In constantly raising their academic standards, Rolla has proven year after year that they are committed to the children of this community. Rolla schools were recently honored by receiving the “Distinction in Performance” award. This award relies on yearly progress reports tabulated by the state education’s governing body DESE (the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education), which compiles data from such sources as MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) scores, ACT scores, drop-out and attendance rates, and others. For a K-12 school district to qualify for this prestigious award, they must meet 13 out of 14 of the standards. Obviously, Rolla is not in the business of falling short in any facet of their academic achievement.  

In order to help students achieve to the best of their abilities, Rolla schools value their partnership with parents. The school system recognizes the important role that parents play in the education of their children, and takes steps to involve parents in the daily decisions of the district. The district offers parents online access to their student’s information through ParentCONNECTxp, as well as information regarding enrollment, student resources (divided by grade and subject level), and a related link to the local parent involvement program. Also, on the district’s website, a survey is available so district supporters can contribute their opinions regarding issues facing the school system. How else could Rolla show parents and community members that their input is invaluable to the direction of the district? 

Finally, Rolla schools have adopted a professional development plan that centers around professional learning communities. This form of continued education allows teachers to participate together in a collaborative atmosphere, where they create plans to further students’ learning – and evaluate what didn’t work when students don’t learn. Each building’s professional learning community creates an action plan with specific goals for that school, and these goals are revisited on a regular basis. By setting time aside for teachers to interact regarding what is working and what is not, Rolla schools are able to address problems as they arise. Because of the number of schools in the district (3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 junior high, 1 high school, and 1 technical school), the professional learning communities also provide intercommunication among the different buildings. Staff development days ensure that all teachers work together to improve education for the entire school district. 

When it comes to the Rolla School System, community members can be sure that the push for academic achievement, parental involvement, and staff accountability and communication will guarantee that Rolla fulfills its goal of “investing in education and creating futures.”