West Plains School District Annual Performance Report

Today, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the latest scores for school districts across the state. First, we’d like to explain a little more about what these results are and what they mean for our district. 

What is the APR? 
Missouri’s DESE has an accountability model for school districts called the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP). To score districts on performance and improvement, DESE uses an Annual Performance Report (APR). 

How is this score different from previous years? 
This is the first year DESE is using the sixth and latest version of its accountability model, MSIP 6. There are a few notable differences between this model and the previous one, listed below:  

• This is the pilot year for scoring schools along the standards for MSIP 6.
• This model differentiates the performance of public schools and districts along a continuum or ranking. 
• The scoring of achieving Status and Growth scores is different. 
• Status and Growth are also scored separately, while in the previous model, they could be scored in conjunction. 
• There are some inconsistencies in scoring Growth within the new model. 

As a district, we received 73.9% of the points available. It’s important to note that the data noted in the APR is from the spring of 2022. While this data has just recently been packaged and released to the public, our school district has had access to certain pieces of it since the start of this school year. Therefore, we’ve already implemented action steps to address the needs of our students and continue to do so on a regular basis. Below are the building level scores:

• South Fork Elementary School - 89.3%
• West Plains Elementary School - 34.1%
• West Plains Middle School - 66.4%
• West Plains High School - 75.0%

Below, we’d like to share some celebrations and opportunities for improvement we’ve drawn out of our APR score. 

Celebrations

• The district has worked diligently to maintain and improve the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. This is the strategic planning designed for continuous growth. 
• During the district’s Missouri School Improvement Plan documentation submission, the district received high scores.
• The district received a score of 100% on the school’s audit, the Annual Secretary of Board Report to the state, and on submission of data.
• West Plains High School received a 100% on graduation rate.

Opportunities for Improvement

• Attendance rates throughout the district will be an area of focus.
• Academic achievement throughout the district, with strong emphasis placed on West Plains Elementary in the area of English Language Arts (literacy).  

We plan to celebrate these wins with our staff members while we create action steps as we look to improve our school district based on the results of this report. As always, we will continue to pursue educational excellence for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wesley Davis 
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District