Later this week the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will release Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores for every school in the state.

The state already released preliminary results for Kansas City Public Schools on Aug. 6 when DESE announced the district had been provisionally accredited. At that time DESE said Kansas City received 86 out of a possible 140 points. Enough for the board to accredit the district for the first time in two years.

"The preliminary performance report shows student achievement in the district fell slightly this year with less than 30 percent of students earning proficient or advanced in English language arts and mathematics," the board said in a statement.

It’s a blindingly complicated formula that uses not just raw test scores but whether students are progressing. That’s where Kansas City had its best showing. Students are still struggling with math, English and language but they are doing better.

Superintendent Stephan Green predicts that the district will have an even better showing when the final numbers are released to the public early Friday morning. Green says the district will also be ready to discuss plans to accelerate academic achievement so the district can move to full accreditation