Missouri school districts to get ‘first look’ at new A-F grading system this fall

By: Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -- Data from the 2024-25 school year will be used to give school districts a "first look" at a new A-F grading system for districts this fall.

The Missouri State Board of Education reviewed an updated proposal Tuesday that would assign A-F grades to public schools and school districts. The board also learned that the initial grades won't include literacy scores, but those will be included in the full report card districts will receive in fall 2027.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education presented the framework as part of an executive order signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe. Kehoe signed the order in January, directing the department and State Board of Education to develop a simpler way for families to understand school performance.

The board did not vote on the proposal Tuesday. The department’s presentation says the framework is scheduled to return to the board as an action item in September.

The latest proposal includes a revised formula for high schools. Academic achievement and student growth would each account for 29% of a high school’s grade. The state’s Success-Ready Graduate measure and four-year graduation rate would each account for 21%.

The framework submitted to the governor in June had divided those categories differently, assigning 28% each to academic achievement and growth and 22% each to the Success-Ready Graduate measure and graduation rate.

For elementary and middle schools, academic achievement would account for 38% of the grade, value-added growth for 33%, and growth toward proficiency for 29%.

Growth toward proficiency would measure whether a student who is not proficient is on track to reach grade-level proficiency within three years.

Under the proposed scale, schools and districts scoring 89% or higher would receive an A. Scores between 76-88% would receive a B, while scores between 63-75% would receive a C. Scores between 50-62% would receive a D, and scores below 50% would receive an F.

The latest presentation also outlines a revised rollout schedule. The department anticipates releasing a “first look” in fall 2026 using data from the 2024-25 school year. That version would not include the proposed literacy measure.

A draft using data from the 2025-26 school year is anticipated sometime in 2027, although the presentation does not give a specific date. The department expects grade cards using all elements of the framework to be released in fall 2027 using data from the 2026-27 school year.

The executive order calls for schools and districts to receive their grade cards by Sept. 15 each year and publish them by Sept. 30. It also requires schools to test at least 95% of their students on state assessments. A school that does not meet that threshold would have its rating lowered by one letter grade.

The department said funding, staffing and collaboration among state agencies and school districts will be necessary to produce the grade cards and support school improvement efforts.

The Missouri State Teachers Association opposes the proposed system. Matthew Michelson, the association’s education policy director, said educators are concerned the grades could place more pressure on schools to focus on state testing.

“We are going to have an issue where teachers are teaching to the test, because the test is the only thing that matters,” Michelson said. “And the single test is going to determine whether or not students are going to be in an A school or an F school. And then all of the things, the stigma, the accountability, the buy in from the community that go along with that.”

The Missouri School Boards’ Association supports accountability and transparency but is concerned families could view a letter grade without considering other information about a school.

“I think it’s important to recognize that one letter cannot tell the full story of a school or the education an individual child is receiving,” Executive Director Melissa Randol said. “So it is just one piece of information alongside a lot of other pieces of data and a lot, you know, the experiences and opportunities that are provided by school to our students and to our families and communities.”

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The proposed system would give each public school, public charter school and district an overall grade based on a 100-point scale. A score of 89% or higher would receive an A, while a score below 50% would receive an F.

Elementary and middle school grades would be based on academic achievement, student growth and whether students are on track to reach grade-level proficiency. High-school grades would also consider the state’s Success-Ready Graduate measure and four-year graduation rate.

A school that tests fewer than 95% of its students on required state assessments would have its rating lowered by one letter grade.

The department’s presentation also identifies several decisions that still need to be made, including whether every school should receive a grade, whether already-proficient students should be included in the growth-to-proficiency measure and whether the formula should account for demographic characteristics.