In Hickman Mills’ accreditation fight, school leaders go on offensive against Missouri | Opinion
Hickman Mills School District officials went public this week with their frustration about the Missouri School Improvement Program known as MSIP 6.
I can’t say I blame them. The south Kansas City school district badly wants to change its accreditation from provisional to full. Because of changes made this past spring to MSIP 6, Hickman Mills’ current classification could remain that way until 2026.
That is, unless the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri School Board of Education act.
In April, the state board of education approved a change on how a district’s classification is determined. Beginning this year, officials will use an average composite score consisting of three years’ of APR data to determine classification.
These new parameters means Hickman Mills’ classification could remain unchanged for two more years unless the state votes otherwise.
On Thursday, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced a delay in the release of Missouri’s latest annual performance report for all schools. I’ll wait for that data to become public before making a final determination on what the department should or should not do.
But according to preliminary information Hickman Mills received about its annual performance report, an argument could be made that student achievement growth in the district is beyond measurable, Superintendent Yaw Obeng said.
“We made the grade,” Obeng said.
In an open letter sent Thursday to state educational officials, Obeng and school board President Irene Kendrick urged Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger to review the district’s recent progress and make a recommendation to the state board for full accreditation.
Under MSIP 6, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has the authority to make such a recommendation, but ultimately the state school board has the final say.
In the correspondence sent to the state, Obeng and Kendrick referenced an alternative process used in Kansas City Public Schools’ quest to regain full accreditation two years ago and called on Eslinger to act.
In 2022, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education developed an alternative framework for provisionally accredited schools like Kansas City Public Schools. State education officials viewed KCPS’ steady leadership under former Superintendent Mark Bedell as a plus. Other factors leading to that district’s classification change included strategic planning, financial stability and quality of teachers. In addition, graduation rates and college and career readiness were taken into account.
According to Hickman Mills officials, the district has demonstrated substantial improvement in graduation rates, academic performance and success readiness components. Obeng is in his fifth year leading the district.
“We ask that Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Dr. Karla Eslinger select a framework — be it MSIP 6 or the alternative model used for KCPS — and consider the recent achievements of HMC-1 to reclassify our district to full accreditation,” Obeng and Kendrick wrote. “Our students, staff, and families deserve recognition for their hard work and perseverance, and full accreditation will signify that our collective efforts have succeeded.”
In a statement sent via email, spokeswoman Mallory McGowin wrote: “The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has received this letter from Hickman Mills and will share it with members of the State Board of Education for their review.”
Going public this way was a bold move. But if Hickman Mills has the data to back up its case as Obeng claims, then this is potentially good news for stakeholders in that area. More than a decade has passed since Hickman Mills was a fully-accredited school district.
A score of 70 or better is considered full accreditation range. In 2023, the district’s APR was 62.5, according to state data. Last year, data shows Hickman Mills performed at or above average for growth in every category but math.
“HMC-1 has met the standards necessary for full accreditation, and we respectfully request that you review the latest data and vote to reclassify our district during the upcoming December 3, 2024 Board Meeting,” district leaders wrote to the state board. The district “has worked tirelessly to ensure that our students receive the highest quality education, and our progress is evident,” the correspondence continued.
Ten years have passed since Hickman Mills was classified as a provisionally- accredited school district, according to Obeng. While the pathway back to full accreditation hasn’t always been smooth, the district has worked extremely hard in recent years to raise student achievement, test scores, graduation rates and other benchmarks, he said.
Yet, the district remains stuck in limbo, according to Obeng. By continually changing some of the criteria in the school improvement program, state educational officials keep “moving the goalpost,” Obeng said.
In a news release, district leaders noted the impact reclassification for Hickman Mills would have on not only the district but for the entire Kansas City area. If the district regains full accreditation, it would mean that all districts in metropolitan Kansas City were fully accredited for the first time in almost two decades, according to district officials.
“Full accreditation isn’t just about meeting state standards — it’s about creating opportunities for our students, building community pride, and strengthening Kansas City as a whole,” Kendrick, the board president, said. “With full accreditation, we can assure our students and families that we are on par with the highest standards in Missouri’s education system.”
It’s been a long time coming, but Hickman Mill students deserve to graduate from a fully-accredited school district.
Will Missouri education leaders give them a chance to do so?
