WSD Receives Accreditation, Increases Score to 90% in Latest Annual Performance Report

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released its 2025 Annual Performance Report (APR) for all Missouri school districts. The Wentzville School District (WSD) earned a 90% overall score, maintaining its accreditation status and demonstrating clear gains in overall academic performance, WSD’s top strategic priority.

In 2023, the WSD achieved a score of 84.4%. In 2024, that score increased to 89.2%.

What is an APR? 

DESE's APR evaluates Missouri students and schools based on state standards. It is part of the Missouri School Improvement Plan (MSIP) 6 and is one way parents and communities assess districts. The report includes performance and continuous improvement metrics, and it considers how districts serve all students and student groups. The APR is the primary factor in a district’s accreditation status.

The 2025 APR academic data is based on the 2024-25 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) testing cycle. 

Achievements

A standout area for the WSD is the APR’s Performance metric, which directly measures student academic outcomes. Since MSIP 6’s pilot year in 2022, the WSD has seen an 11.4 percentage point increase in Performance, showing steady improvement each year.

• 2022 Performance % Earned: 78.6%
• 2023 Performance % Earned: 80.1%
• 2024 Performance % Earned: 86.0%
• 2025 Performance % Earned: 90.0%

WSD students also improved the average MAP Performance Index (MPI) in English Language Arts (ELA), math, and social studies. The MPI combines proficiency levels (below basic, basic, proficient, or advanced) and the student scale score. 

The District is now rated "target" in all four academic areas, advancing from "on track" in math and science last year.

Academic achievement will remain a focus, particularly in student group performance and student growth, which were identified as needing attention in this year’s APR. Attendance continues to be another area of focus. 

This year, the District experienced a dip in the Continuous Improvement section of the APR. Although all tasks included in this section were completed, the decrease in score was a result of one of these areas not being reported accurately. The District has already taken steps to ensure accurate and consistent reporting moving forward. 

Takeaways

“We are incredibly proud of the growth we are seeing in academic achievement, which reflects the dedication and effort of our students and staff,” said Brian Bishop, superintendent of schools. “At the same time, there is still work to be done. We are committed to continuing to improve student outcomes and move our district forward.”

DESE also reports a composite score for all districts. This score combines the last three years of APR data. When looking at the top 20 districts in size, ranging from approximately 24,000 students down to 9,000 students, WSD ranked number three in the composite score, coming in at 89.2. The composite score is used in conjunction with other statutory requirements to inform accreditation classification decisions. 

The District will report on the data at an upcoming Board of Education meeting. View the full APR report on the DESE website.