(The Lion) — Despite some districts’ dismal academic outcomes, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has delayed changing any accreditation scores until 2027 – although this may be too late for schoolchildren still enrolled statewide.
“A generation of students will graduate from Missouri schools before the state takes action on low performing districts — even as more than half of students remain behind in math and reading,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in a Nov. 6 article.
“The delay spares 29 fully accredited districts, including Grandview in Jefferson County, Ritenour in St. Louis County and St. Louis Public Schools, from a downgrade to provisional accreditation, which triggers extra state oversight.”
The department listed a range of factors for delaying any penalties over a 12-year period, including “new standardized tests and scoring systems, COVID-19 disruptions and the need for ‘stability of measures,’” according to journalists.
However, students end up taking the brunt of the deferral, argues Peter Franzen, associate executive director of Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri.
“Parents and caregivers, and most importantly Missouri kids in underperforming schools, are entitled to make choices in the best interests of their education,” he said. “Putting off accurate assessments once again fails Missouri’s children.”
Changes to scoring system
Last spring’s test scores found about 44% of students achieved English proficiency and 42% in math statewide, the Post-Dispatch noted.
“Missouri education officials changed the scoring system last year to judge districts on their average performance over three years, and then the average of two overlapping three year periods (2023 to 2025 and 2024 to 2026),” the article explained.
“Under the system, districts cannot drop an accreditation level until after the 2025-2026 data is calculated, pushing any changes to fall 2027.”
DESE Commissioner Karla Eslinger defended the policy changes, saying the department provides support to districts even before considering downgrades to their accreditation status.
“We’re really coming to a point where there is going to be an opportunity for the school districts to show that they have met those expectations,” she said.
“We don’t just look at their accreditation as to whether or not you need support. Anything from fiscal stability to maybe it’s an academic piece on reading or math or anything in that area, we do have resources here that we offer school districts, and we even reach out and tell them, `We can help you.’ There’s no gain in a gotcha.”
School districts receive rankings based on a 0-100 scale – ranging from unaccredited (below 50%) to accredited with distinction (95% or above), according to the Post-Dispatch.
“The reports measure test scores, student growth, graduation rates, attendance and school culture among other factors to determine accreditation status.”
