District shows improvement in math scores

Mehlville School District shows improvement in math scores
Posted on 10/22/2019
tests-show-improved-math-scores.jpgIn the 2019 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests, Mehlville School District has shown an improvement in math scores and a slight improvement in English Language Arts scores.

The MAP results, which were released by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), show that 45.2 percent of tested students scored advanced or proficient on the 2019 math test, up 2.6 percentage points from the 2018 test. Slight gains were also seen on English Language Arts scores; 53.6 percent of students tested scored advanced or proficient in 2019, compared to 53 percent in 2018.

“I’m pleased with our math growth, which was particularly evident at the elementary school level,” said Dr. Brian Smith, Assistant Superintendent, Teaching and Learning. “We’ve put additional focus on professional development of teachers as well as building administrators throughout the year.” “Overall, our district mission continues to be to build a high-performing school system that is rooted in continuous improvement,” Dr. Smith said. “We will continue to focus not only on results, but also our strategic plan, leadership and our ability to commit resources in order to create the best learning environment for every student in our district.”

DESE also released the district’s Annual Performance Report (APR) today. The APRs are part of Missouri's school accreditation system, which is known as the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP). MSIP is the system used DESE to review and accredit districts for academic performance. The APR is comprised of scores for each of the MSIP standards: 1) Academic Achievement, 2) Subgroup Achievement, 3) College and Career Readiness, 4) Attendance Rate, and 5) Graduation Rate.

Rather than ranking districts with an APR score or percentage, the state now provides a visual representation of how districts perform.

  • According to the APR district summary report for Academic Achievement, district students are “Exceeding” in both English Language Arts and Math when considering the question, “Are individual students making achievement gains over time?”
  • When looking at achievement by subgroups (students receiving special education services, students receiving English language support, students who qualify for free and reduced lunch), district students are “On Track” for English Language Arts and “Exceeding” for mathematics.
  • The district continues to score above the state average and achieved in the “Exceeding” range for all areas related to College and Career Readiness. College and Career Readiness takes into account achievement on standardized tests such as the ACT, ACCUPLACER, ACT WorkKeys and ASVAB; assessments in Advanced Placement classes, Project Lead The Way classes and dual credit classes; and college and career placement following high school graduation.
  • The district attendance rates continue to be above the state average and are also in the “Exceeding” band.
  • Finally, graduation rates also score in the “Exceeding” band and are all between 94 and 96%.

“Our high schools do a tremendous job of ensuring that graduates are prepared for life after high school,” Dr. Smith said. Educators are working to ensure students take appropriate assessments for their post-graduation plans and to remove barriers so that more students can earn advanced or vocational credit, Dr. Smith said. They are also working to ensure graduates seek and are placed in post-graduation opportunities that are appropriate for them.

Educators throughout Mehlville School District are also helping students develop our Portrait of a Graduate traits. These characteristics include: creative and critical thinker, self-aware, persistent, communicators, ethical and global. 

“We feel that if students are able to possess these characteristics upon graduation, our students will be much more likely to experience success both their professional career and in life,” Dr. Smith said.

The district’s APR results are available on the DESE website at https://apps.dese.mo.gov/MCDS/home.aspx
The Mehlville School District strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, students or others on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity and other characteristics protected by law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: contact Adam Smith at 314-467-5006 or [email protected].