The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released the 2022 Annual Performance Reports (APR) for every district across the State. The reports are based solely on the 2021-2022 school year.
DESE released the following key considerations of the 2022 reports:
•It cannot be compared to previous APRs.
•It contains data from the 2021-22 school year only.
•It reflects the ongoing impact of the pandemic, including its disproportionate impact on some groups of students.
•It separates scoring for achievement status and growth and emphasizes them equally.
•It is the pilot report for MSIP 6 and cannot be used to lower district classification or to evaluate teachers.
•It is one among many data points for stakeholders.
The reports contain two sections, student performance and continuous improvement. This is a substantial change from previous reports that only covered student performance. This is the result of the changes to the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6).
The SJSD earned 67.6% of the 180 points possible on the pilot 2022 APR report. While DESE emphasizes the 2022 pilot report is not comparable to previous years and reflects the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, the SJSD did improve student growth metrics. This is encouraging when considering the learning gaps the district is working to close.
“The St. Joseph School District is aware of the gaps and we know we are not where we want to be," said Superintendent Gabe Edgar. “The pilot report will aid the SJSD in preparation and planning for the upcoming year. A laser-like concentration on student performance is already underway by every department and school in the district.”
Student attendance continues to be an area of concern for the district. February attendance percentages are still short of the SJSD’s goal of 80%. To educate students, the SJSD needs them in class.
It is noteworthy to state that the SJSD was selected to be in DESE’s year-one continuous improvement cycle while other districts were not. DESE awarded The SJSD Continuous School Improvement Plan 30 out of the 30 possible points.