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Show-Me Institute grades state’s schools

Report ranks Missouri districts on student performance metrics, notes graduation rates

By Layne Stracener [email protected]

The Show-Me Institute launched a new school ranking website Friday, allowing anyone to easily see how individual school districts are performing.

MoSchoolRankings.org provides anyone with access to information about student performance in every Missouri school district. Using data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Show-Me Institute has developed its own method of grading schools and districts. The grades are based on data from the 2018-19 school year and are calculated across several performance metrics.

In addition to ranking districts with letter grades for student performance metrics, it ranks them based on how

their performance compares to all other districts in the state. The grades are combined to produce a GPA for each school and district, and the ranks are based on their GPA.

“Accountability is vital to standards-based education, and right now there is little accountability,” said Susan Pendergrass, director of research and education policy at the Show-Me Institute, in a Show-Me Institute news release. “Publicly grading and ranking schools is an important first step in accountability. We hope the information motivates educators and policymakers to focus on improving student performance and overall outcomes.”

Out of the four Cole County school districts, the Blair Oaks R-2 School District in Wardsville had the highest score, and the Jefferson City School District had the lowest.

The Jefferson City School District ranked 428 out of 516 overall, with a GPA of 1.5 out of 4.0. It scored a D in English for all students as well as low-income students. Its English growth score is a C, ranking 354 out of 501. Its math score is a C for all students and a D for low-income students. Its math growth score is a C, ranking 303 out of 501.

JC Schools’ graduation rate scored a D, ranking 428 out of 446, with a graduation rate of 81.3 percent. Its ACT score received a D with a ranking of 279 out of 439.

Blair Oaks ranked 60 out of 516 overall, with a GPA of 2.6. It scored a B in English for all students and a C in English for low-income students. Its English growth score is a C, ranking 333 out of 501. Its math score is a B for all students and a C for low-income students. Its math growth score is a C, ranking 323 out of 501.

Blair Oaks’ graduation rate scored an A, ranking 122 out of 446, with a graduation rate of 98.3 percent. Its ACT score received a C with a ranking of 93 out of 439.

The Cole County R-1 School District in Russellville ranked 118 out of 516 overall, with a GPA of 2.3. It scored a C in English for all students and low-income students. Its English growth score is also a C, ranking 184 out of 501. Its math score is a B for all students and a C for low-income students. Its math growth score is a B, ranking 84 out of 501.

Russellville’s graduation rate scored an A, ranking one out of 446 with a graduation rate of 100 percent. Its ACT score received a D with a ranking of 288 out of 439.

The Cole County R-5 School District in Eugene ranked 301 out of 516 overall, with a GPA of 1.9. It scored a C in English for all students and low-income students, a C in math for all students and a D in math for low-income students.

Eugene’s graduation rate scored an A, ranking 147 out of 446 with a graduation rate of 97.4. Its ACT score received a C with a ranking of 195 out of 439.

The site will be updated as new data become available, according to the news release.

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2021-10-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

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