In January 2025, The Opportunity Trust convened over 100 legislators, philanthropic and business leaders, and education leaders for the third annual meeting to review the latest Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) data, and to grapple with what it reveals. The numbers reaffirmed a hard truth: student achievement remains far below where it needs to be – and too many schools simply are not improving. The data also illuminated the path forward by highlighting outliers who are realizing out-sized academic gains. The conversations focused on what sets those schools apart and how to scale that success locally and across the state.

The keys to success at the school level are clear and well-documented: 

• Effective leadership that is held accountable to ambitious but feasible improvement goals by responsible governing boards.
• Consistent implementation of the “instructional core” including using research-based curriculum materials, robust teacher planning protocols, and weekly observation and feedback based on student achievement data and work.
• Powerful parent and family engagement, enlisting parents as partners and ensuring consistent attendance. 

The discussion closed with an examination of the role of Missouri’s State Board of Education and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to help scale these successes. Unfortunately, Missouri’s school accountability and data systems remain among the least effective nationally, providing little incentive for improvement and little insight into the practices of successful schools to drive learning.

Go Deeper: Bright Spots of Progress

Amid the challenges, certain schools in the St. Louis region are making significant strides. Two systems working in partnership with The Opportunity Trust, Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District and Premier Charter School, emerged as outliers, demonstrating what’s possible with the right conditions.

These conditions include leveraging both state assessments and classroom level (or formative) data to guide decisions, ensuring immediate learning gaps are addressed while tracking progress toward long-term goals. Strong leadership and governance play a key role in fostering accountability, aligning curriculum with instruction, and supporting teachers through targeted professional development. Additionally, these schools prioritize creating positive, supportive environments that address students’ social, emotional, and academic needs.

Understanding the Data

Statewide, the MAP data for 2024 revealed a troubling stagnation in student performance. Reading proficiency statewide and locally in St. Louis declined by 1 percentage point, continuing a trend of annual decreases since 2019. Mathematics scores showed modest gains, with a 1 percentage point increase, yet remained far below pre-pandemic levels. Across Missouri, less than half of students met proficiency in reading or math, highlighting the need for deeper intervention and reform.

This stagnation is particularly concerning given the substantial federal funding allocated during the pandemic to support educational recovery efforts. Despite three years of targeted interventions, the anticipated significant improvements have not materialized. Research indicates that if educational initiatives do not yield substantial progress—typically defined as gains exceeding 10%—within three years, it is imperative to reassess and modify the strategies employed. This suggests that current approaches may require reevaluation to effectively address the persistent challenges in student achievement.

Another area for improvement is with the Missouri Annual Performance Report (APR), which serves as the state’s accountability framework. Missouri’s current school accountability system (APR) is not designed to reward true improvement. Instead, it disproportionately favors larger districts and compliance-based measures that do not reflect actual student success.

Key system flaws include:

• Rewarding Process Over Progress: Up to 20% of APR points are awarded for submitting improvement plans and completing surveys—even if these plans result in no measurable gains for students.
• Obscuring Underperformance in Large Districts: Multi-school districts can offset low-performing schools by averaging data (e.g. selective magnet schools vs neighborhood schools), whereas single-site schools (like many charters) have nowhere to hide.
• Failing to Incentivize Growth: Unlike in states like Ohio, where accountability models track student progress year-over-year, Missouri’s system does not adequately reward sustained improvements in student outcomes. A detailed analysis of Ohio’s model can be found in the National Center for Education Statistics’ recent report on state accountability frameworks.

By adopting clear, outcome-focused measures, Missouri could create a more equitable system that drives real improvement. A detailed analysis of Ohio’s model can be found in the National Center for Education Statistics’ recent report on state accountability frameworks. 

It is imperative that Missouri restructure its accountability framework to prioritize real student growth and ensure that successful models are recognized and scaled. “Rewarding documentation without evaluating its impact is akin to applauding a business plan while the company files for bankruptcy,” said Chester Asher, Founder and Executive Director of Coalition for STL Kids. The reliance on procedural metrics allows districts to appear as though they are making strides while academic outcomes stagnate or decline.

These three pillars—accountability, governance, and outcomes focus—provide a foundation for systemic improvement. With a collective commitment to addressing these areas, we can ensure every child in St. Louis has access to quality education and a brighter future.