School performance report shows improvement amid lingering teacher recruitment challenges

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the statewide Annual Performance Reports for the 2023-24 school year on Monday.

The reports provide education officials and the public with a glimpse into whether and how well each district is meeting the standards and expectations outlined in the Missouri School Improvement Program, the 6th version of which was adopted in 2022.

“These schools are funded with taxpayer dollars, and we must be accountable for the work we’re doing and transparent in sharing those outcomes,” said Karla Eslinger, DESE’s Commissioner in a recent presentation about the APR data.

DESE officials highlighted some of the positive aspects of the report, which showed measurable growth in educational outcomes, particularly in middle school mathematics, which has reached or surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

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Both attendance and graduation rates also improved over 2023, with the four-year graduation rate climbing above 90% for the first time since prior to the pandemic.

Additionally, more than 94% of graduates are employed or seeking higher education, according to the report.

Still, the challenge of recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and staff remains a major issue.

“We know that with fewer educators, more and more courses across the state are being taught by folks that are substitutes, that maybe have not really been trained on the specific content area,” Eslinger said. “We’ve got work to do there. Those people are doing a great job, but we need to put some more tools and resources around them.”

The State Board of Education will consider the classification of districts at its January 7 meeting. Those classifications will be based on requirements for: 1) superintendent certification, 2) reserve fund balance, 3) local board member orientation and training, and 4) compliance with state and federal law.

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This classification process applies only to school districts, not charters.

Also, the APR will not be used to classify school districts this year, as that classification is based on the “composite score,” in the APR. That score is rendered based on the data collected from the current year and the previous two years, and because the pilot year was 2022, state law does not allow the data to be used to downgrade a district’s classification.

You can see more information on how to review the full results of the 2024 Annual Performance Report by following this link.