Académie Lafayette was recently named a Gold Star School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They are the first Missouri charter school to receive this recognition.

The Missouri Gold Star program is closely aligned with the Department of Education's No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools program. Gold Star Schools are selected based on one of two criteria:

• The school must show dramatic improvements in state assessment tests over the last three years and have more than 40% of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

or

• The school must be performing in the top ten percent of all schools on state assessments in both Communication Arts and Mathematics. They must also meet adequate yearly progress requirements (AYP) as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Fifteen elementary schools received the Gold Star award in Missouri. Of those fifteen, eight will be selected to apply for the national No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools award.

Both program recognize excellent schools and identify schools that could serve as models for schools wanting to improve. Académie Lafayette and the other awardees will be honored on April 7 during a ceremony in Jefferson City.