The State Board of Education approved Standards for the sixth iteration of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) on Tuesday. As the state’s accountability system for reviewing and accrediting public school districts, MSIP has served as the state’s mechanism for promoting continuous improvement in schools since 1990 and has long been the driver of high expectations for academics.

The MSIP 6 standards focus on continuous improvement for all schools, the preparation of each student for life beyond high school, and the recognition of successful practices at the local level. This revision of MSIP sought input from stakeholders statewide to provide a balanced approach to reviewing districts with consideration for local context. This will be done by examining what districts do to implement effective practices and sustain improvements while also increasing the focus on individual student growth.

“It is incredible the number of things required from educators today compared to 10 or 20 years ago,” said State Board of Education member Carol Hallquist. “The educational system is charged with tackling many problems our children face, making it even more critical how they are educated.”

MSIP 6 features six domains: Leadership (L), Effective Teaching and Learning (TL), Collaborative Climate and Culture (CC), Data-based Decision Making (DB), Alignment of Curriculum and Assessments to Standards (AS), and Equity and Access (EA).

In accordance with state law, the MSIP 6 standards will take effect two years from today’s date. Until that time, the current MSIP 5 standards remain in place to allow districts to both continue to prepare students as well as transition to the new MSIP 6 guidelines.

“We are grateful to the many voices across the state that contributed to this work,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “MSIP 6 strikes the right balance of establishing high expectations for all Missouri students while allowing local districts to focus on the inputs they believe are the most important in getting these results.”

Parents, teachers, students and administrators will also have access to a perceptual survey. This survey will be designed to allow feedback on such things as climate, culture, safety and expectations. The collaborative climate and culture structure is critical to supporting teaching and learning, with MSIP 6 emphasizing the importance of a safe, orderly and caring environment of teachers and students. This survey will provide the opportunity for additional transparency between a district and its local residents while also supplying an avenue for feedback at the district level.

In addition, the MSIP standards have placed an increased emphasis on equity and ensuring equitable access to educational experiences. While each community presents its own differences, all communities have students who experience barriers to success.  The MSIP 6 equity standards and definition provide a basis to identify and address their needs so that all may have improved lives through education.