Jefferson City News

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has published the Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2023-24 school year. These reports highlight the progress made by local education agencies (LEAs) and individual schools in meeting the standards set by the sixth version of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6).

"The data shows that Missouri schools are meeting the more rigorous requirements and higher expectations set forth in MSIP 6," stated Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger. "MSIP 6 takes a closer look at what districts are doing to implement effective practices and sustain improvements, while increasing the focus on individual student outcomes. We are seeing positive movement because of hard work at the local level."

Several important points emerge from the 2024 APR data:

- Over 86 percent of LEAs are meeting or exceeding MSIP 6 expectations.

- More than 60 percent of LEAs improved their APR score from 2023 to 2024.

- The APR will not be used for classifying LEAs this year.

- This year's report includes a three-year composite score alongside single-year data from 2023-24.

Additionally, this release introduces an alternate APR draft for the 20 LEAs involved in a State School Innovation Waiver with the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN). This initiative aims to inform future MSIP designs.

"We are also thrilled to be working with the SRSN and the 20 LEAs participating in this first cohort," said Commissioner Eslinger. "They are leading the way, exploring competency-based learning models thinking about how best to expand real-world learning experiences for students while clearly demonstrating a student’s readiness for their next step after graduation. We look forward to this ongoing collaboration."

MSIP serves as Missouri's system for reviewing and accrediting/classifying LEAs, focusing on ensuring students graduate ready for college, careers, and life.

Starting in 2024, MSIP 6 APR will include both single-year reports and a composite score with three years of data. DESE plans to use these composite scores for classification recommendations due to their stability compared to single-year measures.

Guidance on accessing the 2024 APR data is available, providing users with navigation instructions. Additional resources can be found on DESE’s MSIP 6 webpage.