Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon approved the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) request to pilot an innovative statewide assessment program focused on improving the existing statewide assessments in reading and language arts, and mathematics. MDESE was granted approval after submitting an application to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to take part in the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) program beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. IADA allows states meeting certain requirements to design and test new statewide assessments.
“I’m pleased to support Missouri in re-imagining their state assessments to better reflect their instructional programs and priorities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Hayley Sanon. “IADA gives states the opportunity to try new strategies and assessment designs, focusing on supporting innovation while maintaining rigor and accountability to improve student outcomes. I look forward to seeing the impact of Missouri’s pilot on student achievement and how the state can serve as a model for others.”
“This is a major milestone in Missouri’s work to reshape assessments in ways that truly serve our students, families, and educators,” said Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Karla Eslinger. “We are grateful to Secretary McMahon and the Department of Education for choosing the Show-Me State to pilot a new assessment to better gauge and improve student outcomes. It is our hope that this work will help us strengthen our statewide assessments to reflect local priorities, inform instruction, and support real-world learning.”
Background
IADA is a demonstration authority authorized in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, which allows state educational agencies that meet certain requirements to pilot innovative assessment systems to meet state standards. It is designed to encourage local involvement in the next generation of statewide assessments to capture a more complete picture of students’ academic growth and help tailor instructional support to accelerate student learning.
Missouri’s Success-Ready Student Assessment system supports personalized learning by offering smaller, modular assessments at different points during the school year in reading and language arts, and mathematics. This initiative aims to enhance the flexibility and instructional value of assessments while maintaining alignment with the Missouri Learning Standards. The pilot assessment design endeavors to provide real-time, meaningful reporting for students, their teachers, and their parents during the school year, and help teachers respond to individual student learning needs based on assessment results.
To participate in the pilot, Missouri developed its assessments in collaboration with local stakeholders to meet state academic standards. Missouri was the only state to apply for approval to participate in IADA for the 2025-2026 school year.