HB 2710: School Accountability & A-F Grading
Sponsor: Dane Diehl
OPPOSE
Expands technocratic control
HB 2710 creates a statewide A-F grading system for every public school and district based largely on state test scores. It mandates rapid public posting of "accountability report cards" and creates the "Show Me Success Program," which provides bonus funding for top-performing schools. The net effect is a more centralized, test-driven model similar to the national "standards + testing + incentives" framework.
What Does This Bill Do?
- Mandatory A-F Grading: Assigns every school and district a letter grade (0-100 scale) based primarily on standardized test achievement and growth metrics.
- "Show Me Success" Bonuses: Creates a performance-funding mechanism that pays per-student bonuses to schools ranking in the top 5-10% statewide, incentivizing test-focused instruction.
- Centralized Metrics: Directs DESE to build new "growth to proficiency" metrics and defines "success ready" graduates using AP, IB, and dual-credit data.
Constitutional or Critical Context
Common Core Similarity Test: While HB 2710 does not explicitly say "Common Core," the structure mirrors that era's accountability ecosystem. By emphasizing "growth-to-proficiency," pressure to align with NAEP (a national benchmark), and embedding International Baccalaureate (IB) as a success signal, the bill moves Missouri toward outside benchmark conformity rather than state-defined excellence.
Red Flags & Recommended Amendments
Technocratic Control Regime
Locks Missouri into a "teaching to the test" model where state-defined formulas drive local curriculum decisions. (§160.524.7-10)
Perverse Financial Incentives
Tying staff bonuses to test score rankings (§160.524.6) encourages gaming the system and narrowing the educational focus to tested subjects only.
Act for Missouri Recommendation:
Act for Missouri OPPOSES HB 2710. It expands DESE's technocratic control over education through an A-F grading regime, embeds measurement frameworks associated with the Common Core era, and adds incentive structures that invite gaming and ideology.