Superintendent outlines accreditation push as board warns of low test participation and sparse summer-school enrollment

Superintendent Dr. Triplett told the Normandy Schools Joint Executive Governing Board on March 10 that the district has launched an accelerated accreditation plan and introduced MPI assessments and common formative assessments aligned to MAP tests to drive improvement.

Triplett said the first MPI administration “didn't go well” because participation was low and some scored results were not uploaded; he added that the MPI is intended to mirror state-level tests so staff can predict outcomes more reliably. “The MPI assessment is given once a month,” Triplett said, explaining the district will use the data to identify students who can be moved from below-basic to higher proficiency bands.

Board members raised concerns about participation, the frequency of testing and the effect on instruction. "My concern is that the assessments are a little excessive," said Director Edwards, noting tests can take time away from classroom instruction and may fatigue students if administered too often. Triplett responded that assessments are embedded in instruction and that participation problems reflect both absence and missed uploads: "We can only score what's in the system," he said.

Directors pushed for more precise participation counts and clearer parent communications about Missouri's proportional-attendance rules. Vice President Theresa Pearson urged broader outreach so families understand that arriving late or leaving early can reduce the district's proportional attendance. Board member Milton Roberts asked for a districtwide communications plan using PowerSchool, robocalls, flyers and marquees to inform families and students.

On summer school, Triplett said roughly 100 students had enrolled so far; building-level programs will run June 2–July 2 with sites at the ELC, middle and high schools and Jefferson Elementary. "You can't really make it mandatory," Triplett said when asked whether summer school can be required, but he urged the board to increase enrollment through easier sign-up and partner outreach.

Triplett said the district has identified building-level and cabinet-level responsibilities and is using data scrubbing and monitoring to improve assessment fidelity. He described efforts to boost CCR (career and college readiness) points via dual-credit and credentialing and said the district expects gains in 2025–26 as several initiatives mature.

The board requested that the compiled questions from the March 3 budget workshop be answered by March 24 and urged district staff to quantify participation rates for subsequent meetings. The board did not take formal action on the accreditation plan at the March 10 meeting; the superintendent said follow-up work and additional reporting are planned.