Park Hill review finds districtwide NWEA gains and rising AP participation, but gaps remain for some student groups
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Summary
Dr. Josh Peters presented the 2024–25 academic achievement report to the Park Hill School Board on Oct. 9, noting that district NWEA targets for achievement and growth were met overall, AP participation and 3+ scores rose, and staff will expand supports for ELD and special education students to address persistent gaps.
Dr. Josh Peters, the district's director of assessment, told the Park Hill School Board on Oct. 9 that the district met its NWEA goals for both achievement (70%) and growth (50%) across math, reading and science for 2024–25 and that AP participation and 3-or-better scores have increased over four years.
"We not only met in both achievement, but we also met in growth," Peters said during the presentation, which condensed NWEA, the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), AP exam results and preliminary ACT data into a single annual report for the board.
Why it matters: the data give the board and administrators a baseline for resource decisions. Peters and staff flagged areas that need attention—particularly rising gaps for English-language development (ELD) and special education student groups—and laid out steps the district plans to take to close those gaps.
Key findings and questions from the board
- NWEA: Peters reported that NWEA achievement and growth goals were met districtwide and that growth measures show students are progressing over the year. He cautioned that performance dips begin around fourth grade and become clearer in middle school math.
- MAP and AP: On state MAP assessments and AP exams, Park Hill outperformed state averages in many subjects, with particularly strong algebra and U.S. government results. Peters said AP exam participation has increased and the district’s percent of exams scoring 3 or higher has risen concurrently.
- Gaps by student group: Several board members pressed for detail on subgroup performance. One board member cited a figure in the packet showing Black students at a 46% 3-or-better AP pass rate compared with 78% for white students on the same measure; members called for more analysis of who is enrolled in AP courses and what supports are provided.
"Are we setting students up to fail?" asked a board member, raising the issue of whether students who are not yet on grade level are being recommended into AP courses without adequate supports. Peters and other administrators answered that the district is working to remove gatekeeping to access AP while also emphasizing supports such as AVID and tutoring.
Actions and responses proposed by staff
Peters and staff outlined several ongoing and planned steps: continuing AVID implementation; increasing targeted supports and resources for ELD and special education students (changes the board previously funded); piloting new ELA resources and updating math curriculum; using formative assessments and data check-ins with principals to monitor implementation; and piloting additional translation devices to support newcomer students in class.
Staff emphasized that the presentation was a high-level summary and that the district will dig into student-level data to diagnose causes and interventions. "This is where we start seeing some of those warning lights, but you're going to take it and get a much deeper diagnostic done before you decide what that car needs to get fixed," Peters said.
What’s next: Board members asked for follow-up reports that cross-reference early-grade indicators (for example, third-grade reading) with later AP participation to better understand pathways and interventions. The district said it will continue to provide both high-level trend data and targeted student-level analysis to guide decisions.
Ending: The board thanked Peters for the presentation and moved on to enrollment and other district business.
