Most area districts do well in 'snapshot' of performance

School districts throughout the state are now reviewing preliminary Annual Performance Reports released Friday by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Most local school districts fared well in the reports, which the department calls "broad, high-level snapshots of performance."

For districts that have kindergarten through 12th grades, the reports show whether they meet performance standards in 14 areas. The standards are measured using test scores, attendance rates, graduation rates and other factors. Districts with kindergarten through eighth grades have seven standards.

Scott City is one district that has seen its number of met performance standards rise steadily for the past two years. In 2009, the district met eight standards. In 2010, the number rose to 11, and this year the district met all 14.

"I am really, really proud how we improved our scores over the years," said superintendent Diann Bradshaw-Ulmer.

"We have worked collaboratively in many areas to improve our schools and we are seeing the results," she said.

Bradshaw-Ulmer said the district was able to raise the attendance rate 2 percent last year by using new attendance policies. With the policies, the number of days students were allowed to miss per semester was reduced to six. If a student missed more, their attendance was reviewed by a committee. In some cases, they and their parents or guardian were subject to an appearance before a Scott County judge.

The Cape Girardeau School District also made slight gains in its attendance rate since last year, according to the report. The graduation rate for the district is slightly down. That rate was also shown by the report to be down last year, but the district found errors in that report. The graduation rate was corrected, raising it by more than five percentage points.

While three-fifths of districts in Missouri met all the performance standards possible, others struggled.

"The challenge to excel is ongoing," said Margie Vandeven, assistant commissioner for the Office of Quality Schools within DESE. "While we are very pleased with the progress the state is making, we know that we can do better and the future of our children and our state depends on that."

No K-12 district fared worse than Calhoun, which met just two of 14 standards. The fully accredited district in western Missouri met 12 standards in 2006, but the number has dropped steadily since then. By last year, it had met just four standards.

Among K-8 districts, the two that performed the lowest were Success in the southern part of the state and Callao in northern Missouri. The districts met three of seven standards. Both had met all seven standards the previous year.

Districts have until Sept. 2 to review and correct data from the past school year that will appear in the final version of the Annual Performance Reports, which will be released Sept. 16.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

eragan@semissourian.com

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