Joplin R-8 School District accredited with distinction for second straight year

Only two school districts in the area generally covered by The Turner Report (Jasper, Newton, Barton, McDonald, and Dade counties) received the Distinction in Performance Award, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Joplin R-8 School District was honored for the second straight year and was the only K-12 school district in this area to receive the honor. Westview, a K-8 school district, was also recognized.
"The Distinction in Performance Award is a prestigious honor for Missouri school districts. It requires districts to demonstrate outstanding achievement or consistent improvement in multiple areas. The entire community should be proud of its public schools for earning this honor," Commissioner of Education D. Kent King said in the news release. To continue quoting from the article:
"To qualify for the award this year, K-8 districts had to meet five out of six performance standards (at least 45 out of 54 possible points), including all of the standards that are based on the MAP exams. K-12 districts had to meet 11 out of 12 standards (at least 91 out of 100 possible points), including all of the MAP-based measures.
"Under the state’s accreditation process, school districts are formally evaluated once every five years, according to State Board of Education standards. The Distinction in Performance award is based on the same performance criteria used in the accreditation review process. The award, however, represents a one-year snapshot of a district’s overall academic performance."