PURPOSE: This rule implements a program of comprehensive assessments of school districts’ educational resources, instructional processes and educational outcomes designed to stimulate and encourage improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of instruction, and provides information which will enable the State Board of Education to accredit and classify the districts as required by state law.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The secretary of state has determined that the publication of the entire text of the material which is incorporated by reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. This material as incorporated by reference in this rule shall be maintained by the agency at its headquarters and shall be made available to the public for inspection and copying at no more than the actual cost of reproduction. This note applies only to the reference material. The entire text of the rule is printed here. (1) This rule is to be effective July 1, 2006, and incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) Standards and Indicators Manual which is comprised of qualitative and quantitative standards for school districts. As referenced in the MSIP Standards and Indicators Manual, the standards are organized in three (3) sections— Resource Standards, Process Standards and Performance Standards. The standards are supported by appendices which include: the minimum graduation requirements, media standards for school learning resource centers, teacher certification requirements and assessment program standards. Anyone interested in viewing or requesting a copy of the MSIP Manual (Revised September 2004) may contact the School Improvement and Accreditation Section, 205 Jefferson Street, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102- 0480. (2) During each year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will select school districts which will be reviewed and classified in accordance with this rule, including the standards, with the appropriate scoring guide and forms and procedures outlined in the annual MSIP.

1. (3) The State Board of Education (board) will assign classification designations of unaccredited, provisionally accredited and accredited based on the standards of the MSIP.
2. (4) As a condition of receiving a classification designation other than unaccredited, each school district reviewed under MSIP must file, within sixty (60) days of the board’s decision, a school improvement plan in a form specified by DESE and implement it in accordance with a specified schedule approved by DESE.

3. (5) A school district’s classification designation based on the standards of the MSIP will remain in effect until the board approves another designation. The board may consider changing a district’s classification designation after its regularly scheduled review or upon its determination that the district has:

   1. (A) Failed to implement its school improvement plan at an acceptable level;
   2. (B) Implemented its school improvement plan substantially and, therefore, may qualify for a higher classification designation;
   3. (C) Employed a superintendent or chief executive officer without a valid Missouri superintendent’s certificate in a K–12 school district; or employed a superintendent or chief executive officer without a valid Missouri superintendent’s or elementary principal’s certificate in a K–8 school district; and/or
   4. (D) Altered significantly the scope or effectiveness of the programs, services or financial integrity upon which the original classification designation was based.
4. (6) A school district designated unaccredited by the board under the provisions of this rule will be liable for tuition and transportation for resident students legally transferring to another district pursuant to applicable state laws and regulations from the date of the action by the board through the end of the school year during which the board awards the district a designation of provisionally accredited or higher.
5. (7) Any school district which on June 30, 1997, or thereafter, has been classified unaccredited by the board in two (2) successive years will be subject to lapsing, pursuant to applicable state laws and regulations. A school district that is classified as unaccredited shall lapse on June 30 of the second full year after the school year during which the unaccredited classification is initially assigned.

6. (8) A school district designated provisionally accredited twice sequentially or a school district designated provisionally accredited after being unaccredited will be designated provisionally accredited for three (3) years, at which time a re-review will be conducted. A district’s accreditation designation may not be raised more than one (1) level during a rereview.

   1. (A) The board may lower a district’s accreditation if a district fails to gain full accreditation after being designated provisionally accredited twice sequentially; or after being designated provisionally accredited after being unaccredited and the district fails to make significant or consistent improvement in student achievement in order to gain accreditation.
7. (9) The board of education of any school district which is dissatisfied with the classification designation assigned by the board may request a hearing before the commissioner of education for the purpose of showing cause why its classification designation should be reconsidered. Each request must be submitted in writing within thirty (30) days of the board’s classification designation, setting forth the specific reasons for the request, including any errors of fact upon which the board relied in making the classification designation. If the commissioner of education agrees that sufficient cause has been shown, s/he will request the board to reconsider the 5 CSR 20-100

district’s classification designation together with the additional or corrected information.

AUTHORITY: sections 161.092 and 168.081, RSMo Supp. 2003 and 162.081 and 167.131, RSMo 2000.* This rule previously filed as 5 CSR 50-345.100. Original rule filed June 30, 2004, effective Jan. 30, 2005. Moved to 5 CSR 20-100.170, effective Aug. 16, 2011.

*Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 2002, 2003; 168.081, RSMo 1963, amended 1984, 2002; 162.081, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1992, 1993, 1998; 167.131, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1993.