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COLUMBIA, MO. -- Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Officials released this year’s preliminary MAP scores.

MAP, or the Missouri Assessment Program, was developed by the state to measure district and school success.

Overall, Columbia Public Schools’ 2011 map results are the highest they have been in both mathematics and communications art.

Columbia Public School students also exceeded state results in grades 5 and 7 in communications art, mathematics and science.

However, some Columbia Public School MAP Scores continue to be troubling as they remain below the state average.

School Administrators have concerns for the low achievement of some minority subgroups.

Columbia School Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher said, “I think we are taking the right steps, but as they say, change in a large institution is like turning around a large ship.  You can’t expect it to happen in 2 or 3 years.  It’s going to take time, consistency and that continual effort to be pushed through those processes.”

Missouri’s final MAP scores and results will not be available until October.

School Officials don’t expect too many changes from the preliminary findings.