The State Board of Education has approved a district request to grant full accreditation to Swedeborg R-III schools based on performance in the district’s three most recent Annual Performance Reports (APR).

“Swedeborg has made significant progress since its 2011 APR,” said Dennis Cooper, assistant commissioner in the Office of Quality Schools. “The Department is happy to make the recommendation for full accreditation based on the district’s hard work and demonstrated performance.”

Swedeborg R-III, a K-8 district, achieved fully accredited status in 2012 (under MSIP 4), 2013 and 2014. The sustainability of improvement is a critical factor in making classification recommendations. The Missouri School Improvement Program 5 (MSIP 5) uses the three most recent Annual Performance Reports, along with other factors, to determine accreditation.

A district must meet 70 percent of MSIP 5 criteria to fall within the accredited range. In the 2014 APR, Swedeborg scored 94.7 percent.

MSIP 5 is the state’s school accountability system for reviewing and accrediting public school districts in Missouri. Its goal is to ensure that all students graduate ready for success in college and career. College and career readiness is a goal of Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, which aims for education in Missouri to be ranked among the top 10 states by 2020.