OSAGE BEACH, Mo. - The School of the Osage district maintained high levels of achievement across the board despite slight declines in this year's Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) annual performance report.
The school district earned 133.5 out of 140 possible points - 95.4 percent, down from 97.5 percent in 2013.
"While we recognize that there is always room for improvement, we are proud of the work of our students, their families and our faculty and staff," said School of the Osage Assistant Superintendent Laura Nelson. "Our academic achievement as evidenced by MAP scores and ACT is both stable and strong."
School of the Osage's average ACT composite score jumped from last year's 21.1 to 22.2 this year.
While the district's scores in academic achievement, attendance and graduation rate remained steady, performance dropped most notably in college and career readiness, which went from a perfect 100 percent last year to 91.7 percent in 2014.
MSIP 5 scores school districts' subject-specific academic achievement based on the status and progress demonstrated by students' Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, test scores in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies - specifically, the percentage of students who scored "advanced" or "proficient" rather than "basic" or "below basic."
Student scores have risen in all subjects except English language arts over the past three years - from 41.8 percent in 2012 to 52.6 percent in 2014 in social studies, from 65.8 percent in 2012 to 73 percent in 2014 in science and from 59.2 percent in 2012 to 60.9 percent in mathematics.
"The testing environment in Missouri strikes most as shaky, if not unstable," Nelson said, noting statewide changes to this year's MAP tests and potential changes in the future that can affect how students perform. For example, Missouri refreshed the MAP testing form for the first time since 2010, which typically causes an initial drop in scores.
"Our mission is to prepare each student to reach his or her maximum potential for a lifetime of success, and we are doing everything possible - i.e. through our strategic plan and via our Osage Learning Communities (faculty development) - to ensure a stable learning environment to accomplish our mission," Nelson said.
Introductory article:
State's MSIP 5 ranks performance, progress of 21 area schools
How 21 Mid-Missouri school districts fared:
- Blair Oaks School District MSIP
- Cole County R-1 School District MSIP
- Cole County R-5 School District MSIP
- Eldon R-1 School District MSIP
- Fulton Public Schools MSIP
- High Point R-3 School District MSIP
- Jamestown C-1 School District MSIP
- Jefferson City Public Schools MSIP
- Miller County R-3 School District MSIP
- Moniteau County R-1 School District MSIP
- Morgan County R-2 School District MSIP
- New Bloomfield R-3 School District MSIP
- North Callaway R-1 School District MSIP
- Osage County R-1 School District MSIP
- Osage County R-2 School District MSIP
- Osage County R-3 School District MSIP
- Prairie Home R-5 School District MSIP
- St. Elizabeth R-4 School District MSIP
- School of the Osage R-2 School District MSIP
- South Callaway R-2 School District MSIP
- Southern Boone School District MSIP