The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has released the first set of annual performance reports (APRs) for Missouri schools based on the state's newly revised accountability system.

The fifth version of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5) was approved by the State Board of Education in 2011, giving schools two years to prepare for the new accountability requirements.

The annual performance reports show how well each public school and school district is meeting the state's education standards. The reports are used to review and accredit Missouri's school districts.

"This year's APRs allow us to see how schools are performing under the newest cycle of the Missouri School Improvement Program," said Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro. "The new system sets the bar higher for education in Missouri and keeps our standards among the strongest in the nation."

Over the past four years, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has engaged in and solicited meaningful input from students, parents, teachers, school administrators, education organizations and business leaders about the revised accountability system. The feedback from those discussions consistently urged the state to create a system that recognizes continuous and sustained improvement in every school and district in the state.

The primary goal of MSIP 5 is to prepare students for success in postsecondary education and a career.

Education officials say the system distinguishes performance in valid, accurate and meaningful ways in order to identify struggling schools and districts that need support and interventions to improve student achievement. High-performing districts will be recognized as models of excellence.

For the first time, the system provides specific information to communities and parents about how their children's school is performing by issuing annual performance reports on individual schools.

Under MSIP 5, every school and school district in the state is awarded points based on its performance in five areas:

• Academic achievement
• Subgroup achievement (includes minority students, students with limited proficiency in English, students with disabilities, students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches and students receiving special education services)
• College and career or high school readiness
• Attendance rate
• Graduation rate

Schools and districts receive a score based on the number of points earned out of the total number of points possible. A school district's overall score on multiple APRs is used to determine accreditation.

Accreditation levels:

• Accredited with distinction: 90 percent and above plus additional criteria set by the State Board
• Accredited: greater than or equal to 70 percent
• Provisional: 50 percent to 69.9 percent
• Unaccredited: 0 percent to 49.9 percent

Department recommendations for accreditation will be made based on APR status and APR trends and may include other factors as appropriate (e.g. CSIP goals, previous Department MSIP findings, financial status, and/or leadership stability).

As indicated throughout the process, the classification or reclassification of school districts based on MSIP 5 is not anticipated until 2015. Education officials say a three-year period is needed to show long-term, sustained performance trends for districts. The State Board has the authority to change a district's accreditation at any time.

Preparing students for college and careers is one of the primary goals of the Top 10 by 20 initiative, which calls for Missouri to rank in the top 10 performing states in the nation in education by the year 2020.

• Commissioner Nicastro's Statement on MSIP 5
• 2013 Annual Performance Report
• 2013 Comprehensive Guide to the Missouri School Improvement Program