The Webster Groves School District has been awarded "Distinction in Performance" from the state of Missouri for 2011. This is WGSD's eleventh consecutive year of receiving this award.

A total of 329 school districts out of 521 qualified for the recognition, the highest accolade a public district can receive. The recognition is reserved for K-12 school districts that meet at least 13 out of 14 performance standards and K-8 districts that meet at least six out of seven. Districts also must meet all academic standards tied to 2010-11 Missouri Assessment Program results. Distinction in performance connotes overall strength in the schools, as shown by graduation rate, college placement, test scores and other factors.

Nicholas Kirschman, social studies teacher at the High School, has received the Peabody/ Logos Leader in Education Award. He was honored for his commitment to students and education. Kirschman received a $1,000 grant. Peabody Energy and Logos School established the award to recognize excellence in education. A committee of academic, business and civic leaders chooses the winners.

The Board of Education has renamed Bristol Primary School in honor of Walter Ambrose, the first African-American board member in the Webster Groves School District. The building, at 222 West Cedar Ave., will be the Walter Ambrose Family Center. It is home to the district's early years programs. The name change reflects the building's purpose. Three years ago, primary school children moved into Bristol Elementary School and all early years programs relocated to Bristol Primary. A seven-member committee of community members, parents, and staff recommended the name change.
 
Ambrose, an educator who worked in the St. Louis public school system, served from 1968 to 1981 as a board member. He grew up in north Webster. Ambrose and attended  Douglass School. He graduated from Lincoln University in Jefferson City and served in the military before returning to the area to be a professional educator.
The board acknowledged his contributions to the Webster Groves School District, including his efforts in promoting early childhood education. He died in 1998.

The Webster Groves School District is one of six districts in Missouri to be named AP District of the Year by the College Board. The district received the award for increasing access to advanced placement courses for a broader number of students and maintaining or improving the rate at which students earn scores of 3 or higher on AP examinations.

Four schools here have received an Award of Excellence for successful use of Schoolwide Systems of Positive Behavior Support. They are the Webster Groves Elementary Computer School, Steger Sixth Grade Center, Hixson Middle School and Webster Groves High School.

Ten students at Webster Groves High School have been honored in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Abigail Moore has been named a National Merit Semifinalist. Semifinalists place among the top one percent of graduating seniors who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In addition, Hannah Davidson, Evan Eberhard, Max Herzog, Brianna Hickey, Sarah Jones, Miriam Bohlmann Kunz, David Owen, Alexander Parish and Elizabeth Sitterley were named Commended Students

Alex McNeil was named an Outstanding Participant in the competition. He scored among the top three percent of all African-America students taking the test.