Annual report cards are out for Missouri’s K-12 public schools. New state data shows Missouri’s 552 districts and charter schools scored an average of 79% in 2023-2024 – a roughly 3% increase over the previous year’s report.
State Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger said 60% of schools have increased their scores this time around.
“I do think that we are on the right path,” Eslinger told reporters during a conference call. “Lots of this is because we’re doing the right work. We are really and truly focusing on literacy. We’re focusing on those math skills. We’re doing things to connect kids to real world learning.”
Eslinger said more than 86% of districts and charter schools are now meeting or exceeding expectations.
“We’re at that point as a state and for our teachers, our leaders, our students, our communities, that we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor. We’re starting to see where we are making progress,” she said.
For the third year, the reports are using MSIP6, a more rigorous grading system to measure school performance. The report cards are compiled based on measuring components such as student growth, test scores, attendance rates, graduation rates, college and career readiness, school culture, district planning, among other things.
According to data provided, the highest-achieving schools are Academie Lafayette charter school (99.7%), Brentwood (98.9%), Lafayette Preparatory Academy charter school (96.7%), Pleasant View R-VI (96%), and Strain-Japan R-XVI (96%).
The lowest-achieving ones are all charter schools: KIPP Endeavor Academy (32.1%), The Leadership School (38%), St. Louis Voices Academy (42.8%), Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy (47.4%), and Brookside (50.9%). The State Board of Education does not accredit charter schools because they are independently operated with a sponsor overseeing the school’s performance.
The scores show that about 46 districts are at risk of losing full accreditation if they don’t improve enough over the next two years – an improvement from the previous year’s data of about 100 districts.
Unlike the original plan, the report cards will not be used for accrediting school districts this year. The Missouri Board of Education will consider district accreditation at its January 2025 meeting, based on requirements for superintendent certification; reserve fund balance; local board member orientation and training; and compliance with state and federal law.
According to Eslinger, performance is bouncing back from the pandemic era.
“It’s something that we’ve been waiting for,” said Eslinger. “Ever since the pandemic, we have looked at scores where we’re declining in math, declining in reading, our attendance is down, those kinds of things. And finally, I feel like we’re at that tipping point.”
Attendance has a direct correlation with student performance. Attendance is one area that has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, about 87% of students went to school most of the time. During the 2023-24 school year, roughly 78% of students showed up about 90% of the time.
For students with disabilities, students of color, and low-income learners, their attendance continues to be well below the state average for all students. African American students attended school 62% of the time, while students with disabilities were showing up to school 72% of the time.
Other key takeaways in the school report cards include:
•Workforce development opportunities increased in 251 districts and charter schools that expanded career and technical education programming
•The four-year graduation rate rose to more than 90% – a figure that has not been reached since before 2019
•More than 94% of graduates are employed or pursuing additional education
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