Perry County School District 32 prepares for Missouri’s new A-F grading system

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. (KBSI) – The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is introducing a pilot grading system that will assign A-F letter grades to public schools and districts across the state.

According to Perry County School District 32, the system was developed by the State Board of Education in response to an executive order issued by Gov. Mike Kehoe in January.

The pilot program will assign grades retroactively based on student performance data from the previous two school years.

Grades for the 2024-25 school year are expected to be released within the next month, while grades for the 2025-26 school year are scheduled for release in the spring.

District 32 Superintendent Dr. Fara Jones said the initial grades will reflect older performance data rather than current student achievement.

The district reported improvements in 16 of 19 tested areas on Missouri Assessment Program and end-of-course assessments during the 2025-26 school year. Those gains will not be reflected in the initial release.

The A-F grading system will consider standardized test scores, four-year graduation rates and measures of student readiness after graduation.

According to the district, DESE has emphasized that the pilot system is not intended to replace the state’s Annual Performance Report, which evaluates academic performance and continuous school improvement efforts.

Jones said the grading system remains under development and could change over time, potentially affecting schools’ assigned grades.

She also emphasized that a single letter grade does not fully reflect the work of teachers, staff and students.

District officials said they will share their grades with the community once they are released and use the results to identify successes and areas for improvement.