In this special report, the PRiME Center identifies, recognizes, and celebrates the highest performing schools in the state’s most rural communities. Rather than rank schools according to standardized test scores, the PRiME Center’s popular Growth reports illustrate how much students grew over time. By this standard, we can recognize the most effective schools in the state – the ones that help students achieve the most over a set period of time.

When we talk about how students are doing in subjects like reading and math, it’s more helpful to look at how much they grow over time rather than just where they stand at one moment. This report continues the PRiME Center’s efforts to highlight Missouri’s excellent schools by examining student growth in the state's most rural schools over the last three years.