The Kansas City School District just received more than a slap on the wrist for its poor performance—its state accreditation was revoked by the Missouri State Board of Education yesterday. The struggling district has not met state requirements in math and language arts, graduation rates or college placement for several years. On top of that, it is dealing with the loss of its most recent superintendent, John Covington, who left suddenly over the summer to head a new state agency in charge of Michigan's lowest-performing schools. Kansas City now has two and a half years to improve and meet state academic standards, or else it will be taken over by the state.

NCTQ's report on the Kansas City schools published this past January found an unusual level of disorganization in the district's central office, suggesting that improving day-to-day operations, such as record keeping, would be a good place to start.