Beating the Odds: 5th Edition

A Review of Student Growth in Schools that Serve Low-Income Communities, 2024—25

By: Courtney Vahle, Ed.D., Andrew Camp, Ph.D., and Collin Hitt Ph.D.

The best way to measure student achievement – and the impact that individual schools are having – is through student growth. This is especially important for schools that serve a significant population of low-income students. Single point-in-time measures, such as proficiency, do not adjust for where students start the year. But comparing where students start the year and where they conclude measures growth – how much new ground students have covered during a single school year. Fortunately for policy makers, parents, and educators, Missouri has the best growth model in the country. This report looks at growth scores from the 2024–25 school year and three years of growth data from the 2022–23 through 2024–25 school years. looks at the quartile of Missouri schools that enroll the largest population of low-income students. The data show that some of the highest growth schools in Missouri also enroll some of the largest populations of low-income students. This report seeks to recognize, reward, and thereby replicate the successes of these schools to improve outcomes for students all across the state.