The St. Louis Regional P-20 Council is reshaping our region from "cradle to career." Founded in 2007, the council is a unique partnership of all sectors of the gateway region. Together, we're working to develop each child in our region to succeed from birth to a meaningful career. As a united region, we can then actively support and strengthen strategies that work. Join the gateway team to support productive citizenship and a thriving gateway region.
According to The US Department of Education, P-16/P-20 councils were first established in the 1990s to convene state leaders representing early learning (the "P") through the first four years of college (the "16"). More recently, states have extended the scope and work of the councils to include P-20s, to reach doctoral and professional schools (the "20"). The stated goal of P-16 and P-20 councils is to develop a seamless system of education with aligned expectations from the earliest years of a child's development through the K-12 system, and into and through postsecondary education.
Currently, 40 states have established a P-16 or P-20 council. Two states (Louisiana and Pennsylvania) have two councils convening P-16/P-20 stakeholders, for a total of 40 P-16 or P-20 councils nationwide. An additional five states do not have a P-16 or P-20 council, but have consolidated most or all governance of public education in one or two agencies or boards who essentially perform the function of a P-16 or P-20 council.
