Missouri Schools

    Missouri is making great strides in making sure no child is left behind. More than twice as many students took the annual Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test in the 2005-06 school year as the year before. Missouri has also reduced the number of “Title I” schools—or schools whose focus needs to be on improving academic performance, or schools that are in low-income areas and need a bit more funding. As of March, 2006, 48% of public school students were attending schools labeled as Title I. However, after the standardized testing, that may have changed. In 2005, 1,088 schools were labeled as Title I. After the 2005-06 MAP test, 88 schools have been improved enough to remove the label and move the school into Title II (with a focus on improving teacher quality). The number of schools labeled for restructuring in 2004-05 (seven) has dropped to zero. However, more schools are under sanctions or in corrective action than the 2004-05 school year.

Over 60% of schools in Missouri met their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the 2005-06 school year. Enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) classes has been growing steadily in the last 10 years. Test scores in the 2006 SAT tests for the Class of 2006 were also above the national average, and in the new writing section, Missouri students earned a score 85 points higher than the national average. Because of improving test scores, and improving in regards to No Child Left Behind, Missouri was ranked 21 out of 50 in the “Smartest State” rankings.

Missouri will spend over $6.8 billion in the 2005-06 school year for its students, an average of over $7500 per student. For more up-to-date information on a particular school or district, visit Missouri’s Department of Education website at http://www.dese.mo.gov.