Results from the latest Annual Performance Reports for Educator Preparation Programs (APR-EPPs) have been released to provide information about the programs to the public, particularly parents and students. The APR-EPPs are based on the latest five years of data from educator preparation programs at Missouri colleges and universities.

Therese Shain, a special education teacher with the Special School District of St. Louis County, was named a winner of the prestigious Milken Educator Award during a surprise assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Bayless Elementary in St. Louis. Shain has worked at Bayless Elementary since 2008 and instructs students with a variety of learning needs in grades 3-5.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced statewide results for both the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and district Annual Performance Reports (APR) for the 2017-18 school year. More than 413,000 third- through eighth-grade students and an additional 175,000 high school students participated in the state’s testing program, leading to more than 1.05 million total assessments being administered to Missouri public and charter school students. 

Nineteen Missouri schools will be honored during the 2019 Powerful Learning Conference for their commitment to professional learning opportunities for students. This year’s event will be held Jan. 28-29 at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, and more than 1,600 Missouri educators are expected to attend.

DESE assistant commissioner Chris Neale will present awards to nine schools that have been named Exemplary Professional Learning Communities Schools for promoting cultures focused on collaborative learning while effectively using data to increase student achievement.

The State Board of Education announced on Tuesday that Margie Vandeven has been hired to return to her role as the state’s commissioner for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Vandeven will begin her duties on January 2, 2019.

Beginning January 1, 2019, the fee to take each of the five High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) subtests will increase by 75 cents to $10.75. The total cost for all five tests will be $98.75:

Nearly 70,000 students nationwide attended the 91^st National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis Oct. 24-27, and the Show-Me state topped the charts in several categories.

Results are from final census administration in Missouri

More than 68,000 members of the Missouri graduating class of 2018 took the ACT as 11^th graders and earned an average composite score of 20. Nationally, 55 percent of the class of 2018 took the ACT, with a composite score of 20.8.

The U.S. Department of Education has honored eight Missouri schools as 2018 Blue Ribbon Schools. The national award recognizes schools that perform at high academic levels (top 15 percent in the state based on assessment scores and graduation rates) or that perform at high levels while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students (top 15 percent in progress toward reducing the achievement gap).

The State Board of Education outlined the application and nomination process for selecting the next commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education during its September board meeting. The board will accept applications and nominations today, Sept. 19, through 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018.

For official application and nomination materials, please visit the following website: https://dese.mo.gov/commissioner.