By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
September 28, 2011

“There’s no doubt the decision to move us from provisionally accredited to unaccredited status is a serious matter as far as I’m concerned,” Kansas City, Missouri School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Stephen Green said. “My goal is to make sure we restore ourselves back to accredited status.”

Green addressed community members about KCMSD’s situation during a Sept. 22 town hall meeting at Manual Career Technical Center.

State Board of Education members voted unanimously Sept. 20 to classify the school district as unaccredited, effective Jan. 1, 2012. School officials stressed the state’s decision does not equal a state takeover. However, if KCMSD does not improve test scores and meet certain benchmarks within the next two school years, DESE will either take over the district or dissolve it.

“I have been here when this happened before, unfortunately, and we turned it around and we will turn it around again,” KCMSD Board of Education member Ray Wilson said. “We have no need to hold our heads down. We have no need to cry. We have no need to run somewhere (other school districts) where we’re not wanted. You have no need to fear anything.”

Green called upon the district and community to show resilience in the face of adversity. High school diplomas will still be valid and college scholarships and admission should not be affected, he said. Despite the district’s status, each school is accredited through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, he said. Colleges don’t base their decision on whether or not a district is accredited by the state, he added.

However, a handout provided by KCMSD at the meeting stated, “Higher education institutions set their own policies and criteria for admissions and awarding financial aid. Students who graduate from an unaccredited school district might face an obstacle when applying to some institutions.”

KCMSD’s path to unaccredited status

One audience-submitted question asked how KCMSD got to this point.

State Board of Education President Stan Archie, who represents the Kansas City area, cited the high turnover of superintendents.

“Watching Kansas City, it looked like every driver who gets in to take you to your destination has a different route, so you keep turning around and going a different way,” Archie said.

However, KCMSD’s current plan, the Transformation Plan, is community driven and not dependent on a superintendent, he said.

Archie also pointed out that the State of Missouri leads the nation in using the highest of standards.

“Just because we in Missouri use that standard to measure does not mean universities in and outside of Missouri use those same standards,” he said.

Missouri currently uses 14 benchmarks, which look at academic performance; the percentage of students scoring above the national average on the ACT; course work preparation, like percentage of students participating in advanced courses and technical education classes, college enrollment, among other criteria; high school graduation rate and attendance rate.

This year, KCMSD met three of the 14 state benchmarks. Last year, it met four.

Transferring to other school districts

Once Jan. 1 hits, students within the district will be allowed to transfer to schools within a neighboring district or adjoining county. Neighboring school districts may accept or reject students enrolled in an unaccredited school. State law requires the unaccredited school district to pay for the tuition and transportation costs for any student who chooses to transfer to an accredited school district.

However, requiring an unaccredited school to pay for those costs could change due to the pending court case, Jane Turner, et. al. v. School District of Clayton, et. al.

If the current law is upheld, the cost to KCMSD could be devastating, KCMSD’s handout stated.

Where to go from here

To improve student achievement, KCMSD will monitor student performance and implement individualized intervention plans if a student is underperforming. Principals are currently being trained on how to use the data at their school to improve student achievement, Green said. In addition, Saturday school will be launched for struggling students. For those enrolled in career and technical education courses, KCMSD will evaluate how the courses benefited the students once they’ve graduated from high school.

Asked how the district plans to improve safety at its schools, KCMSD Chief Operating Officer Michael Rounds said KCMSD is installing “state-of-the-art” security systems in the schools and installed surveillance video cameras at Southwest Early College Campus, Northeast High School and East High School. The district is currently in the process of installing surveillance video cameras at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts.

Rounds stressed while KCMSD is working to improve school safety, parent involvement is also critical. Parents must keep their children accountable, he said.

“If your kid was caught on camera burning the trash, don’t tell me he did it because his teacher didn’t like him,” Archie said in reference to a recent incident at Central High School.

“You are a taxpayer and these buildings are paid for by tax payer dollars,” Wilson said. “Then, you send your child to school for seven to eight hours a day and you (parents) do not come into the building. You drive right by it. That’s like not coming into your own house.”

Wilson encouraged parents to become involved in their children’s schools and offer their talents.

KCMSD officials said they will continue to keep the community updated via the district’s website, www.kcmsd.net. This week, assemblies will be held at the high schools to explain the accreditation process and evening meetings will be held for the high school juniors, seniors and their parents.