<<Back
to Missouri Education News
Missouri Education News
January 2009
Copyright © 2009 Queue, Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Pleasant Lea Middle School Earns Reading and
Science Honors
DESE and University of Missouri Forge Partnership
To Provide Virtual Learning for K-12 Students
Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Decision on St.
Louis School DistrictÕs Loss of Accreditation
More Than 300 School Districts Earn ÒDistinction in
PerformanceÓ
Missouri
Education Report Back Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/MOnews.html)
Queue, Inc. is offering public schools free previews of
QueueÕs best-selling test prep and curriculum-based workbooks. Queue publishes
test prep workbooks in reading comprehension and math for grades 2-8 based
on the MAP as well as a a wide variety of workbooks in language arts, reading
comprehension, math and science ideal for test prep.
Go to http://www.qworkbooks.com/MO/MO.html
descriptions.
Order previews online, or call Queue at 800.232.2224.
Making
Middle Grades Work program announces top scores
Pleasant
Lea Middle School, LeeÕs Summit School District, has earned national
recognition by scoring in the ÒTop 20Ó among American schools participating in
the Making Middle Grades Work program (http://www.sreb.org/programs/MiddleGrades/MiddleGradesindex.asp), state education
officials announced today.
Students
at Pleasant Lea Middle School exceeded performance levels in two categories,
placing eighth in science and ninth in reading, according to measures used by
the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), the national sponsor of the Making
Middle Grades Work
program.
The
SREB conducts the standardized Middle Grades Assessment every other January to
measure reading, science and mathematics achievement at the eighth-grade level
as part of the MMGW program, which includes 350 schools in 19 states.
Schools
participating in the program are committed to improving student performance in
the middle grades to assure students are prepared to take advantage of all that
high school can offer and be successful in career opportunities after high
school.
ÒPleasant Lea Middle School is so proud and honored to see this accomplishment. The Middle Grades Assessment is one measure that shows how weÕre doing, and earning a spot in the top 20 gives us some evidence that weÕre moving in the right direction in raising the level of learning for each student at PLMS,Ó said Rebeckah Mayer, Pleasant LeaÕs school-improvement coordinator.
MMGW is the nationÕs first
large-scale effort to engage state, district and school leaders in partnerships
to raise student achievement in the middle grades. The program is based
on the conviction that most students can master academic studies at or above
grade-level standards if schools create an environment that motivates them to
make the effort to succeed.
ÒThe
primary focus of the assessment is continuous improvement. The data we
receive from the assessments provide valuable information that will help us
raise achievement in the middle grades,Ó said Pleasant Lea Principal Janette
Cooley.
The
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has provided financial support
for three MMGW
pilot sites in Missouri, all in the greater Kansas City area. In addition
to Pleasant Lea, the other two sites are Ervin Middle School and Smith-Hale
Middle School, in the Hickman Mills district. Each school also is
partnering with a high school that is implementing the SREBÕs High Schools
That Work
program.
In
addition to Missouri, the MMGW network states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has signed an agreement with
the University of MissouriÕs eMINTS National Center (http://www.emints.org/) in Columbia to manage the
stateÕs virtual school. The contract to operate the Missouri Virtual
Instruction Program (MoVIP) will begin with 2009-10 school year.
Established
in Missouri public schools in 1999, eMINTS (enhancing MissouriÕs Instructional
Networked Teaching Strategies) is a nonprofit unit within the University of
Missouri System that uses instructional strategies powered by technology to
enrich teaching and improve learning outcomes.
The
MoVIP program (http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/movip/index.html) was authorized by the
Missouri Legislature in 2006 and has a current state budget of $5.8
million. It is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education.
MoVIP
now serves (http://dese.mo.gov/news/2008/movipcontract.htm#Facts) about 2,500 students in
grades K-12. Students have access to a wide array of academic courses
which are developed and provided online by private vendors. Students are
supervised by Missouri-certified teachers.
DESE has worked with the eMINTS National Center for nearly a decade, establishing a highly respected instructional program that focuses on the use of classroom technology and helping teachers use technology most effectively.
Under
the new contract, the eMINTS Center will be the operational hub of MoVIP.
It will register students, employ teachers and secure online content for MoVIP
classes. It will subcontract with multiple content providers, develop
unique course offerings, and partner with other entities to create innovative
learning options.
Students
and families that are planning to be involved in MoVIP during the spring 2009
semester will not be affected by this agreement. All current offerings
and registration options will be maintained. The eMINTS Center will take
over the operations of MoVIP beginning July 1.
Facts
about MoVIP and the eMINTS National Center
á
Authorized
by state law in 2006 to deliver courses online for any Missouri student in
grades K-12, MoVIP began operations in August 2007. The program is open
to students in public, private and home schools.
á
MoVIP
expects a total of about 16,000 ÒenrollmentsÓ (courses) to be provided this
year. The state pays for the program on a per-course basis.
á
By
law, the courses must be supervised by Missouri-certified teachers.
Teachers are now employed by two private companies that are providing MoVIP
courses.
á
MoVIP
serves students ranging from elementary home-schooled children to high school
students taking Advanced Placement classes that are not available in their
schools. MoVIP serves medically fragile children and those who are
homebound for other reasons.
á
Nearly
every county in Missouri has at least one student taking a MoVIP class. A
student may take a MoVIP class at the same time that he or she is enrolled in a
traditional public or private school.
á
eMINTS
stands for Òenhancing MissouriÕs Instructional Networked Teaching
Strategies.Ó Established in Missouri public schools in 1999, eMINTS is a
collaborative education program sponsored by DESE and the University of
Missouri System Office of Academic Affairs.
á
eMINTS
offers a research-based approach to organizing instruction which can be
implemented in any subject or grade level. Its goal is to promote
Òhigh-quality teaching powered by technology.Ó
In
a unanimous decision the Missouri Supreme Court upheld last yearÕs decision by
the State Board of Education to classify the St. Louis Public Schools as
unaccredited.
In
March 2007, the State Board of Education voted to drop the St. Louis Public
Schools to unaccredited status, with an effective date of June 15, 2007.
That decision cleared the way for a three-person Òspecial administrative boardÓ
to take over the governance of the St. Louis Public Schools on June 15,
replacing the elected board of education.
Some
members of the elected school board challenged the validity of the State Board
of EducationÕs decision and the constitutionality of the special administrative
board. These challenges were first rejected by the Cole County Circuit
Court in a January 2008 decision.
YesterdayÕs
ruling by the Supreme Court came in the appeal of that circuit court decision.
More
than 300 Missouri school districts (http://dese.mo.gov/news/2008/documents/distinctioninperformance.pdf) have qualified for the
stateÕs ÒDistinction in PerformanceÓ award on the basis of their academic
achievements and progress during the last school year (2007-08), state
education officials announced today.
In all, 330 school districts Ð compared to 295 last year Ð earned the coveted award, which is presented annually by the state education department. Of this yearÕs recipients, 278 are K-12 districts; 52 are K-8 districts. There are 523 public school districts in the state.
ÒWe
are gratified by the steady increase in the number of districts meeting the
high standards for this award,Ó said Stan Johnson, assistant commissioner of
the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
ÒTeachers
and school officials throughout the state are definitely focused on meeting
these standards, and we are seeing the results of that effort. To earn
this award, a district must be doing well, or making consistent progress, in
all areas of academic performance. Parents and patrons should be proud if
their school district has earned this honor,Ó Johnson said.
The
Distinction in Performance award is based on the 14 academic performance
standards that are the basis of the stateÕs accreditation program for all
school districts. The standards are based on scores from the
state-mandated MAP tests, graduation rate, attendance, ACT scores, and other
indicators.
To
qualify for the award this year, K-8 districts had to meet 6 of the 7
performance standards that apply to these districts, including all of those
based on the results of MAP tests. K-12 districts had to meet 13 out of
14 standards, including all of the MAP-based measures.
Under
the stateÕs accreditation program, each school district is evaluated at least
once every five years. Since it is based on the same standards as the
accreditation program, the Distinction in Performance award provides an annual
confirmation of a districtÕs status and state-level recognition of its overall
performance.
List
of Districts:
http://dese.mo.gov/news/2008/documents/distinctioninperformance.pdf