meal prepared in Operation Breakthrough kitchen.
Operation Breakthrough students enjoy recess time.

Partners