Columbia schools receive award for high standards

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the Columbia Public School District its first Distinction in Performance Award during a banquet Friday night.

The Distinction in Performance Award is based on accreditation standards for schools in Missouri and recognizes districts that make consistent progress in all of the areas covered by accreditation standards. The award specifically looks at attendance rate, dropout rate and test scores such as the MAP test and ACT for high school students.

This year, 157 out of 524 school districts in Missouri received the annual distinction.

“We’re very pleased to receive the award, but it doesn’t change the focus of what we’re doing,” said Cheryl Cozette, the assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction. “We’re striving for success with our students; we’re working each day helping students reach their goals.”

According to the district’s Web site, the average daily attendance among students is 93 to 95 percent and the dropout rate for the district is 4 to 5 percent. Seventy-five percent of Columbia high school graduates take the ACT with average scores in the 90th to 95th percentile compared to students’ scores across the nation. Eighty to 90 percent of high school graduates of Columbia schools go on to higher education.

Separate from the award, the district also received an accreditation waiver from the Education Department based on “four years of school improvement and performance,” according to a district media release. Schools that do well on the basis of the department’s accreditation standards qualify for a waiver, which means they are excused from an evaluation done every five years, said Jim Morris, a spokesman for the Education Department.

The Education department also recognized other achievements by Columbia schools. They include a comprehensive curriculum; programs for at-risk students and students with disabilities; award-winning career and vocational programs; depth and breadth in course offerings; multicultural education; community programs; and staff development.