Annual Performance Reports are available through the MCDS portal.

• MSIP 6 Comprehensive Guide to Missouri School Improvement Program
• Administrative Memo QS-23-001 - 2022 Annual Performance Report
• Getting your data ready for the APR
• Missouri Growth Model

Accuracy is key to ensuring that data is meaningful to the Local Education Agency (LEA). DESE Accountability Data offers LEAs the ability to request several types of corrections and appeals. Each appeal type has a specific appeals window. The appeal request must be submitted no later the close of the appeals window. Appeals received after the deadline will not be processed. Appeals are handled in the order they are received.

The Appeals Process provides LEAs with an opportunity to appeal:

• A+ Retake – Remove a score for an A+ retest to achieve proficient/advanced on Algebra I.
• Incorrect LND – The LEA believes the student was assigned an LND incorrectly.
• Incorrect Score – The LEA believes the student did not receive the correct score number. (Include purchase order number with appeal.)
• Missing Score – The LEA believes the student tested but did not receive a score.
• Removal of Duplicate Score – A student has more than one score for a content area.
• Unintentional Invalidation – The LEAs unintentionally invalidated the score appeal of the student.
• Incorrect Graduation Cohort – If the student transferred out during the most recent school year and are still counting in the cohort the LEA should make sure the exit code is a transfer out code in MOSIS/Core Data, re-upload and re-certify.
• MOSIS ID – The MOSIS ID for the student is incorrect.

APPEALS WINDOWS AND INFORMATION

Procedures for submitting an appeal

LEA’s must use the DESE Appeals Application to submit an appeal.  Incomplete files will delay the appeals process.

All appeals must include supporting documentation:

• For MAP Assessment rescore appeals, a purchase order must include the LEA’s appeal request.
• For CCR assessments including AP and IB exams, a score sheet from the vendor, with the vendor logo on it must be included in the LEA’s appeal request.
• Graduation Cohort appeals must include supporting documentation (e.g., records request, signed homeschool request).
• A+ appeals do not require an additional documentation.

Appeals Manual for Online Submission

DESE will share important dates related to the data posting as they become available.

Additional information regarding the appeals process and forms can be found in the Accountability Data Appeals Process tab on this page. If you have any additional questions, please contact DESE Accountability Data at accountabilitydata@dese.mo.gov or 573-526-4426.

Students with serious medical and mental conditions can and do participate in the Missouri statewide assessments. However, there are rare and unique situations in which a student is unable, for medical reasons, to participate in an assessment. Federal regulations allow exceptions to participation in such situations; however, these exceptions must be made with great care. 

All medically fragile students are expected to participate in statewide assessments unless a significant and documented medical emergency exists in addition to medical fragility. When a medically fragile student cannot reasonably participate in a statewide assessment during the state assessment window, this must be documented in the student’s permanent file and a medical waiver must be submitted to DESE through the DESE Data Appeals Application (see link below). Additionally, the LEA must submit an explanation of why the student is unable to participate on LEA letterhead and upload it to the Appeals Application with the waiver forms.

• Medical Waivers

Beginning with the 2024-25 APR, appeals will only be accepted using the appeals application located in the Missouri Comprehensive Data System (MCDS) portal. To access the appeals application, the user must log into the DESE Application Sign-in for secure access and select DESE Data Appeals 

A MAP Grade-Level or End-of-Course Assessment should be invalidated only if a student is discovered cheating. Neither a student’s behavior during testing nor the judgment of a student’s effort during testing can invalidate a student’s test.

Cheating is the only time the “Teacher Invalidation” code is used. If a district chooses to use the “Teacher Invalidation” code, the test examiner and the STC must agree that the student cheated. The STC should then notify the DTC. This code invalidates all sessions of the content area.

Do not mark the “Teacher Invalidation” box for use of accommodations that result in the student receiving the lowest obtainable scale score.

If an LEA invalidates a test, they must also submit a letter to DESE Accountability Data. This letter should be on district letterhead and be signed by the Superintendent. The letter should include:

1. Student Name
2. MOSIS ID
3. Date of Birth
4. Grade
5. Content Area
6. District Name
7. County/District Code
8. School Name
9. School Code
10. The reason the testing session is being invalidated/description of the incident

To submit the Invalidation letter, either fax your written request to: (573) 526-3045 OR request access to the secure FTP transfer site.

To request access to the FTP site, send an email to accountabilitydata@dese.mo.gov with the subject: DESE Assessment Invalidation – Secure Transfer. The email request should contain the email address of the person who will upload the file. Once approved, the provided email address will receive two emails – one from the State of Missouri containing a username and password for the FTP site, and a second email from the person at DESE who approved the request containing a link to the FTP site.

To upload the Assessment Invalidation, go to the secure FTP site and enter the provided username and password. Click Reply. Drag and Drop the required letter to the Upload Files box. In the email, be sure to include contact information in case DESE has any questions.

End-of-Course Assessment

All students must take the Algebra I, English II, Biology and Government End-of-Course (EOC) assessments prior to graduation.

A few groups of students may be exempt from certain portions or all of the assessment. Those include:

• Students whose IEP teams have determined that the MAP-A is the appropriate assessment do not have to take EOC assessments. To avoid an LND, districts must submit an EOC exception for Government for students that participate in MAP-A.
• English Learners (EL) who have been in the United States 12 cumulative months or fewer at the time of administration may be exempted from taking the English Language Arts assessment during that school year. They will have to take the English II EOC prior to graduation. If the student is a senior, they will be exempt.
• Foreign exchange students are allowed, but are not required to take the assessment. This is a district decision.
• Homeschooled students may take part in the assessment at the local district's discretion.
• Private school students are not required to take the End-of-Course assessments.

About End-of-Course Assessments

• MAP Grade-Level Assessment

• All students in grades 3-8 in Missouri will take the grade level assessment. English Language Arts and Mathematics are administered in all grades. Science is administered in grades 5 and 8. A few groups of students may be exempt from certain portions or all of the assessment. Those include:
• Students whose IEP teams have determined that the MAP-A is the appropriate assessment do not have to take the Grade-Level assessment
• English Learners (EL) who have been in the United States 12 cumulative months or fewer at the time of administration may be exempted from taking the English Language Arts assessment. All other content areas must be assessed.
• Foreign exchange students are allowed, but are not required to take the assessment. This is a district decision.
• Homeschooled students may take part in the assessment at the local district's discretion.
• Private school students are not required to take the Grade-Level assessment.
• About the Grade-Level Assessment

• MAP-A

• The MAP-Alternate (MAP-A) is a portfolio-based assessment that measures student performance based on alternate achievement standards. The MAP-A is aligned with Missouri's Learning Standards. The MAP-A assessment relies on the involvement of teachers to customize the assessment for each student. The MAP-Alternate (MAP-A) is designed only for students with significant cognitive disabilities who meet grade level and eligibility criteria.
• Missouri has a 1% cap on the total number of MAP-A assessments. Districts that exceed 1% MAP-A assessments will be asked to submit justification at the end of the assessment year.
• About MAP-A

• WIDA ACCESS

• ACCESS for ELLs is the English language proficiency assessment that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has selected to meet Federal requirements annually assess Missouri's students who are eligible for EL (English Learner) services. ACCESS assesses the academic English language proficiency of students in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• About WIDA ACCESS