New school accreditation standards move closer to approval

    The State Board of Education approved the formal publication of the new MSIP 5 accreditation standards at its meeting on August 16. The Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) is the state’s system used to accredit public schools in the state. MSIP 5 would be the fourth revision since the program’s inception in 1990.

    The State Board decided to withdraw the original MSIP 5 proposal last spring following concerns expressed by a number of education groups including MSBA. To collect additional stakeholder feedback, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education created a steering committee of 14 representatives from education, business, civic and parent organizations to design a public engagement process and to identify participants to serve on five regional advisory committees. Those committees met several times this summer.

     There are a number of changes in the MSIP 5 rule approved by the State Board compared to the original proposal. They include:

·         A reduction in the number of required assessments from 14 to 11. Currently there are eight required state assessments.

·         The removal of “reportable only measures” from the Annual Performance Report including the data on how well high school graduates perform in college.

·         Giving school districts credit for students who have participated in career and technical education programs and who are employed in those areas.

·         The involvement of stakeholders in the development of the scoring guide used to evaluate school districts.

·         The creation of a new accreditation classification called “accredited with distinction.”

    Steering Committee member and MSBA President Vic Lenz says, “The steering committee worked closely with the Department, and our suggestions were followed throughout the process to come up with a positive result. I am also pleased that the steering committee will continue to have a role as the scoring guide is developed.”

    The MSIP 5 rule will be published by the secretary of state’s office for formal comment. It is anticipated the State Board will vote on final approval of the standards in December.