Wright City R-II’s persistent drive to improve student academic performance paid off in a big way in the scores the district achieved in the recently released state assessment data — or MAP test — for 2012. The report card issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) showed R-II’s test score gains in 2012 were among the most impressive in the state. The improved scores were welcome news to school leaders and staff who had focused on bringing more academic rigor to classrooms overall and effective, timely interventions for students who are struggling with specific class material. R-II Assistant Superintendent David Buck delivered the highlights to the school board last week, and to faculty, students and parents via a highlights video posted on the school’s website. “We received a perfect maximum score of 14 points on the state’s Annual Performance Report, the first time the school has achieved the maximum number of points allowed,” said Buck. Each point represents a specific indicator of academic achievement. Wright City gives 22 MAP tests per year. The report card showed the district improved in 21 out of the 22 areas, which placed the R-II district sixth among 555 school districts and charter schools in the state in terms of improvement in proficient and advanced numbers from the prior year. Among K-12 districts only, R-II ranked No. 2 in improvement in tested areas.   “We improved more than 98 percent of the schools in the state, and set Wright City MAP test records in the majority of categories,” said Buck. “I think anyone would be happy with those types of metrics for their business,” Buck added.  “We’ve made some nice gains, but still have more room to improve.”