Inside A Successful Accreditation Plan - Part II

The Kansas City, Missouri public school system has a long history of woes. The district

was unaccredited for two years before being granted a 10-year provisional

accreditation. The purpose of provisional accreditation is to give a struggling school or

district an opportunity to correct deficiencies with the hope of regaining full accreditation

in the near future.

Kansas City’s school district, however, declined rather than improving during its

extended grace period. Almost half of the district’s schools closed as a result of budget

deficits. Enrollment dropped to only 17,000 as students transferred to other school

districts or charter schools.

The district was also plagued by constant changes in

administration, averaging a new superintendent every other year over a 40-year period.

Academic performance was also an issue as student performance repeatedly failed to

meet state standards. As a result, the Kansas City school system lost its accreditation in

September 2011. This was a costly loss because it resulted in even more students

transferring to schools in neighboring districts.

Unaccredited school districts are required to pay for the tuition and transportation costs

of students who transfer to other districts. The Kansas City school system was given

two years to demonstrate academic improvement. Otherwise, the state could step in

and seize control of the district. The situation was grave.

The Missouri School Improvement Program is the organization responsible for

monitoring and accrediting school districts in the state. The Program issues an Annual

Progress Report which evaluates districts in multiple performance areas such as

academic achievement, subgroup achievement, student readiness, attendance rate,

and graduation rate.

The report assesses the districts using a points system, with the majority of the points

coming from student performance on standardized tests. In 2012, Kansas City earned

only 22.5 out of the 140 total possible points. This was a far cry from the 70% required

for full accreditation.

However, in 2016, under the direction of Superintendent Mark Bedell, Kansas City

schools reached the 70% mark for the first time in three decades by getting back to the

basics, focusing on teaching and learning.

The accrediting agency indicated that the district would have to demonstrate that it

could maintain the improved academic performance for at least another year before the

agency would consider granting the district full accreditation.

But Superintendent Bedell appeared to be well up to the task, laying out a long-term

strategy for continued improvement that included programs intended to support

students socially and emotionally as well as academically.

Bedell also expressed commitment to early childhood initiatives that would better

prepare students for high school. Kansas City’s success story is a reflection of what can

be accomplished with stable leadership, strategic planning, and stakeholder

involvement.