A sharp increase in attendance and numerous other areas has boosted the annual performance report (APR) for Columbia Public Schools (CPS) from 70.1 percent in 2023 to 86.5 percent this year.
That’s a 16 percent increase, and CPS is the only district of its size to score double digit growth. Columbia school board president Suzette Waters tells 939 the Eagle that attendance jumped from 73 percent in 2022 to 80 percent in 2024:
“The attendance is due to the principals and the teachers building relationships, and the home school communicators sometimes picking those kids up. You know it’s been very much a team effort,” Ms. Waters says.
Under the APR guidelines from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), attendance is considered attending at least 90 percent of classes. APR is essentially the district’s achievement report card from DESE. Columbia Public Schools’ APR scores grew faster than 95 percent of districts in Missouri. CPS has the largest APR growth among its 15 comparison districts. School board president Waters praises the team effort at CPS:
“And all of this is like supported by our operations teams that get the kids to school, that feed them when they’re there, that provide the mental health supports. So it’s been a really wonderful thing to be able to celebrate this,” says Waters.
CPS teachers and staff gathered at the Aslin administration building on Monday morning and applauded loudly when the results were announced. CPD says its students are on track or have met the target in graduation rate, post-secondary outcomes and the number of students taking college-level or advanced training courses.
While he couldn’t provide details at the time, now-retired CPS Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood told 939 the Eagle News two weeks ago that the APR results would be “magnificent news.”
