Joplin superintendent questions new 'A-F' school district grading plan
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The state of Missouri is preparing to reduce school performance to a single letter grade.
But this is raising questions about whether the new system will fairly portray districts that serve large numbers of students facing socioeconomic challenges.
Gov. Mike Kehoe ordered the creation of the “A” through “F” system in January.
The State Board of Education is scheduled to consider the framework for approval Sept. 15.
The system would give separate grades to school districts and individual school buildings.
Scores of 89% or higher would earn an “A.” A score below 50% would result in an “F.”
A school that tests fewer than 95% of eligible students would have its grade lowered by one letter.
Joplin Schools Superintendent Kerry Sachetta says the state should also show families the circumstances surrounding each district’s score.
About 61% of Joplin students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in the district’s 2023 data. That compares with a statewide rate of 49.3% in Missouri’s latest education snapshot.
Joplin also served 557 students experiencing homelessness during the 2022-23 school year. That represented about 7.2% of district enrollment and gave Joplin the 15th-largest homeless student population among Missouri school districts.
The figures further show Joplin serves higher concentrations of students with economic, housing or educational challenges than Missouri as a whole.
Sachetta pointed to Texas, where school report cards include information about low-income students, English learners and children receiving special education services.
Sachetta, in a virtual feedback session, asked Missouri officials to provide similar context and separate performance scores.
Missouri’s proposed formula does not adjust a school’s grade based on poverty or other demographic factors.
Some state board members have argued that expectations should remain the same for every child, although displaying demographic information without changing the grade has received some support.
A preliminary version using 2024-25 data is expected first, but it will not contain every planned measurement.
The first official grade cards are scheduled for public release in April 2027, with the complete framework expected to be reflected in cards released later that year.
