City Schools miss 8 of 13 on Annual Performance Report

The St. Louis School Board's endless squabbling has reached such a pitch its drowning out ominous sounds.

One would be the sound of the floor dropping out from under them.

The other would be the collective, resigned, sigh of the residents in the St. Louis Public School District.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the district's annual performance report today. Despite some signs of progress, the district failed to meet standards, reaching only 5 of 13 required standards.

The report does not include an accreditation rating (45 points are required for provisional accreditation, 65 for full accreditation), but in a comparison to the 2005 report which met 5 of 12 categories which earned the district a dismal 39, the prospects of accreditation are grim.

(Reports from previous years: 2005 - 39 points, 2004 - 48 points, 2003 - 64 points)

A press release on the district's website tries to strike an optimistic note, "'While St. Louis is not where it needs to be in educating all students, this report shows that we are back on track towards accreditation,' said Dr. Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent." Yet the supporting evidence is thin.

From the press release:
MAP test results 6-8 Math, 20 progress points; [total: 20, required: 50]
6-8 in Communication Arts, 10 progress points; [total: 10, required: 50]
9-11 in Communication Arts, 10 progress points; [total: 10, required: 50]
ACT 1 progress point; [total: 1, required 4]
Graduation rate, 2 progress points; [total 2, reqired 4]

After two years without accreditation, a fractious school board, and a watchdog state committee weighing the district's future, Mayor Francis Slay may likely get his wish.

Update: Board member Bill Purdy sent along figures for other districts: Normandy and Hancock, 5 met; Riverview Gardens and Kansas City Public Schools, 3 met; Hazelwood and Jennings, 6 met.