Dr. Mary Richter Award

Dr. Mary Richter

The Dr. Mary Miller Richter Awards are presented each year to honor one school and one district that exemplify the ideals, principles, and practices of positive behavior support. The award recipients demonstrate a firm commitment to improving the lives of students, the educators who teach them, and the community in which the school resides through innovation, creativity, and/or a firm commitment in staying the course despite barriers. Regional consultants, district leadership personnel, and school SW-PBS teams are encouraged to nominate deserving schools and/or districts. All active participating schools and districts, regardless of the tier at which they implement, are eligible for these awards.

Dr. Mary Miller Richter passed away in June, 2014. She is greatly missed by all who knew her.

In honor of Mary Richter, Ph.D., Missouri’s founding Director of the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) initiative, one school and one school district will be honored annually that exemplify the ideals, principles, and practices of positive behavior support. An award committee comprised of SW-PBS associates from the University of Missouri Center for SW-PBS will review nominations and present the awards at the Summer Institute. Students, parents or community members, SW-PBS Consultants, school or district leadership, and school or district SW-PBS teams are encouraged to nominate deserving schools and districts. The award recipients will demonstrate a firm commitment and dedication to improving the lives of students, the educators who teach them, and the community in which the school or district resides through innovation, creativity, and/or a firm commitment in staying the course despite barriers. All actively participating schools and districts, regardless of level of implementation, are eligible for the Award.

Nominations should include the following:

A nomination letter explaining why the school or district meets the spirit and intent of the award, including supporting examples (e.g., student outcome data, other notes of distinction, implementation innovations).
1-4 additional letters of support from a cross-representation of stakeholders (e.g., community members, school or district leadership, parents, students).
1-5 images (sent as individual image files) that illustrate the spirit of the SW-PBS implementation in the nominated school or district.

In addition, we ask that nominees complete the school or district nomination form, linked below. This form asks for demographic information about the school or district that we will use to promote the winners on our website, in newsletter articles, and on social media posts. You may use the school and district practice applications, linked below, to help you gather the demographic information needed for the nomination forms:

School Practice Nomination Form

District Practice Nomination Form

Nomination letter, and supporting letters (maximum of five documents) and up to five attached image files can be submitted through the nomination forms, linked on the school and district nomination buttons, below (preferred). Alternatively, you may email letters, pictures and a completed practice application to moswpbs@missouri.edu. Nominations and supporting documents are due April 15.

School of Distinction

District of Distinction

Congratulations to the 2026 Dr. Mary Miller Richter Districts and School of Distinction Award Recipients!

In 2026, 16 schools and 3 districts were nominated for the Dr. Mary Miller-Richter School and District of Distinction Awards. Nomination packets were carefully reviewed by the MU Center on Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. The quality of this year’s submissions reflected the outstanding work taking place across Missouri. While one school and one district were selected to receive this year’s distinction, every nominee demonstrated a strong commitment to creating positive, supportive learning environments. To view the complete list of nominees, click Complete List of Nominees.

NORTH WOOD R-4 SCHOOL DISTRICT

The North Wood R-4 School District, located in Salem, Missouri, is a rural district serving approximately 180 students from preschool through eighth grade. Since beginning its Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) journey in 2011, the district has demonstrated a sustained commitment to creating positive learning environments where every student can thrive. Today, that commitment is evident in their outcomes, with 98% of students receiving zero or one office discipline referral and just 2% receiving two to five referrals.

North Wood R-4’s success is rooted in a strong Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework that ensures students receive the academic and behavioral supports they need to succeed. By intentionally providing targeted interventions while maintaining strong universal supports, the district works to ensure every student—regardless of where they begin—has access to the resources needed for growth and success.

“Many of us had to rethink how we approached behavior as educators. We learned that consistently recognizing positive behaviors leads to meaningful changes in negative behaviors.” — Amanda White, Staff Member

MONROE ELEMENTARY

Monroe Elementary, part of the St. Charles School District, serves 344 students and has been implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) since 2016. Through a steadfast commitment to creating a positive, supportive learning environment, Monroe continues to demonstrate meaningful improvements in both academic and behavioral outcomes. The school’s Annual Performance Report (APR) reflects this success, increasing from 71.3% in 2021–2022 to 71.8% in 2022–2023, climbing to 86.8% in 2023–2024, and reaching an outstanding 100% during the 2024–2025 school year.

Monroe Elementary’s proactive approach to identifying and responding to student needs extends beyond academics. Strong Tier 2 systems provide timely behavioral supports that promote student well-being and success. As a result of these intentional efforts, office discipline referrals have decreased by 30%, reflecting a school culture centered on prevention, support, and growth rather than reaction. The Mustangs continue to charge forward, demonstrating what is possible when a school fully commits to supporting the whole child and ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

2025 Dr. Mary Miller Richter Districts & School of Distinction Award Recipients

In 2025, 13 schools and 2 district were nominated for the Dr. Mary Miller-Richter school and district of distinction. The nomination packets were evaluated by the MU Center on Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. This year’s nominees were particularly highly qualified, and the judges could not narrow their choice down to one school. As a result, both Coverdell Elementary and Excelsior Middle were awarded the Mary Miller Richter School of Distinction Award for 2025. All schools and the district that were nominated were deserving of recognition. For a complete list of the nominees.

FERGUSON FLORISSANT R-II SCHOOL DISTRICT

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS MIDDLE

COVERDELL ELEMENTARY

2024 Dr. Mary Miller Richter Districts & School of Distinction Award Recipients

In 2024, 12 schools and 1 district were nominated for the Dr. Mary Miller-Richter school and district of distinction. The nomination packets were evaluated by the MU Center on Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. This year’s nominees were particularly highly qualified. All schools and the district that were nominated were deserving of recognition. For a complete list of the nominees, click on the press release.