State Grant Full Accreditation to Kansas City Public Schools for First Time in 20 Years | News | News Today

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KCTV) – The Missouri State Board of Education voted Tuesday morning in favor of full accreditation of Kansas City public schools for the first time in two decades

KCPS was the first school district in the country to lose its accreditation in 2000. The district became partially accredited a few years later, then lost that accreditation in 2011. The school district regained partial accreditation in 2014, but did not. not been fully accredited. since 2000.

The milestone marks a decades-long battle for the district to prove itself and shows that the state’s education department now believes KCPS is at least on the right track.

KCPS described several areas of improvement that the district has shown in recent years. In six years, the district’s four-year graduation rate fell from 69% to 78%. It also increased the number of high school students in Advanced Placement and other advanced programs by 34%.

The district is holding a special press conference Tuesday afternoon on the state’s decision. Stay with KCTV5 News for full coverage of the consequences of accreditation and the district press conference.

Jackson County Manager Frank White, Jr. released the following statement regarding the news:

“Today, I am delighted to congratulate Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell, school board members and the entire KCPS community on this well-deserved achievement. Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Dr Bedell as he strived to break down the barriers and systems that stood in the way of a high quality education for our inner city children. Under his leadership, with the support of the school board, teachers, staff, parents and the community, significant progress has been made in increasing student achievement, as evidenced by today’s announcement of accreditation. full district. As a proud KCPS graduate, I am excited about the new opportunities this status will bring as we work to build a better and fairer Jackson County. Go Tigers!