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A report from The 74 identified Missouri public schools where some student groups facing reading challenges performed better than statewide benchmarks. The data highlights schools for further study, but does not explain which practices produced the results.
A report by The 74 identified Missouri schools where low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities achieved stronger reading results than comparable statewide benchmarks. The analysis comes as Missouri’s fourth-grade reading scores have fallen over the past decade, and points policymakers toward schools they could study as the state continues literacy reforms.
Among Missouri schools with at least 20 low-income test-takers, 83 schools had economically disadvantaged students whose reading scores exceeded the statewide average for all students, The 74 reported. The article singled out Cedar Springs and Cole Camp elementary schools as open-enrollment examples, while noting that other high-performing schools included selective magnet programs whose approaches may be harder to reproduce.
For English learners, five schools posted proficiency rates above the statewide rate for all students. McKelvey Intermediate had the highest result cited: 71% of English learners scored proficient or better on the third-grade reading test, 30 percentage points above the state’s overall rate. The article also identified two North Kansas City School District schools among the five highest-performing schools for this group.
For students with disabilities, 14% statewide reached proficiency on the third-grade reading test. At Lakeview Elementary in Wentzville, students with disabilities scored above the statewide average for all students. The Lindbergh School District had two schools among the five highest-performing in the category, according to the report.
Schools Outperforming State Benchmarks
The findings offer Missouri education leaders specific places to investigate while statewide reading results remain weak. In 2025, just under 42% of all third-grade students were proficient or better on the state reading test; among low-income students, the rate was below 30%, The 74 reported. Schools where students facing those barriers post stronger results may help leaders identify useful instructional or support practices.
The data is a starting point, not evidence that a particular curriculum or policy caused the results. The report says school visits, interviews with educators, and reviews of curricula and interventions could help determine what is working and whether those approaches can be used elsewhere.
Missouri Reading Scores Over Time
Missouri has spent several years changing how reading is taught, including investments in teacher training, evidence-based instruction, literacy screening and interventions for struggling readers, according to The 74. Those reforms are still being implemented, and statewide outcomes may take time to reflect them.
National Assessment of Educational Progress data show that Missouri’s average fourth-grade reading score fell 10.4 points from 2013 to 2024. The report describes that decline as one of the country’s largest over the period. It also cautions against ranking schools by raw scores alone: students’ prior skills and support outside school can affect results, so high scores do not by themselves show how much a school contributed.
The 74’s Bright Spots project adjusted school comparisons for student demographics and poverty. Its broader analysis covered 42,000 schools and identified 2,158 as Bright Spots. The Missouri examples in this report focus on schools where selected student groups exceeded particular state benchmarks.
“Data alone can’t tell us why these schools succeed. But it can tell us where to start looking.”
— The 74
What the School Data Cannot Explain
The reported scores do not establish which teaching methods, leadership decisions or local conditions account for each school’s results. The 74 notes that some schools may benefit from exceptional staff or circumstances that would be difficult to replicate. The figures identify schools with comparatively strong outcomes; they do not show that every student group or grade at those schools achieved the same results.
The report also does not establish whether the schools’ performance will continue in later testing years or how the state’s ongoing reforms will affect statewide scores. Comparisons use different student groups and benchmarks, so the reported percentages should be read in their stated contexts.
How State Leaders Could Follow Up
The report proposes that Missouri policymakers study the identified schools by visiting classrooms, interviewing teachers and principals, reviewing curricula, and observing how schools support students who struggle with reading. Such work could help distinguish practices that may be transferable from results tied to a school’s particular circumstances.
No specific visits, policy changes or next milestones were announced in the source material. The results remain a set of leads for further inquiry; whether the state or districts will act on them, and what future reading assessments will show, is not yet clear.
Key Questions
Which Missouri schools were highlighted for low-income students?
The report named Cedar Springs and Cole Camp elementary schools as open-enrollment schools with strong results for low-income students. Across schools with at least 20 low-income test-takers, 83 had that group score above the statewide average for all students.
Which school had the strongest result for English learners?
McKelvey Intermediate had the highest figure cited: 71% of its English learners scored proficient or better on the third-grade reading test, 30 percentage points above the state’s overall proficiency rate.
How did students with disabilities perform statewide?
The report says 14% of Missouri students with disabilities reached proficiency on the third-grade reading test. Students with disabilities at Lakeview Elementary in Wentzville scored above the statewide average for all students.
Do the results show why these schools performed well?
No. The analysis identifies comparatively strong outcomes, but does not establish their causes. The 74 recommends examining instruction, school leadership, curricula and reading supports to learn more.
How much did Missouri’s fourth-grade reading score change?
Missouri’s average fourth-grade NAEP reading score fell 10.4 points between 2013 and 2024, according to the report.
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