The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the 2023 Annual Performance Report (APR) data publicly on December 18th. The APR measures progress of Missouri students and schools toward standards adopted by the State Board of Education; and is one of many ways education agencies can be evaluated. It is also the primary factor in classification of school districts. With its release, the Department advised the data from the 2023 APR should be used to: illustrate areas of need, inform continuous improvement efforts, highlight successes, and supplement other local data. Overall scores from the APR should not be used to draw conclusions without considering the context.
The District noted the following areas of strength:
Academic Achievement: Science Growth, Social Studies Status
Success - Ready Students: Advanced Credit, Graduation Rate, Graduation Follow Up
Continuous Improvement: Improvement Plan, Success Ready Students: Kindergarten Entry Assessments, Individual Career/Academic Plans
MSIP 6 Required Documentation: Audit, Annual Secretary of the Board Report, Timely Submission of MOSIS/Core Data
The following challenges were noted:
Academic Achievement: Growth - ELA, Math
Success Ready Students: Attendance
As Achievement and Growth data is a snapshot of one moment on one test, it is vital that other data points are considered. The District utilizes benchmark assessments, throughout the year, to measure these items and guide plans for teaching and learning to meet the needs of our students. The state measure for attendance points is 90% of students in attendance 90% of the time. The District earned 0 points in this area. Chronic absenteeism remains a concern across the state (only approximately 76% of students met this criteria) and in Lexington. The District had paused efforts to incentivize attendance during COVID, as instructed for safety. This year, buildings have implemented strategies/incentives to encourage students to be present to learn. We are dedicated to our focus on continuous improvement.