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. 

Due to changes in learning standards, completely new assessments in English language arts and math were administered in 2017-18; therefore, it is important to note that the 2017-18 results are not comparable with results from previous tests in those subjects. More than 2,500 Missouri teachers and other stakeholders crafted the Missouri Learning Standards that were adopted in spring 2016. The new standards were developed with a goal of setting higher expectations for students, which was reflected in a more challenging, teacher-developed set of state assessments. 

A field test was given during the 2017-18 school year for science, so schools did not receive official MAP scores, nor was science reflected in calculations for the 2017-18 APR scores. New science assessments will be administered during the 2018-19 school year. 

This year’s APR data reflected a slightly heavier focus on non-academic factors such as high school readiness (K-8 districts), college and career readiness (K-12 districts), attendance, and graduation rates. Schools continued to prepare students for success after graduation, with tangible results: more students both participated in advanced placement courses and scored a 3 or better on AP exams, enrollment increased in dual enrollment and Project Lead the Way courses, and a greater number of students earned industry-recognized credentials. 

More than 97 percent of Missouri districts and charter schools scored at least 70 percent of the possible points on their APR. For public school districts, this places them in the fully accredited range, while charter schools do not receive an accreditation classification under current guidelines. 

All public school district and charter school MAP and APR data can be found by accessing DESE’s comprehensive data system portal here. First-time users are encouraged to watch a brief tutorial to assist with recent updates to the portal design.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary (DESE) staff presented statewide Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) results for grade levels 3 through 8 to the State Board of Education at its meeting today. More than 407,740 students participated in the state’s grade-level testing program. The results showed slightly increased scores from last year in all content areas and grade levels, but staff cautioned that one additional year of data does not establish a trend. The tests are among the measures DESE uses to gauge student progress in Missouri public schools.

“We are pleased to see the progress students made across the board in the last year,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “Reading and numeracy skills are essential to ensuring that students are prepared for success after high school.”

Below are the percentages of Missouri students who scored proficient or advanced on the 2016 and 2017 grade-level tests in English language arts:

Below are the percentages of Missouri students who scored proficient or advanced on the 2016 and 2017 grade-level tests in mathematics:

Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8 show a longer data trend line because the assessments have not changed in recent years.

The results include the MAP Alternate (MAP-A) assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet grade-level and eligibility criteria. MAP-A tests are given in English language arts (ELA) and math for grades 3-8 and 11 and in science for grades 5, 8 and 11. More than  6,000 Missouri students took the MAP-A assessments.

The State Board of Education adopted new learning standards in 2016, and the state plans to roll out new tests in English language arts and mathematics based on the new expectations in the spring of the 2017-18 school year. The science tests in grades 5 and 8 will be a field test in 2018, and a new science assessment will be operational by the 2018-19 school year.

Student achievement on the MAP tests is among several factors used in school districts’ annual performance reports (APRs) to determine accreditation under the Missouri School Improvement Program. The Department will release district APRs this fall.