SOUTH HOLT R-I SCHOOL DISTRICT
201 South Barbour Street
Oregon, MO 64473
Dear South Holt Families,
In the coming days or weeks, you may see something coming out in regards to letter grades for all public schools in Missouri. We want you to hear this from us, along with what it means.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has developed A-F grades for public schools, created under the executive order of Governor Mike Kehoe. There are already evaluations of public schools that are released such as MSIP 6 and APR that include multiple measures of a school, but this new version will assign a grade A-F and will be highly staked based on one-time state testing.
This grade is a pilot, meaning it is not final. It is the first year of a brand new state system, based on test results from the 2024-2025 school year and even yesterday they made a change in the cut off scores for A-F. We fully expect the framework to change over time, and as it does, our grade may change too. It is one measure among many that is used to assess the effectiveness of our school district. Districts around the state have shared our concerns about an A-F grading system with the State Board of Education, especially highlighting how quickly this system was developed and we will continue to provide that feedback.
We know that a school is more than the sum of one-time testing scores. We have been transparent with you about our Annual Performance Report and shared our successes and opportunities in years past and we will continue to do that.
My biggest concern is that a single letter grade simply cannot tell the whole story of a school district. It doesn’t capture the relationships our teachers build with students, opportunities we provide, the individual growth of our children or the many things happening in our classrooms and schools every day.
That being said, we know we have areas where we need to improve and we are working to determine steps to improve. We have spent considerable time developing and listening to staff, community and parents through Comprehensive School Improvement Plan meetings and are working to revise our 5 year plan. We are still open to your feedback. This plan focuses on academic achievement, climate and culture, college and career readiness and supporting our teachers and students.
This work was underway before we knew about the A-F grading system and how it would be calculated, and it will continue regardless of our letter grade.
I hope our community will view these ratings as a piece of a much bigger picture. We have a lot to be proud of at South Holt R-I, and we also have important work ahead of us. Both can be true. At the end of the day, our greatest accountability is to the students, families and community we serve.
Thank you for your continued support and trust in our school. We are fortunate to have a community that cares deeply about its kids, and I look forward to continuing this work together.
Jean Peavler
Superintendent of Schools
South Holt R-I School District