Press "Enter" to skip to content

Release: Missouri Charter Public School Association’s response to the recently released 2016 Missouri MAP Scores

Missouri Charter Public School Association
For Immediate Release
Missouri’s 2016 State Assessment Scores & Charter Public Schools
October 3, 2016
Charter schools, PUBLIC schools, are independent and tuition-free schools given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Because they are public schools they are open to all children, do not charge tuition, and do not have special entrance requirements. Charter schools have become an increasingly significant part of the public school landscape, providing quality educational options for parents and students in hundreds of communities across the country. In Missouri there are currently 64 charter school buildings providing excellent instruction to over 20,000 students in Kansas City and St. Louis.

The goal of charter schools is not to perpetuate the mediocrity that has existed in public education for decades. Charter schools operate under a stringent legal agreement with their Sponsor and, if they do not meet the performance requirements in their agreement, drastic changes are made or they are closed. This is an extremely important part of the charter school bargain and a responsibility Missouri’s Sponsors hold.

Last week the State of Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the 2016 annual Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) results detailing how the students in Missouri are academically performing in relation to State Standards. As the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has noted, “the 2016 MAP grade-level exams in English language arts (ELA) and math were new, so results cannot be compared with results from previous years’ tests. Because
the grade-level test items were new, the scores that define the four levels of achievement (below basic, basic, proficient and advanced) have also changed. A committee of approximately 90 Missouri educators earlier this year recommended the new cut scores, which the State Board approved in July.”

With these mitigating factors what can we learn from this year’s Missouri charter public school APR scores? We learn there is GREAT news and the quality education in the State of Missouri is improving. Given that the majority of students enrolling in charter schools enter one to two years below grade level the significant growth the charter schools are making moving students out of the bottom performance levels toward proficiency is noteworthy. For example, this year in the State of Missouri,
● 60% of the charter school LEA’s reduced their percentage of students performing below grade level in English Language Arts to below 25%
● 57% of the charter school LEA’s reduced their percentage of students performing below grade level in Mathematics to below 25%
● 26% of the charter schools had more than 50% of their students performing in the upper two levels (Proficient and Advanced) in English Language Arts;
● 18% of the charter schools had more than 50% of their students performing in the upper two levels in Mathematics.

In Kansas City,
● The charter school average for English Language Arts was 49.9% exceeding the local school
district average of 35.2%.
● The charter school average for Mathematics was 38% exceeding the local school district
average of 23.8%.
● 3 charter schools exceeded the State of Missouri average in English Language Arts.
o Academie’ Lafayette
o Ewing Marion Kauffman School
o University Academy
● 3 charter schools exceeded the State of Missouri average in Mathematics.
o Academie’ Lafayette
o Ewing Marion Kauffman School
o University Academy
In St. Louis,
● The charter school average for English Language Arts was 44.9% exceeding the local school district average of 36.8%.
● The charter school average for Mathematics was 30.35% exceeding the local school district average of 25.9%.
● 3 charter schools exceeded the State of Missouri average in English Language Arts.
o City Garden Montessori
o Gateway Science Academy
o North Side Community School
● 2 charter schools exceeded the State of Missouri average in Mathematics.
o Gateway Science Academy
o North Side Community School
Missouri Charter Public School Association Executive Director Dr. Douglas Thaman states, “The community is best served when they have multiple educational options of quality and each parent can select what is best for their children. We cannot use new assessments, changes in format, or arguments regarding State Standards as excuses. We must ensure that the options parents have are the very, very best. I applaud the charter public schools for their excellent growth, a true reflection of the tireless service of thousands of quality professional educators.” Dr. Thaman continues stating, “There is still much work to be done. Thousands and thousands of families outside of Missouri’s 2 largest urban areas are being denied true school choice. Their children are locked in a school because of their zip code. This is a paradigm that we must change!”
Missouri Charter Public School Association
1300 Papin Street • St. Louis, MO 63103 • 314.776.3551 • Fax 1.888.877.6890