最新杏吧原创

Both had declining test scores, increasing poverty rates and a lack of parental involvement. And both were at risk of becoming unaccredited.

Now Jennings has become an example of what鈥檚 possible for troubled school districts in north 最新杏吧原创 County 鈥� many of which face similar challenges. At Northview Elementary School, kindergartners in one classroom learn multiplication before moving to first grade. Junior high students have begun a stringed instrument club. High school math scores are 16 percentage points higher than they were in 2012.

Meanwhile, Normandy this past year faced near bankruptcy, a state takeover and rock-bottom performance scores. Financial collapse may come this fall if the district must pay the same tuition rates it did last year for students transferring elsewhere.

School district performance in north 最新杏吧原创 County has Missouri education officials concerned. While Pattonville鈥檚 performance ranks in the top 10 of area school districts, most of the lowest-performing school systems are here. For the first time, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is about to become involved with those that seem to be struggling the most, offering support to keep them from falling further.

The department is looking for ways to overcome the challenges that often accompany growing concentrations of poverty. As middle-class whites and blacks have left places such as Dellwood, Ferguson and Glasgow Village, they鈥檝e been replaced with poorer African-Americans with greater obstacles. Unstable housing situations have led to high student turnover rates in classrooms.

State education officials met last week about a tiered plan of intervention in districts such as Ferguson-Florissant and University City 鈥� accredited systems whose overall performance has them concerned.

In March, the Missouri Board of Education adopted a plan allowing the department to take action in districts with significant performance drops, or that score less than 75 percent of the points available on the state鈥檚 Annual Performance Report.

In the 最新杏吧原创 area, just five districts fall into the latter category. Three of them 鈥� Normandy, Riverview Gardens and 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools 鈥� already have experienced some level of state intervention.

The level of state involvement in University City and Ferguson-Florissant could include school performance contracts holding the districts to academic targets, greater access to high-quality early education and extended learning opportunities for children and staff.

Larry Larrew, acting superintendent of Ferguson-Florissant, said he鈥檚 open to any state support.

鈥淭he expectation of our community, and the need of our students, is to get this addressed and do it with the urgency that鈥檚 required,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is nothing that is not to be considered.鈥�

The district last year experienced upheaval, with the ouster of Superintendent Art McCoy 鈥� a popular leader among students and parents, he was the district鈥檚 first black superintendent. The district dealt with $5 million in cuts, putting an end to some fine arts programs, after-school activities and new textbook purchases.

And now the district is also faced with the turmoil following the police shooting death of Michael Brown. The unrest in Ferguson that resulted delayed the start of school by more than a week. The district has worked with teachers and students dealing with trauma.

More than ever, parents and community groups need to see the situation in Ferguson-Florissant as urgent, leaders said.

The support is growing. There is some financial relief after voters approved a property tax increase this month. Parents banded together to place dozens of signs at each school welcoming the students back for the first day on Monday. People from across the country chipped in to raise more than $150,000 to feed children in poverty in Ferguson.

鈥淭he path that we鈥檙e on right now is scary, 鈥� said Kimberly Benz, a mother of four in the district. 鈥淭he schools are really getting that community support right now. That鈥檚 what we need.鈥�

ACTING QUICKLY

State education officials say they want to do everything possible to keep Ferguson-Florissant or any other school system from falling as far as Normandy. The 3,700-student district did so poorly last year it scored just 7 percent on its annual performance report.

Normandy, just south of Ferguson-Florissant, became unaccredited in 2013. A state Supreme Court ruling last summer allowed children in that district and other unaccredited ones to leave for higher performing schools.

Normandy had to pay for the tuition and transportation of transfer students. The $1.3 million monthly costs led to teacher layoffs, a school closure and near bankruptcy.

鈥淪ome kids had new teachers midyear,鈥� Normandy Superintendent Ty McNichols said. 鈥淭hose kids had to readjust to a new culture and get acclimated to those new schools. We think that had an impact on children. We think it had an impact on learning.鈥�

The state is now overseeing the Normandy Schools Collaborative 鈥� a revamped Normandy district with an appointed board and 45 percent new teachers but the same financial challenges.

State education officials say they want to avoid a situation where they must involve themselves this deeply in a school district again.

鈥淥ne of the things we鈥檝e learned in recent years is waiting until a district fails is not a good pattern,鈥� Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro said Thursday. 鈥淲e need to intervene much more quickly than we have in the past. We need to prevent districts from slipping into provisional and certainly into the unaccredited range.鈥�

SIGNS OF HOPE

Hazelwood, Ritenour and Pattonville are doing well enough they likely won鈥檛 experience state intervention this year.

In fact, Pattonville鈥檚 score puts it on the upper end of the accreditation range 鈥� in a category called 鈥渁ccredited with distinction.鈥�

Based on its 78.2 percent performance score, Jennings won鈥檛 experience state involvement either.

Yet to be sure, Jennings is still struggling.

Eighty-seven percent of its approximately 2,500 students live in poverty, as indicated by the number who qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch. The vast majority of students are below grade level in main subject areas. Just 36 percent tested at or above grade level in math this past year. Thirty-one percent demonstrated grade-level proficiency in reading. Proficiency rates even fell in some grade levels at some schools.

But an increasing number of children who are below grade level are progressing toward proficiency at a rate that leaves state education officials optimistic. Districts that demonstrate such growth reap the rewards on their annual performance report.

鈥淭here are no excuses for low achievement,鈥� Jennings Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said. 鈥淚f the kids did not achieve, there is something the adults did not do well enough. If the kids are not motivated, we need to figure out how to motivate them.鈥�

The words could have just as easily come from other superintendents of north 最新杏吧原创 County districts.

Riverview Gardens Superintendent Scott Spurgeon has been on the job for just more than a year. The problems he found in his district had more to do with the systems in place than the children the district was serving.

Under Spurgeon, the district, unaccredited since 2007, showed the second-highest performance gains in the region this year, after 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools. But its state test scores last spring were among the worst in Missouri, with 14 percent of children demonstrating proficiency in math, and 17 percent in reading.

Riverview Gardens鈥� finances 鈥� healthy before the transfer situation began 鈥� are expected to become an issue this year. Spurgeon said the district should have enough cash to finance transfers and district operations through this school year, and into next fall.

鈥淏eyond that, there鈥檚 going to have to be some conversations,鈥� he said.

Nicastro said it鈥檚 already on the minds of people in her department.