RESOURCE STANDARDS

Resource Standards

Information submitted by each district on the October Core Data collection cycle will be used by DESE to develop the Resource Report. District staff is responsible for reviewing the Resource Report during the on-site review. Changes that are necessary to correct errors should be made on the appropriate screen prints of Core Data and the corrected screen prints given to the State Supervisor prior to the end of the on-site review. Districts that want to use an alternative approach to meeting a Resource Standard must receive approval prior to implementing the alternative.

PROGRAM OF STUDIES

1.1     Elementary (typically self-contained) - Each elementary student receives regular instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, comprehensive health, art, music, and physical education. In K-8 elementary schools, students will have access to a total of four exploratory classes.

1. Each elementary student will receive regular instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, comprehensive health (including tobacco, alcohol and other drug prevention and HIV/AIDS prevention education), and career awareness education. Instruction in each of the core areas will reflect the Show-Me Standards.

2. Each elementary student will receive instruction in art, music, and physical education for a minimum of 50 minutes in each area each week (25 minutes in each area for half-day kindergarten classes). These classes shall be taught by teachers certificated in these fields.

3. If the district is a K-7 or K-8 elementary district, the following must also be addressed:

     a. Beginning no later than seventh grade, regular instruction in the United States and Missouri Constitutions, and American History and Institutions will be provided (as required by Section 170.011, RSMo).
     b. Students in grades 7-8 will have access to a total of four exploratory classes (e.g., speech, agriculture, family and consumer sciences, industrial technology, foreign language, computer literacy, developmental reading). Each class is taught for a minimum of 1,200 minutes each year.

1.2       Junior High/Middle School (typically departmentalized) - Each junior high/middle school student will receive regular instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, career education, health, and physical education and will have access to art and music plus four exploratory classes. Students in grades 7-8 will have regular instruction in United States and Missouri Constitutions and American History.

1. Language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are scheduled and taught to all students for at least 900 minutes each week in the aggregate (or 1,800 minutes every two weeks).

2. Physical education is scheduled and taught to all students for a minimum of 3,000 minutes each year and health (including tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention education, and HIV/AIDS prevention education) and safety education is scheduled and taught to all students for a minimum of 1,500 minutes each year.

3. Art and music are scheduled and taught so that all students have access to them for a minimum of 1,500 minutes each year.

4. Students in grades 7-8 will have access to a total of four exploratory classes (e.g., speech, agriculture, family and consumer sciences, industrial technology, foreign language, computer literacy, developmental reading). Each class is taught for a minimum of 1,500 minutes each year.

5. Beginning no later than seventh grade, regular instruction in the United States and Missouri Constitutions, and American History and Institutions will be provided (as required by Section 170.011, RSMo).

6. Beginning no later than eighth grade, instruction in algebraic concepts and logic will be available to all students.

1.3 High School - Each high school has a current minimum offering of at least 40.5 units of credit, with sufficient sections in each course to meet the needs of all students in grades 9-12 and the state high school graduation requirements. These courses are distributed as follows:

	MINIMUM STANDARD	DESIRABLE STANDARD
English/Language Arts/Communication	6.0	10.0
Foreign Language	2.0	4.0
(Must include two units of one language.)	5.0	6.0
Social Studies
(Minimum must include one unit each of American History and World History, 1/2 unit or equivalent of American Government. Regular instruction in U.S. and Missouri Constitutions, as well as American History and Institutions, must be provided, as required by Section 170.011, RSMo. Desirable must also include 1/2 unit of Geography.)
Mathematics	4.0	6.0
(Minimum must include Algebra I and two units from Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, and Math Analysis. Desirable must include Algebra I and three units from the above list.)
Science	4.0	6.0
(Must include one unit each of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.)
Fine Arts	2.0	6.0
(Must include both Art and Music.)
Vocational Education	12.0	20.0
(Must include a broad range of Department-approved offerings that support or lead to employment or related postsecondary education based on students’ needs and interests in Agricultural Education, Marketing Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education (wage earning and non-wage earning), Business Education, Industrial and Engineering Technology, and Health Sciences. Four vocational program areas must be represented each year or the district must demonstrate a pattern of student participation in four or more vocational program areas over the past two years.)
Physical Education	1.0	2.0
Health	0.5	1.0
(Includes tobacco, alcohol and other drug prevention, and HIV/AIDS prevention education)
Practical Arts	4.0	8.0
(Includes nonvocational courses which provide practical experiences for students (e.g., Driver Education, Computer Education, Computer Literacy) and vocational credits exceeding the minimum standard of 12.)
TOTAL	40.5	69.0

Options:
           1. Districts may meet any course requirement by providing opportunities for all students to attend a    high school and/or area vocational school in a neighboring district or by participating in other approved delivery systems (i.e., correspondence courses, satellite classes). The sending school must pay tuition and/or the costs associated with these services, including transportation.
           2. In three-year high schools (grades 10-12), additional curriculum offerings at grade nine may be added to meet curriculum requirements.
           3. Two advanced courses in any subject area may be offered on an alternating-year basis to meet content/subject area requirements.   Alternating-year course credits are counted to meet individual subject area credit requirements, but are not counted toward meeting the overall total of 40.5 credits.
           4. For purposes of counting credit under this standard, repetitive classes such as Band, Chorus, Glee Club, and Physical Education (unless clearly differentiated) will count as one (1) unit.

CLASS SIZE/ASSIGNED ENROLLMENTS

2.1 Class Size and Assigned Enrollments - Enrollments will be consistent with both class-size standards and total enrollment requirements. (Class sizes in all categorically funded programs must meet the class-size standards for that program.)

1. Student enrollment in individual classes will be consistent with the following guidelines:

GRADES	MINIMUM STANDARD	DESIRABLE STANDARD
K-2	25	20
3-4	27	22
5-6	30	25
7-12	33	28

2. Full-time elementary art, music, physical education, and computer teaching specialists shall serve no more than 750 students per week.

Options:
1. Student enrollment in a classroom may increase by as many as ten students for any period that a teacher assistant assists the classroom teacher full time. A teacher with a half-time teacher assistant may be assigned as many as five additional students. (Aides provided with Title I and special education funds are provided on a needs-specific basis and cannot be used to increase class enrollment.) Teacher assistants used to increase class size must have a minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit from an accredited institution of higher education and a general understanding of the objectives of public education OR must have served as a teacher assistant in a public school for at least two years, with the most recent year being the 1998-1999 school year, and annually attend at least 15 clock hours of professional development. Teacher assistants without a baccalaureate degree and appropriate certification may assist in activities assigned by and under the direct control of the classroom teacher. Teacher assistants with a baccalaureate degree and an appropriate teaching certificate may initiate instruction and work independently. Teacher aides not used to increase class size must have a minimum of a high school diploma (or GED certificate) and competency in the duties to be performed. (See the Federal Programs Manual for guidelines on the use of aides and clerks for Title I.) School districts are encouraged to provide additional professional development for their teacher assistants and teacher aides to optimize the acquisition and application of skills. Professional development activities should be in addition to general orientation workshops provided by the district for support staff.
2. Elementary school classes may enroll students from two consecutive grade levels (example: grades one and two, grades two and three). Total enrollment in such classes shall not exceed the class-size standards listed above for the lowest grade included in the combination.

3. High school beginning and advanced classes in the same subject may be combined (example: Spanish I and Spanish II). Total enrollment in such classes shall not exceed 15 students.
           4. High school advanced classes in the same subject may also be combined (example Spanish III and Spanish IV). Total enrollment in such classes shall not exceed 20 students.
           5. Enrollment in performing-arts classes may exceed regular class-size limits if adequate supervision and facilities are provided.
           6. High school physical education classes may enroll up to 45 students.

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT STAFF

3.1 Library Media Staff - Certificated librarians and/or library media specialists are assigned consistent with the following ratios, based on the student enrollment at each building:

MINIMUM STANDARD		DESIRABLE STANDARD
Students	FTE	Students	FTE
1-200	.20	1-150	.20
201-400	.40	151-300	.40
401-600	.60	301-450	.60
601-800	.80	451-600	.80
801-1000	1.00	601-750	1.00
1001-1200	1.20	751-900	1.20
1201-1400	1.40	901-1050	1.40
1401-1600	1.60	1051-1200	1.60
1601-1800	1.80	1201-1350	1.80
1801-2000	2.00, etc.	1351-1500	2.00, etc.

3.2 Guidance and Counseling Staff - Certificated counselors are assigned consistent with the following ratios, based on the student enrollment at each building:

MINIMUM STANDARD		DESIRABLE STANDARD
Students	FTE	Students	FTE
1-100	.20	1-75	.20
101-200	.40	76-150	.40
201-300	.60	151-225	.60
301-400	.80	226-300	.80
401-500	1.00	301-375	1.00
501-600	1.20	376-450	1.20
601-700	1.40	451-525	1.40
701-800	1.60	526-600	1.60
801-900	1.80	601-675	1.80
901-1000	2.00, etc.	676-750	2.00, etc.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

4.1 Superintendent -A certificated superintendent is assigned to serve full-time as the district’s chief administrative officer.

Options:

           1.   Two adjacent school districts, each of which employs twenty-five (25 FTE) or fewer professional staff members and at least one (1) of which is “provisionally accredited” or “accredited,” may share a superintendent who possesses a valid Missouri superintendent’s certificate and who serves full-time as the chief administrative officer of both districts.
     2.   For a period of one year only, any two (2) adjacent districts, at least one (1) of which is classified “provisionally accredited” or “accredited,” regardless of the number of professional staff members employed, may share a superintendent. Any two (2) such districts, one (1) of which employs more than twenty-five (25 FTE) professional staff members, which wish to share a superintendent for more than one (1) year, shall obtain prior approval from the State Board of Education.
     3.   A superintendent of schools in a district which employs twenty-five (25 FTE) or fewer professional staff members and who holds a valid Missouri superintendent’s certificate may serve as the secondary principal, the elementary principal, or both, regardless of certification as a principal, in addition to serving as the chief administrative officer of the district.
     4.   Elementary districts (K-8) with over twenty-five (25 FTE) professional staff members must employ a certificated superintendent as chief administrative officer. Elementary districts with twenty-five (25 FTE) or fewer professional staff members may employ either a certificated superintendent or certificated elementary principal as chief administrative officer.

4.2 Associates/Assistants to the Superintendent - Associates/assistants to the superintendent in the areas of curriculum and instruction must have, as a minimum, a Master’s Degree and a valid Missouri teaching certificate. All other associates/assistants to the superintendent should have appropriate training in their field.

Professional Staff Members (FTE)	Assistants to Superintendent (FTE)
MINIMUM STANDARD
1-100	0
101-200	1
201-300	2
301-400	3
401-500	4
501-600	5
601-700	6
701-800, etc.	7, etc.

Assistant superintendents must have a master's degree and a valid Missouri Teaching Certificate if their primary responsibilities involve the areas of curriculum and instruction. Other assistant superintendents should have training in their field (i.e., an MBA might be appropriate for an assistant superintendent of finance). Please note that there is no reference to title in this requirement. Whether districts elect to call the people occupying these positions associate superintendents, deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistants to the superintendent, coordinators, or directors is a local option.

4.3 Principals/Building Administrators - Certificated principals, vocational directors, and assistant administrators are employed and assigned consistent with the MSIP staff ratios

MINIMUM STANDARD		DESIRABLE STANDARD
Students	FTE	Students	FTE
1-100	.25	1-300	1.00
101-200	.50	301-375	1.25
201-300	.75	376-450	1.50
301-500	1.00	451-525	1.75
501-600	1.25	526-600	2.00, etc.
601-700	1.50
701-800	1.75
801-1000	2.00, etc.

CERTIFICATION/PLANNING TIME

5.1 Teacher Certification - All administrators and teachers must be appropriately certificated for their assignments in accordance with the guidelines contained within the Core Data Manual (Exhibit 10: “Course Code/Certificate”).

5.2 Planning Time - Each full-time classroom teacher, including kindergarten teachers, shall have a minimum of 250 minutes of scheduled planning time each school week. It is desirable to have 50 minutes of planning time each day. Planning time is calculated between the official start and close of the school day and does not include travel time, lunch time, or time before or after school. (Planning time is not required for administrators, counselors, or librarians.)

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Resource Standards