The Opportunity Trust has launched a new website that provides data-informed content about education in St. Louis and across Missouri.
The site, Learning To Improve, is to help parents, educators, researchers and policymakers with user-friendly access to and in-depth analysis of state education data.
Visitors to the site can see whether students in their communities are hitting key milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third grade literacy, eighth grade math proficiency, and college and career readiness.
Why this matters:
For years, data regarding education outcomes in Missouri has been inaccessible to most parents and educators who aren’t adept at data analysis. Comparing schools or looking for trends is difficult using the portal on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.
Learning to Improve is designed to:
- Increase transparency and access to state education data
- Provide in-depth analysis of the data
- Elevate accountability through four key measurable outcomes that provide guideposts for student success
The site also has a feature called the Missouri Academic Data Explorer, which allows users to search and chart Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) data from St. Louis and St. Louis County schools dating back to 2015.
Analysis using this tool shows:
- Math proficiency shows signs of rebounding statewide and locally, with proficiency rates improving across the county, city and state. However, the percentage of eighth graders who scored below basic in St. Louis Public Schools increased by one point to 74 percent. In charter schools, St. Louis County schools, and statewide, the share of students in this lowest category declined.
- In ELA, Black students in University City Schools improved at a rate six times higher than Black students countywide. Black students at Kairos and Momentum charter schools improved 2-3 times more than students at district schools.
“The Opportunity Trust is committed to helping our public education systems improve and deliver more equitable outcomes,” said Eric Scroggins, founder and CEO. “We hope this tool will help in this effort and support parents, educators, and policymakers in working to improve our schools.”
A video presentation of the analysis is available on the Learning To Improve website.