STE. GENEVIEVE — On March 7, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the statewide Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2021-22 school year. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor shared that the district is incredibly proud of having earned a total score of 91.8%. This means that our district ranks 7th in Missouri among the 160 school districts that were eligible to achieve a total of 180 points.
This year’s new APR is a component of the latest version of DESE’s school accountability program, the Missouri School Improvement Program 6. MSIP6 outlines expectations for schools regarding practices and outcomes, and sets the goal of having students graduate with a framework to be successful in college, career and life. These measures are then combined to create the APR, which measures students’ and school districts’ progress toward standards.
This year’s APR cannot be compared to previous years’ scores, as it is built upon a completely new metric system. The accreditation/classification of school districts under MSIP 6 will begin in the 2023-2024 school year, once districts have received an average score utilizing three years’ of data. This year’s APR will serve as a baseline measure for future APR calculations, and can also be viewed as a starting point for future score increases.
Dr. Taylor pointed out that due to the changes in metrics and data transfer, many districts have received somewhat challenging scores, and this year’s APR score does not define the hard work of these districts. In fact, as a result of these new measurements, there has been a statewide shift in the distribution of district APR scores. In the MSIP 5 2018 APR, approximately 320 school districts scored higher than 95%. In the MSIP 6 2022 APR, only four districts scored higher than 95%.
The most significant change from MSIP5 to MSIP6 was a reassignment of the 100% Performance score to a total score now based on 70% Performance and 30% to a new category called Continuous Improvement. Our district earned 89.3% on Performance, and 98.1% on Continuous Improvement.
Under MSIP6:
- Performance is composed of: MAP grade-level assessments and End-of-Course exams—both of which include student scores and growth; a category called Success Ready Students, which includes advanced credits and assessments for College Career Readiness, such as ACT, ASVAB, and ACT WorkKeys; and graduation rates.
- Continuous Improvement includes measures such as a district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP); community engagement through climate and culture surveys; student supports such as kindergarten readiness assessments and Individual Career and Academic Planning (ICAP) participation; and student attendance.
It is important to note that the APR is only one of many data points—a snapshot— in evaluating a district’s programming. In addition to the annual MAP/EOC testing, our district also utilizes through-year NWEA testing in order to measure and assess student growth at multiple points during the school year. This provides our educators with the opportunity to impact student learning in real time. This supports our teachers and staff in helping students to take an active role in setting goals and working toward achieving them. Along with through-year progress, the new APR does not measure the success and well-being of the whole child. Our district focuses on social-emotional learning, coping skills, prioritizing mental wellness, building confidence, and preparing students for success after graduation.