DESE gives Missouri schools first look at A-F grades; CPS alerts families

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has given school districts their new A-F grades, and education officials are alerting families ahead of their publication.

Wheaton R-III Superintendent Alyssa Kennedy told ABC 17 News on Friday that the state has shared a first look at 2024-25 data with districts and schools, though the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would not confirm that release to ABC 17.

Kennedy said Friday that she was attending the Missouri School Boards’ Association conference in Kansas City and that DESE had released a first look at the data to districts and schools.

Columbia Public Schools emailed families Thursday to explain the new grading system. CPS also noted that "It is important to remember that a single letter grade cannot tell the complete story of a school or a district."

DESE initially expected the 2024-2025 grades to be released to districts and schools in September. That timeline was pushed to December, giving districts time to review draft grades before they are released publicly.

The system stems from Executive Order 26-01, which Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Jan. 13. It directed the State Board of Education to have DESE develop annual A-F grade cards for public schools, charter schools and districts.

Kehoe’s order said the goal was to give families and communities clear information about academic performance and student growth.

The state’s framework uses different measures depending on the grade levels a school serves. For elementary and middle schools, those include academic achievement and student growth in English language arts, literacy, math and science. High school grades also include Success Ready Graduate measures and the four-year graduation rate.

Several education associations have raised concerns about the framework. The Missouri State Teachers Association opposes assigning schools a single letter grade, saying it could obscure information about student growth and student groups and create pressure without providing support. The Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals have also opposed the grading system.

The Missouri School Boards’ Association supports accountability and transparency, but has cautioned that one grade cannot tell the full story of a school.

The new rating will be an additional state measure. It will not replace Missouri’s existing accountability system or districts' Annual Performance Report, and the grades will not affect accreditation or funding.

Check back for more of this developing story.