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PUEBLO, COLO. -- Pueblo City Schools is no longer in the lowest possible performance category following improved performance last school year.

According to Colorado Department of Education (CDE) officials, the district has moved up to 'Priority Improvement,' a bump from 'Turnaround' status, which it had following the 2010-2011 results.

CDE officials use Accreditation Ratings, which are measured by performance frameworks such as test scores, to place schools in one of five categories based on the percentage of students performing at an acceptable rate for their grade level. Pueblo City Schools scored a 39.8 percent in 2010-2011 but improved to 46.2 percent last year.

The highest possible percentage a district can have and be in the 'Priority Improvement' group is 42 percent.

One a school is placed in a category, a plan is put in place to help them improve.

Individual schools also have categories, and while they vary slightly from district categories, the same principles are applied.

Notable school improvements include Parkview Elementary, which went from 33.3 to 64.2, Dolores Huerta Prep and Bessemer, which both climbed categories last year. All four city high schools are in the second of four school categories.

"This is a testament to the tremendous effort put forth this year by the students and staff to take the district to higher levels of accreditation by 2014,” Superintendent Dr. Maggie Lopez said. "We also recognize our challenges, particularly at the middle school level.  We will continue a very intensive focus on middle school achievement and continue implementation of the middle school re-alignment plan."

The Middle School Realignment plan is to create theme-based curriculum at each of the district's middle schools – such as performing arts, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) traditional middle, and seamless K-12 International Baccalaureate (IB) schools.