MSTA raises concerns as Missouri moves forward with A–F school grades

MSTA Education Policy staff attended an in-person A–F School Grading Framework feedback session hosted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on Sept. 10. Staff engaged department officials about the timeline, methodology, and expectations surrounding Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive order directing DESE to assign letter grades to public school buildings.

Jocelyn Strand, assistant commissioner for the Office of Quality Schools, provided an overview of DESE’s response to the executive order. The presentation covered initial design concepts and the preliminary data that could be used to calculate grades for schools and districts.

The proposed framework relies heavily on high-stakes test results, while important decisions about how scores will be calculated remain unresolved. Nevertheless, DESE is working toward releasing grades based on 2024–25 school-year data by the end of September.

Why MSTA opposes A–F school grading systems:

• A–F grades change labels, not learning. A single letter may seem simple, but it obscures important information about student growth, subgroup performance and the underlying causes of challenges. Missouri already collects detailed school-performance data. Reducing it to one letter diminishes understanding rather than improving it.

• Public grading creates pressure without providing support. Meaningful school improvement requires time, resources and stability. Branding schools with a “D” or “F” can contribute to staff turnover, declining enrollment and instability—the very conditions that make improvement more difficult.

• Missouri already has accountability and flexibility. The state’s current improvement-based model holds districts accountable while providing detailed, actionable information. Federal law does not require A–F grades, and several states have reconsidered these systems after experiencing unintended consequences.

DESE has held two virtual and two in-person feedback sessions. The final virtual session is scheduled for 10–11 a.m. tomorrow, Sept. 11:

Join the meeting
Learn more about DESE’s framework discussions

MSTA continues to oppose this misguided policy. During the legislative session, MSTA testified against unsuccessful legislation that would have placed the governor’s proposal into law. Although lawmakers did not approve that legislation, the State Board of Education is moving forward with the plan through the executive-order process.

Members can contact the State Board of Education at sbe@dese.mo.gov to voice their opposition. You can also use Tillie, MSTA’s AI-powered tool, to help draft a message that you can copy into an email.

MSTA will attend the State Board of Education meeting on Sept. 15, when the board is scheduled to consider approval of the framework. DESE has stated that it intends to release the first school letter grades by the end of September.

Missouri’s students, educators and communities deserve meaningful information and meaningful support—not oversimplified labels.

Throughout the debate over Missouri’s A–F school grading proposal, MSTA has repeatedly raised educators’ concerns,  through testimony before lawmakers, updates for members, and interviews with news outlets. Watch clips from MSTA’s testimony and explore related MSTA Action posts and media coverage below.

Testimony

News coverage

• Jan. 29: Bill would tie teacher bonuses to A-F school rating system pushed by Kehoe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Quotes MSTA Government Liaison Mike Harris, who testified that the system would hold educators responsible for factors outside their control.
• March 27: Missouri governor’s A-F school grading plan faces bipartisan Senate opposition, WGEM. Quotes Matt Michelson arguing that a test-heavy system does not provide a complete picture of what schools face.
• Aug. 20: Missouri school districts to get “first look” at new A-F grading system this fall, ABC 17. Quotes Michelson on the pressure to teach to the test and the stigma associated with being labeled an A or F school.
• Aug. 20: Simple or oversimplified? Missouri prepares to grade schools on an A-to-F scale, The Beacon. The most detailed coverage of MSTA’s position. Michelson discusses oversimplification, confusion, costs, the emphasis on one annual test, and the potential effect on innovation.
• Aug. 24: Missouri’s A–F school grading framework heads to state board for approval, KSHB 41. Quotes Michelson on the problems created by making school ratings dependent on one grade and one test score.

MSTA Action coverage

• Jan. 30: MSTA testifies in opposition to the A–F accountability bill
• Feb. 13: House committee advances HB 2710
• Feb. 27: Senate A–F bill moves to the full Senate
• March 6: House passes HB 2710; MSTA remains opposed
• March 27: MSTA testifies against HB 2710 in the Senate
• April 3: Senate committee advances the A–F bill
• April 24: A–F provisions are added to an omnibus bill
• May 1: A–F legislation remains a possibility late in the session
• May 8: MSTA reiterates its opposition as HB 2710 remains in the Senate