MAP scores released
The St. Louis school district could be a year away from regaining partial accreditation. Missouri's Annual Performance Reports, or MAP scores, have been released today. They show that St. Louis city schools have met seven standards, including one academic standard.
Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro says they're looking for sustained improvement over time.
"For us, that has generally been at least three years of data, this would be, in fact, the second year that they've made sufficient accreditation standards," said Nicastro.
K-12 schools have to meet nine out of 14 standards to be fully accredited.
Meanwhile, Riverview Gardens and Normandy schools in St. Louis County have also improved. However, it's uncertain if Normandy's performance has improved enough to hold on to its provisional accreditation. Nicastro says the State Board will reconsider the district's status in the next several weeks.
Missouri suffers from high obesity rates
Missouri is among 12 states cited in a new government survey with very high obesity rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released figures Monday showing that Missouri is among a dozen states with obesity rates of at least 30 percent. The CDC says 30.3 percent of Missourian's are obese. Overall, more than a third of adults are obese.
The latest figures are based on a 2011 telephone survey that asked adults their height and weight.
Colorado has the lowest obesity rate, at just under 21 percent, and Mississippi the highest at nearly 36 percent.
St. Charles County considering own police department
St. Charles County is considering establishing its own police department that would be separate from the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reportsthat Sheriff Tom Neer has requested the change, saying it would boost professionalism and diminish politics in the county's law enforcement.
Members of the County Council introduced the plan at a meeting Monday. The proposal calls for the Sheriff's Department to be limited to court services and security with the sheriff remaining an elected position. The police department would handle patrols, detective and forensic work and other law enforcement duties. The plan would involve a system similar to those in St. Louis city and St. Louis County.
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