Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Dr. Kelvin Adams, superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools
Almost a decade after St. Louis Public Schools lost full accreditation, the State Board of Education voted unanimously this morning to classify the district as fully accredited again.
The vote follows the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's recommendation last week that the district regain full accreditation following improvements. The district was stripped of accreditation in 2007 because of poor finances and student performance and attendance, as well as high dropout rates.
Over time, though, the district has made improvements in those areas, receiving provisional accreditation in 2012. Much of the praise has been directed at Dr. Kelvin Adams, who’s in his ninth year as superintendent. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the district currently has a 72 percent graduation rate and 95 percent attendance rate, as well as improved state test scores. Still, state board members say the district continues to face challenges, including staff retention and increased academic rigor.
"St. Louis Schools should celebrate this milestone of full accreditation while understanding that the work of educating kids is never finished," commissioner of education Margie Vandeven said in a statement. "We are hopeful that district leadership will continue to focus on student learning in every classroom with effective teachers and school leaders."
In a statement, Adams expressed his gratitude for the state board's "vote of confidence" in St. Louis Public Schools.
"Reaching this milestone has taken hard work and unwavering dedication from the Special Administrative Board and all of our incredible stakeholders—students, staff, families, and community partners," he said. "While we do recognize the important of noting milestones—and this certainly is a significant one—please know we will not truly celebrate until we are confident we are giving our students every opportunity to be successful."
