House adopts amended measure to assign A–F letter grades to Missouri schools
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Summary
The House adopted and perfected a committee substitute for House Bill 2710, which would publish A–F letter grades for district and charter schools and add a growth-to-grade-level literacy metric; lawmakers debated implementation, equity, data stability, and DESE’s role in calculating scores.
Representative from Bates County, the bill sponsor, told the House that House Committee Substitute for HB 2710 would give parents a simple letter grade for every district and charter school while leaving detailed calculations and distribution of any incentives to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). “This bill allows the latitude for the department to use the metrics already collected,” the Representative said, adding the measure includes a new growth-to-grade-level metric aimed at emphasizing literacy.
Supporters described the substitute and an amendment (House Amendment 1) that the House adopted on the floor. The sponsor and the mover of the amendment said it requires reporting of component buckets that feed the letter grade and adds a school-climate scorecard based on suspension and restraint rates, and satisfaction surveys for students, parents and teachers. The sponsor said the bill was improved through committee work and that the implementation date was moved back to address concerns about readiness.
Opponents warned that reducing complex school performance to a single letter could stigmatize schools and produce unintended consequences. A Representative from Saint Louis County argued, “A label is not a plan,” saying letter grades can destabilize staffing, incentivize gaming and brand communities without guaranteeing supports such as sustained tutoring or mental-health staff. Several members questioned the statistical stability of value-added and growth measures, especially for small or highly mobile districts.
Lawmakers pressed the sponsor on several technical matters. Members asked whether private schools that receive public tax dollars were included (the substitute applies to district and charter schools only), whether the bill carries a fiscal note (DESE expects website and technology work; sponsor said costs would be borne by DESE and any incentive funding would be subject to appropriation), and how the growth-to-grade-level algorithm would be calculated (the formula is not yet finalized and will be developed by DESE under the bill’s framework).
The House adopted the committee substitute as amended and ordered it perfected and printed by voice vote. The sponsor renewed his motion and the House ordered perfection and printing. The bill moves next through the legislative process for further consideration.