The St. Louis Public Schools district improved its performance during the 2023 school year, according to data compiled and released by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
SLPS saw its overall Missouri School Improvement Score [MSIP] score rise from 63.2% in the 2023 tally to 65.7% this year. The SLPS score released in 2022 was 63.8%.
Among the categories that are examined by DESE are test scores, graduation rates, attendance and “school culture.” A school’s accreditation status is also determined based on other factors.
Ferguson-Florissant climbed from 69.4% to 73% in the latest ranking, and Superintendent Joe Davis said the improvement begins in the classroom with teachers.
While SLPS is improving, it still falls below the 70% level that insures it would remain fully accredited.
St. Louis area districts also falling short of the 70% benchmark are Hazelwood (65.7%), Jennings (69.5%), Normandy (55.2%), and Riverview Gardens (64.2%).
Riverview Gardens did accomplish a 2.8% improvement over the 2022-23 score, and Normandy’s score improved from 54.7%.
Last year, local control returned to the Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts.
DESE announced that it would postpone reclassifying any school district this year, as originally planned. Instead, it will make decisions based on three-year composite scores.
A district’s accreditation cannot be lowered until 2026.
Ferguson-Florissant climbed from 69.4% to 73% in the latest ranking, and Superintendent Joe Davis said the improvement begins in the classroom with teachers.
“Teachers and those other folks in schools who support our teachers are the core of the improvement,” Davis told St. Louis Public Radio.
“I attribute a lot of it to giving teachers some additional support.”
The support includes additional training for math teachers and supplemental math curriculums to help students struggling in those courses.
The median score for districts in Missouri is 78.8%, an increase of almost 2% from last year.
“The data shows that Missouri schools are meeting the more rigorous requirements and higher expectations set forth in MSIP 6,” said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger.
“MSIP 6 takes a closer look at what districts are doing to implement effective practices and sustain improvements, while increasing the focus on individual student outcomes. We are seeing positive movement because of hard work at the local level.”
Former superintendent saga
Following her dismissal by the SLPS school board, former superintendent Keisha Scarlett said through her attorney she would sue for wrongful termination.
While that case progresses, the school board announced this week that an independent audit of the school district during Scarlett’s tenure would be concluded soon.
“The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education met in closed session on November 22, 2024, to review the status of the ongoing independent investigation authorized in July 2024. The investigation is almost complete, and the Board expects to receive the final report by December 10, 2024,” the board said in a statement.
Scarlett also had an announcement of her own on Instagram; she has founded a company called WOVEN (the E is backward).
“My time as superintendent of Saint Louis Public Schools officially ended on October 14, 2024—sooner than anticipated—but it was one of the most rewarding and meaningful experiences of my life. I loved being a superintendent. To me, it’s the greatest job on the planet. Leading Saint Louis Public Schools was an honor, a privilege, and a joy,” Scarlett wrote.
“Now, as one chapter closes, another begins. Just as my superintendent journey started with courage and faith, my journey as an entrepreneur begins with the same. I am thrilled to announce the launch of WOVƎN Consulting, where I will serve as founder and CEO.
“This new venture is an opportunity to live out my core values—authenticity, faith, and joy—while continuing to make an impact.”
The post includes a photo of Scarlett near the Thomas Eagleton Federal Court Building.