JOPLIN, Mo. – Joplin Public Schools leaders say Missouri’s new A-F school grades, created under an executive order Gov. Mike Kehoe signed in January 2026, will not give parents and residents the full picture of how schools perform. The state plans to release the grades in December based on the 2024-2025 school year.
The Brief
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Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order in January 2026 that creates an A-F grading system for Missouri schools. The state has not released the grades.
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The grades will measure whether students advance as they should, using results from the MAP test that Missouri schools administer.
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Joplin Public Schools officials say the grades repeat information the district already reports and leave out school safety and support for students who need extra help.
Missouri’s new grading system assigns each school an A through F grade. The state’s approach looks at Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test results to determine whether students are advancing as they should. The state plans to release the grades in December, and the results will reflect the 2024-2025 school year…