Superintendent's Message
March 7, 2023
Clever Families,
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released the latest scores for school districts across the state. Below you will find an explanation of APR, why these results are important, and how we will use them as we make plans for the future.
What is the APR?
Missouri’s DESE has an accountability model for school districts called the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP). To score districts on their performance and improvement, DESE uses an Annual Performance Report (APR).
Many things have changed with MSIP 6, and the scoring is very different. We can’t compare these scores to scores we’ve gotten in the past because how the data is scored has changed considerably. This is also the first time we have gotten APR data since 2019. While it is unfortunate that we have two years without data, we feel this is a great opportunity to establish a baseline from which to work. These numbers allow us to see where we are and what needs to be done in order to continue providing opportunities for our students to excel.
How is this score different from previous years?
This is the first year DESE is using the sixth and latest version of its accountability model, MSIP 6. There are a few notable differences between this model and the previous one, listed below:
This is the pilot year for scoring schools along the standards for MSIP 6.
This model differentiates the performance of public schools and districts along a continuum, or ranking.
Status and Growth are also scored separately, while in the previous model, they could be scored in conjunction.
We received a fully accredited score of 76.8%. This score is based on data submitted in the spring of 2022. While this data has just recently been packaged and released to the public, our school district has had access to certain pieces of it since the start of this school year. We have used this data to make informed decisions and implement steps to address the needs of our students, and we continue to do so on a regular basis. Although information obtained from the APR is important, it is a snapshot. We make instructional decisions based on the needs of our students every day. Our Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP) outlines our five-year strategic plan to support the academic achievement of each student. (A copy of our CSIP can be found here.)
Our district is proud of the things we are doing to help raise student achievement. These things include:
RTI–Response to Intervention, or RTI, is an educational strategy used in schools to provide effective and high-quality instruction, monitor all students' progress to make sure they are progressing as expected, and provide additional support (intervention) to students who are struggling.
Dual Credit and Advanced Placement Courses–Dual credit or Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered in high school to help students receive college credit before high school graduation.
College/Career Readiness–Middle College, ACT Prep, OTC/Vo-Tech
Teacher Focused Professional Learning
K-8 Math Interventionist–A full time math interventionist who can identify areas of concern and provide individual or small group instruction to students.
Instructional Coaches–Our instructional coaches collaborate with teachers to identify goals, pick teaching strategies to meet the goals, help and problem solve to achieve those goals.
Tutoring–The district has utilized Career Ladder to expand tutoring opportunities for any students. In accordance with our CSIP, data from MAP/EOC, RTI, NWEA, Impact Team, and Progress Learning is reviewed throughout the year to monitor and identify areas of weakness to help determine when students may need additional support. Students are able to participate in one on one or small group tutoring before or after school with teachers.
As a district, we strive to identify opportunities for improvement. Some of the areas we have identified and are taking steps to improve include:
Literacy and Math–As mentioned above, we have already added a K-8 Math Interventionist, and we will be adding a K-12 Literacy specialist in the fall of 2023.
Attendance–Improving attendance has been listed as a goal in our district’s CSIP plan. Action steps to meet that goal include providing incentives to encourage student attendance, create a climate and culture where students are heard and respected, use Leader in Me strategies to strengthen interpersonal, personal, leadership and study skills, and utilize relationship building in grades 6-12.
Curriculum/Assessment–We are continuing work to align assessments with state standards.
Teacher Training–We have been able to offer teachers a Master’s Class taught on campus by Clever administrators at no cost to the participants. We are also working on a “Grow Your Own Grant” which will allow us to identify, inspire, and prepare great teachers who would like to return to the Clever school system after graduating from college. The program has the potential to create teachers who are already heavily invested in the Clever RV School District, an especially valuable asset for a growing district.
We plan to use the results of the APR to celebrate our successes and to help guide us as we constantly work to improve areas of weakness. Our goal is to make changes that will serve our students in the best possible way as we strive for Excellence In All We Do.
Sincerely,
Dr. Breeden
Superintendent
Clever R-V School District