U City School District Received Reprieve Says School Board Member
The state board of education has voted to delay until next year making an accreditation classification for the University City School District.
UPDATED: Story updated at 11:00 a.m. with comment from Joylynn Pruitt Superintendent of the School District of University City.
The University City School District will continue to keep its full accreditation status.
On Tuesday, the State Board of Education voted to delay until next year making an accreditation classification for University City.
Currently, the district meets 8 of 14 accreditation standards. Nine points denotes full accreditation. A state review now, could potentially find the district provisionally accredited. However, the state board's decision to hold over the accreditation review until next year means the district keeps its full accreditation status. The district last underwent a state accreditation review in 2008.
The action gives the school district more time to continue to implement academic reforms it hopes will maintain its full accreditation status.
Comment from Joylynn Pruitt, Superintendent of the School District of University City:
I attended the State Board meeting yesterday (Tuesday) to hear any discussion that might occur about University City's classification. The Board voted unanimously to hold our status of fully accredited, which I personally feel is a recognition of the work we are doing and the positive impact it is having for students. We made greater gains this year and in the past several years than we have in many years, particularly in the area of student performance.
Do we still have work to do? Absolutely, and we will continue to stay focused on that work. Our academic reform efforts in the past three years with the instructional core model have shown a significant impact, and we have strategies in place to continue those gains and garner additional APR points.
Linda Russell Wesley, Director of Communications for the School District of University City, issued the following statement regarding the State Board's decision:
The State Board voted yesterday (Tuesday) to hold University City at its current classification of fully accredited, which allows us to continue our focused work to improve academic achievement for all students. While the APR data is a numerical measure and there are general standards tied to APR points and accreditation, it is not the only factor the Board considered yesterday in determining classification status. University City has shown improvement in all 14 areas of the APR for the past two years, and we have aggressive plans in place to improve additional areas of the APR this year and further increase our APR overall.
University City School Board member and Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) gave the following statement to University City Patch on Tuesday regarding the state board's decision:
For the last 5 years, the annual progress report (APR) for University City has been equivalent to a provisional accreditation (7, 7, 7, 7, 8). This is a fact that can not be denied. Between 5 and 10 years ago, the APR was equivalent to a full accreditation. The School District has benefitted from a waiver in the last few years to extend a full MSIP (Missouri School Improvement Program) review.
As Senator, I believe school districts such as University City have received a reprieve this year. However, next year I expect the State Board of Education to buckle down with new standards that are put in place. Districts such as University City need to realize that only for so long will the State Board allow these opportunities.
I have communicated with Commissioner Nicastro regarding the school districts within the 14th Senate District and requested two things. 1) Provide Normandy an extension for MSIP (Missouri School Improvement Program) review since they inherited the Wellston School District, and 2) look at the numbers in University City carefully and honestly.
I think the State Board of Education had reservations in assigning a provisional accreditation status to University City knowing that it would take an additional five years to remove that status and also knowing there will be new state standards put in place next year. It was a difficult decision for them to make.
As a senator, I would say this is the right time for stakeholders - that are not already involved - to become more engaged in the details and strategic planning of the district when it comes to laying out a pathway towards a legitimate full accreditation with new standards.
School Board member Rod Jennings gave the following statement to University City Patch regarding the State Board's decision:
We're just going to stay the course. This is what we worked hard for and I think many people didn't take us seriously when we said that we are going to keep our accreditation and work to improve it. We're just working good together as a board and as an administration and school district.
I think DESE (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) is looking at all the progress that we have made and progress is good. We're not stagnant. We're not falling backwards. We've worked hard and we're going to continue to work hard.
Sam Lawrence
7:25 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
When did Chapelle-Nadal make the statements in this article? I would like to hear her plans to help improve U City schools as opposed to her State Senate views on the accreditation process.
Myra Lopez
8:03 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thanks Sam, Senator Chapelle-Nadal made her comments to U City Patch yesterday evening after I reached out to her and various other school board members as well as the district administration for comment on the decision by the state board of education.
Steve
10:01 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Seems like Chapelle-Nadal is admitting she is failing as a school board member. This clearly points out her conflict of interest. While as a Senator she may want certain actions taken. As a school board member she should not be acting in a manner which will have a negative effect on the schools and the community.
Also Ms. Chapelle-Nadal spelled benefitted and realize incorrectly.
Myra Lopez
10:51 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thanks Steve, Senator Chapelle-Nadal tells me she forgot to spell check when she sent the email from her cell. So, I'm going to correct the spelling errors on her behalf.
Rosa Sharon
8:10 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011
Mr. Jennings said working "good" instead of working "well". He alternated between verb tenses, and made another error as well. What to do, what to do.
Spelling errors and non-mastery of English are very common these days. It is very sad and upsetting.
I think Joylynn Pruitt is doing a fine job and I hope she stays with U. City. I believe she will continue to turn the District around. Let us all do whatever we can to help the kids of U. City and ourselves, by extension. The kids are our future. If nothing else, we can all pray.
No offense is meant to those who do not want to pray or do not believe in praying.
John Clark
11:25 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I suppose this is a good news-bad news thing for me. First, I'm glad the district is being left alone by the state, but the bad news is that we are giving credence to DESE as some sort of font-of-all-educational-wisdom. The standards that are being pushed are bogus and often contradictory (increase achievement while reducing the dropout rate, for example), and the public school system of successful "reform" doesn't exist. Meanwhile, check out test scores for Riverview and St. Louis to see how well the state has done running them. I think we have a great thing here in U. City public schools; a student can get an education to take them however far they want to go. I'd hate to see the state screw that up.
Holston Black Jr.
1:36 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I am getting tired of squabbling over "provisional", or "fully "ACCREDITED; our status in U City schools is we are trending toward the bottom. Our children are suffering and will continue, the rest of their lives unless we make some dramatic, and I do mean dramatic and significant changes. Semantics aren't going to help, when our students apply for even the lower ranked colleges. Anyone who has read about what has happened this year, realizes that all colleges are being very selective. There is an overabundance of qualified students, so colleges are taking a closer look at their high schools etc. My point is the citizens of U City need to help this district to get back up to where we were in the past. Restricting citizens comments by only having regular meetings once a month, and even then not letting us speak, as issues are voted on, says that the Board and administration has all of the answers!
Kim
3:24 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Yes, colleges are selective. Just look at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale - all of whom accepted a UCity student this year. The fact is that UCity offers many, many great opportunites for our students, but for reasons that are hard to understand, many students and their families choose not to pursue them. As John Clark says above, a UCity student can get an education to take them however far they want to go. I truly wish more students wanted to go further. Every accredidation period that I can recall has gone the same - we're close, we push hard, we pull it off. But like John says - it's a shell game: let the bottom 10% of students drop out and you lose a point for dropout rate, keep them in and you lose a point for achievement. I look forward to this being over so that the district can get back to providing excellent educational opportunites for all of the students who choose to embrace them - for me, that is their primary function.
Lois
9:25 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I do not understand where Senator/ School Board member Chapelle-Nadal's priorities lie. Is she interested in taking veiled potshots at the school district, or is she engaged in developing constructive solutions for improvement? I see evidence of the former, not the latter.
"As a senator, I would say this is the right time for stakeholders - that are not already involved - to become more engaged in the details and strategic planning of the district when it comes to laying out a pathway towards a legitimate full accreditation with new standards."
What do you mean, Senator/ Board Member? Could you please speak plain English? Who are the stakeholders that are not already involved? Why is the pathway we are already on not acceptable? Please be specific and direct.
Sam Lawrence
12:32 pm on Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thanks Myra. Its been over a week since I posted my veiled request for Senator Chappelle-Nadal's views on how to improve U City Schools as a school board member and not as a senator. Do you think the Senator will respond to this forum?
Thank you for the article about Maggie Ellinger-Locke. Although U City schools may be "trending downward," Maggie is an alum of UCHS. I too am a proud product of the U City School System (K-12). Long Live Delmar-Harvard!! I also recently passed the Missouri Bar and I know of at least one other U City alum who passed the bar with me and Maggie.
The accomplishments of recent UCHS graduates are not limited to a silly test that leads to another silly piece of paper that I might put on a wall. I know of at least two other alums who have earned PHD's (or something outstanding) at well respected institutions such as Emory and either Duke or Columbia. The list of successful and recent UCHS grads is long and diverse.
I have no idea on how to expose U City's many diamonds in the rough. Our diamonds are alive and well though. I hope the senator has some worthwhile ideas.
MMW
11:28 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
This is in response to "Stakeholders getting more involved and becoming more engaged in the details and strategic planning of the district." Join a committe on the Accountability Committee nights. Come and be part of that strategic planning. We need more parental involvement.
The School Board is also going to need someone to fill Ellen Bern's spot when she leaves. We need someone with passion and Board experience to fill that spot.
I believe the Senator is calling out to all Stakeholders and stakeholders in the district are not just parents - they are community members and business owners in addition to parents, students and teachers. If you're involved, great. I think the challenge is to see how far we can push ourselves and others to get involved