This week the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released Annual Performance Report (APR) scores for Missouri school districts. These scores are intended to provide an at-a-glance picture of a district’s performance and are, understandably, of great interest to parents and policymakers. Due to the effects of the pandemic, this is the first time APR scores have been issued since 2019.
What is an APR score?
DESE uses APR scores to determine school districts’ accreditation status. APRs are calculated based on how districts meet the standards laid out in the Missouri School Improvement Plan (MSIP).
Missouri has just begun the transition between the MSIP5 standards and the new MSIP6 standards. This year’s APR scores (MSIP6) use a different scale than last year’s (MSIP5). Because they are new, by law they cannot be used to determine accreditation or renewal status this year. Click here to learn more about APR scores and the new Missouri standards.
Who receives an APR score? Are APR scores accurate?
APR scores are assigned to both Missouri school districts and charter schools. APRs are specifically designed to measure performance and assign accreditation status at K-12 school districts. Charter schools, like Kairos Academies, provide a very different educational experience than a traditional school district. Although charter schools receive an APR score– charters do not receive an accreditation status from those scores. Instead, Missouri law holds charter schools accountable through a short-term performance contract that must be met and renewed regularly by the school’s sponsoring agency. In this case, Kairos must meet performance standards laid out by our sponsor, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission (MCPSC).
Charter schools can also serve varying grade levels meaning some APR measurements are not applicable. For example, a charter school that serves only elementary school students could have their APR score calculated almost entirely based on administrative processes like audits and attendance–not on any academic test results. Likewise, a school that serves high schoolers can earn additional points for end of course exams and graduation rates.
Those distinct differences in grade levels mean APRs may fail to paint a complete picture of student achievement and academic growth for a charter that does not serve students in every K-12 grade-level. Click here to learn more about the limitations of APR scores.
What does Kairos’ Sponsor Say About APR Scores?
MCPSC is the state agency charged with monitoring Kairos’ academic performance and adherence to our charter agreement. Meeting our sponsor’s performance standards and accountability measures ultimately determines whether or not Kairos is able to continue to operate.
MCPSC sent a letter to DESE, dated March 1, 2023, which included the following feedback on the new MSIP6 standards and APR scores:
- “...the MSIP6 Comprehensive Guide and the Annual Performance Report seem to ignore the way charter schools operate under state law.”
- “The Department created a separate APR for K-8’s, because the K-12 APR misrepresented K-8 MSIP accountability. Because charter schools are not subject to accredit