Elizabeth Orosco
Northeast News

The Kansas City Public School District revealed its 2018 Annual Progress Report score last week, which now puts KCPS on track to receive full accreditation status.

KCPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell revealed an 82.9 percent APR score at a press conference held at Woodland Elementary Friday, February 1.

Dr. Bedell attributed the success of the district to the hard work of teachers, principals, staff, community members, and students.

Arjun Ravindran, KCPS 2018 Teacher of the Year who teaches math at Central Middle School, said there is so much more behind the numbers than just data.

“We teach for the love of our kids. We are teachers because we are driven to help children become successful adults. This data represents the hard work of real teacher and real students working together to build a bright future for Kansas City, for our country, and for the world.”

Annual Performance Reports (APRs) are based on the performance standards and are reviewed for accreditation purposes at the district level. School districts are expected to get at least 70 percent of the possible points in order to be considered at a “full accreditation” level.

Every year, Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) produces an APR that measures improvement based on several different factors for every public school and Local Education Agency (school district) in the state.

These performance factors include, among other elements, Missouri Assessment Program and End-of-Course exam results, attendance and graduation rates, and career and college readiness. APR points are accumulated for achievement and improvement in each category. Status, progress, and growth (where applicable) are used to calculate a comprehensive score used to determine the accreditation level of a school district.

State accreditation status is actually determined by a vote of the Missouri State Board of Education, which considers APR and DESE recommendations when making this decision.

The Missouri School Improvement Program has the responsibility of reviewing and accrediting the public school districts in Missouri. The process of accrediting school districts is mandated by state law and by State Board of Education regulation.

The Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5) is the state’s school accountability system for reviewing and accrediting public school districts in Missouri.

The Department reviews each district’s accreditation status and the APR supporting data to identify trends and status in performance outcomes. Other considerations include Comprehensive School Improvement Plans, previous Department MSIP findings, financial status, compliance with regulations and statutes, and superintendent certification. A district’s accreditation classification remains intact until the State Board of Education rules otherwise.

KCPS was stripped of accreditation status September 20, 2011, effective January 1, 2012. The Missouri Board of Education voted unanimously to withdraw the district’s accreditation status. In August 2014, the Board of Education granted provisional accreditation status to KCPS in recognition of the academic gains made by KCPS students. In the 2014–2015 school year, KCPS had 13 schools which met the state standard for full accreditation, and another eight which met the standard for provisional accreditation.
Notably, Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School released their 99.5 percent 2018 APR score, making SVN one of the highest-performing charter schools in the state of Missouri. SVN earned a 99.1 percent on Academic Achievement, a 100 percent on Subgroup Achievement, a 100 percent on High School Readiness, and a 100 percent on Attendance.
“We know this achievement would not be possible without the hard work of our students, dedication of our staff, and support of our parents and board,” the school posted on their Facebook group.