Missouri State Board of Education to vote on A-F school and district grading system

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Board of Education is expected to vote on the A-F school and district grading framework Tuesday morning.

The Board of Education will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Jefferson State Office Building; however, discussions and the vote is expected to take place around 9:30 a.m.

In January, Governor Mike Kehoe signed an executive order instructing the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create A-F school grade cards. The order calls for each public school, charter school and district to receive an overall A, B, C, D or F rating based on a 100-point scale.

These cards are meant to give stakeholders an easier way to understand school performance.

Elementary and middle school grades would include academic achievement, value-added growth and growth toward proficiency in English language arts, literacy, mathematics and science. The order defines growth toward proficiency as whether a student with two consecutive years of Missouri Assessment Program results is on track to reach grade-level proficiency within three years.

High school grades would include academic achievement, value-added growth, Success Ready Graduate measures and the four-year graduation rate.

A school or district that tests fewer than 95% of its students on required state assessments would have its rating lowered by one letter grade. Private schools could choose to participate by opting into state assessments.

The executive order also urges the State Board of Education to increase the thresholds for earning each letter grade by five points the following year if 65% of schools receive an A or B.

The Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals and the Missouri State Teachers Association also oppose assigning individual letter grades to schools and districts.

Last week, DESE led a public feedback session on the proposed grading card system. Several people who attended the session spoke against the proposal and questioned whether a single grade would give parents an accurate understanding of a school.