MO HCR16

Designates September 2015 as "Missouri Whole Child Month" to promote a holistic approach to education focusing on five tenets: students being challenged, engaged, supported, healthy, and safe

Missouri has approximately 2,400 schools enrolling over 915,000 students with an 83.7% graduation rate, ranking in the top ten nationally according to a 2014 Education Week report

Highlights graduation rate disparities: 66% of Hispanic students and 68% of African-American students graduate, compared to rates 10-15% higher for white students

Notes Missouri spends over $50 million annually on remediation education for high school graduates lacking basic skills, and estimates $6 billion in lost lifetime earnings for non-graduates

Encourages parents, educators, and community members to support whole child education, and asks every Missouri school to celebrate by promoting at least one whole child tenet during the month