JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) — The Mississippi Department of Education released grades for the 2016-2017 year.
The Mississippi State Board of Education approved the 2016-17 accountability results during its Oct. 19 Board meeting.
“These results reflect the progress and achievements students have made on state assessments, the ACT, advanced courses and the state’s rising graduation rate,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Teachers, principals and district leaders have been diligent in their work to help students meet higher academic standards and achieve better outcomes.”
Here is a list of the state’s district grades based on Mississippi’s A-F accountability system:
- A – 15
- B – 43
- C – 43
- D – 36
- F – 9
In the Metro area, the Jackson Public School District has been in the spotlight after the State Board of Education decided to ask Gov. Phil Bryant to declare a state of emergency regarding the district.
The governor still hasn’t decided on a state takeover. However, he says he is weighing all options.
The MDE report shows the district received an F rating, based on the grading scale set by the state’s accountability system.
MDE said the accountability grades are based, in part, on how well students perform and progress from year to year on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program tests for English language arts and Mathematics.
The tests are aligned to the Mississippi College and Career Ready Standards and are administered annually to students in grades 3-8 and in high school.
With the exception of 4th grade ELA and English II, student achievement increased in both ELA and Mathematics in all grades from 2015-16 to 2016-17.
The accountability system also factors in how well students perform on science tests in grades 5 and 8. Accountability grades for high schools and districts include the four-year graduation rate, student performance on Biology, U.S. History and ACTs, and student participation and performance in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement and dual credit/dual enrollment courses.
The 2016-17 accountability data was used to set a new baseline to determine the thresholds for earning each letter grade. The Mississippi State Board of Education decided in August to set a new baseline to correct artificially high growth rates included in the 2015-16 grades.
For the 2016-17 accountability grades, districts and schools have been awarded the highest grade they were able to achieve based on current thresholds or the new baseline for 2017-18. The highest grade is the official grade, though both possible grades have been published for transparency.
“We expect to see continued growth in all of the indicators we measure as teachers continue to challenge and support their students,” Wright said. “Our students have demonstrated, once again, that there is no limit to what they can achieve.”Learn more about the components of the accountability system for elementary, middle and high schools here.