Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

November 17, 2005 (Revised January 2006)

180 School Districts Earn State Honors
for "Distinction in Performance"

Nearly 200 Missouri school districts have earned the state’s "Distinction in Performance Award," in recognition of their academic progress and achievement last year (2004-05).

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced today that 180 districts will receive the coveted Distinction in Performance Award, which recognizes outstanding academic performance and consistent progress in the areas that are measured by the state’s school-accreditation standards: MAP test scores, ACT scores, attendance and dropout rates, etc.

Last year, 21 fewer districts (157) qualified for the award. Of the 180 districts being honored, 145 are K-12 districts; 35 are K-8 districts.

"The Distinction in Performance Award is a prestigious honor for Missouri school districts. It requires districts to demonstrate outstanding achievement or consistent improvement in multiple areas. The entire community should be proud of its public schools for earning this honor," said Commissioner of Education D. Kent King.

To qualify for the award this year, K-8 districts had to meet 5 out of 6 performance standards (at least 45 out of 54 possible points), including all of the standards that are based on the MAP exams. K-12 districts had to meet 11 out of 12 standards (at least 91 out of 100 possible points), including all of the MAP-based measures.

Under the state’s accreditation process, school districts are formally evaluated once every five years, according to

State Board of Education standards. The Distinction in Performance award is based on the same performance criteria used in the accreditation review process. The award, however, represents a one-year snapshot of a district’s overall academic performance.

State education officials will formally recognize each of the winning school districts during a series of regional banquets this winter.

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Distinction in Performance Awards

K-12 School Districts

Adrian Albany Appleton City Ash Grove Atlanta Bakersfield Ballard Billings Blair Oaks Blue Springs Branson Breckenridge Bronaugh Brookfield Bucklin Camdenton Cassville Central Clayton Clever Cole Camp Columbia Crane Crocker Crystal City Delta C-7 Delta R-V De Soto Dixon Doniphan Eminence Everton Fair Grove Fordland Fox Gainesville Gasconade Co. R-I Gilman City Grandview R-II Green Ridge Greenfield Greenville Hallsville Hamilton Hancock Place Hartville Hickory Co. R-I Hillsboro Houston Jefferson City Joplin Kearney

Kingsville Kirksville Kirkwood Knob Noster La Plata Laclede Co. R-I Ladue Laquey Lebanon Lee's Summit Leeton Leopold Lewis Co. C-1 Liberty Lindbergh Logan-Rogersville Lone Jack Madison Marion Co. R-II Marquand-Zion Marshfield Maryville Moberly Moniteau Co. R-VI Montrose Morgan Co. R-I Mountain View-Birch Tree Mt. Vernon Newtown-Harris Nixa North Harrison Co. R-III North Kansas City North Mercer Co. R-III North Nodaway Co. R-VI North Platte Co. R-I North Shelby Northeast Vernon Co. R-I Northwest R-I Northwestern R-I Oak Ridge Oran Oregon-Howell R-III Osage Co. R-I Osborn Osceola Palmyra Park Hill Parkway Pattonville Pilot Grove Platte Co. R-III

Pleasant Hill Princeton Puxico Ralls Co. R-II Republic Rock Port Rockwood Rolla Salem Santa Fe Savannah School of the Osage Scotland Co. R-I Sedalia Shelby Co. R-IV Smithton Smithville South Iron Co. R-I South Nodaway Co. R-IV Southern Boone Co. R-I Southern Reynolds Co. R-II Sparta Spokane Springfield St. Charles Co. R-V St. Elizabeth Stanberry Ste. Genevieve Sullivan Sweet Springs Troy Union Star Valley Park Van-Far Verona Warrensburg Washington Waynesville Webster Groves West Platte Co. R-II West St. Francois Co. R-IV Zalma

K-8 School Districts

Altenburg Avenue City Belleview Boncl Callao Centerville Clarksburg Franklin Co. R-II Gasconade C-4 Glenwood Hardeman High Point

Howell Valley Hudson Jefferson Co. R-VII Junction Hill Kelso Kirbyville Leesville Livingston Co. R-III Middle Grove Mirable New York North Wood

Oak Hill Orearville Pleasant View Raymondville Richards Roscoe Spring Bluff Strasburg Taneyville Thornfield Westview