By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, Mo. – More Missouri schools have met academic bench-marks under the federal No Child Left Behind law. But a report just out also mentions hundreds of schools that still come up short.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says about 43 percent of the public schools failed to make adequate progress for the term ending this spring.
That's 867 of the 2,034 schools.
In 2002-03, about half the state's schools fell below standards.
The law aims at having all children proficient in reading and math by 2014.
Each state sets its own definition of proficient.
Districts have until October 15th to appeal their inclusion on the failing list.
The St. Louis Public Schools have 36 schools that need improvement according to federal standards.