Our neighborhood is proud of the ongoing work towards accreditation after 10 long years.
Following is the letter sent out by Dr. Mark Bedell to school parents on January 13, 2022:
It is my pleasure to share with you that today, after years of hard work, Kansas City Public Schools received full accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education, effective immediately. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our students. And we couldn’t have done it without your support. Thank you for choosing KCPS for your family. Thank you for trusting us to educate your children.
Tuesday’s vote followed a presentation by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff outlining the progress KCPS has made since 2014, when the district was provisionally accredited. Some highlights:
In six years, KCPS improved its 4-year graduation rate from 68.7% in 2016 to 77.8% in 2021.
In 2019, KCPS students exceeded the state’s expectations for academic growth in English Language Arts. In 2021, KCPS students exceeded the state’s expectations for academic growth in math despite the COVID-19 pandemic. (State tests were not administered in spring 2020.) KCPS continues to outpace state expectations for student growth, particularly among students of color.
KCPS has been an active participant in DESE’s Regional School Improvement Team (RSIT) process, helping to improve the district’s utilization of data to improve curriculum, instruction, professional development and systems.
KCPS has increased the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual credit courses by 34% — and quintupled the number of students scoring 3 or better on these tests.
I hope you will take a minute to celebrate with us today. Full accreditation is a public acknowledgement of something I have known for a long time: KCPS is a great school district. We have the best kids and the most dedicated staff. Thank you for investing in our schools and our community. Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we will continue to set new goals.
Yours in education,
Dr. Mark Bedell, Superintendent