Schools across the state received their “report cards” from the Mississippi Department of Education today, and the accountability rankings indicate that while there were some gains, the Columbus Municipal School District continues to struggle, failing to meet academic growth standards for the second year in a row.
The Lowndes County School District raised its performance this year from successful to high-performing, meeting its growth status requirements districtwide as well as in four of its nine schools.
Under the state’s accountability system, the highest rankings a district or individual school can receive are successful, high-performing and star. The lowest rankings are academic watch, low performing, at risk of failing or failing.
Only four districts in the state rank as star districts — Clinton, Enterprise, Pass Christian and Petal — and only 27 of the 152 districts received a high-performing status.
Schools meeting growth status are considered to be providing one year’s learning in a year.
The system is based upon achievement rates on assessment tests, student growth and graduation rates, ranking districts and schools against others in the nation rather than in-state.
This is the third year the state has used this type of accountability model.
Columbus Municipal School District
The Columbus Municipal School District as a whole is listed on academic watch, as are six of the seven schools within the district. Sale Elementary was the only CMSD school to meet its growth standards and be ranked as “high performing.”
Two years ago, CMSD was at risk of failing. Last year, the district raised to the level of academic watch. This year, though the district remains on academic watch, it raised its quality distribution index from 135 to 143. However, the graduation rate for the district has slipped from 83.3 percent to 72.4 percent.
On an individual school level, Cook, Fairview, Franklin and Stokes-Beard elementary schools all slipped from successful to academic watch this year.
Columbus High School, which was at risk of failing last year, raised its status to academic watch and improved its QDI from 128 to 147, thanks in part to a higher percentage of students passing the Algebra I and English II tests.
The only other CMSD school to experience gains in its QDI was Sale Elementary, which jumped from 159 last year to 179 this year.
Columbus Middle School will not receive a ranking this year due to the merger of Hunt Intermediate and Lee Middle Schools.
“The data trends look solid as the district is keeping achievement pace with the state,” stated Interim Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell, adding that the city schools must continue to meet and exceed growth goals in order to raise the QDI. “Overall, Columbus School District has had a productive year in terms of student achievement. However, educators will continue to focus on advancing students. We are proud of the dedication of our teachers, principals and staff for their work to improve the quality of education for every child.”
Lowndes County School District
The district’s QDI improved from 162 to 169, and the graduation rate increased from 75.4 percent to 78.9 percent.
On an individual school level, Caledonia Elementary held on to its ranking as a star school, meeting its growth standards and raising its QDI from 200 to 202. Approximately 61 of 915 schools in the state achieved star status.
Also meeting growth standards were Caledonia Middle School, New Hope Middle School and West Lowndes Elementary School. Both Caledonia Middle School and West Lowndes Elementary ranked as high-performing, while New Hope Middle School ranked as successful.
New Hope Elementary and New Hope High School were placed on academic watch status, while West Lowndes middle and high schools ranked as low-performing.
Caledonia High School did not meet its growth standards but ranked successful, raising its QDI from 169 to 176.
The only county school to lower its QDI was West Lowndes High School, which dropped from 119 last year to 109 this year.
West Lowndes Elementary experienced the greatest QDI leap, rising from 152 last year to 168 this year.
“Our principals, teachers and central office staff are attentive to the data and monitor student progress throughout the year,” said Dr. Edna McGill, assistant superintendent for LCSD. “We expect to see continued progress in all our schools and in the district this school year. We are not where we want to be, but are pleased with the effort our teachers put into making sure that every child receives instruction that is rigorous, (and) that prepares them for the next grade and for going to college or entering the work force.”
Starkville
Starkville School District as a whole was under academic watch following the 2009-10 year with an average QDI of 139. Additionally, SSD didn’t meet its academic growth. Friday, the district announced its overall QDI jumped to 151 and that it met growth and earned the performance label of successful.
Armstrong Middle School has been the Cinderella story for the district.
When Libby Mosley took over as principal at Armstrong in summer 2010, the school was in a “danger zone.”
“There was no other option,” she said. “That’s where it all began.”
The Starkville School District hired Assessing Education Competencies consultant Starr Brown to work with AMS and other district schools during the 2010-11 school year.
The year’s worth of extra professional development and developing more effective test-preparation techniques resulted in an 18-point hike in QDI at AMS for the 2010-11 school year.
With a QDI of 152, AMS’ current performance level is “successful.” Based on score, levels range from failing, low performing, successful, high performing and star school.
With a duality distribution index of 134, the school was placed on academic watch by the Mississippi Department of Education. The QDI is a scale used to determine how successful a district has been. To avoid a downward trend in QDI, which can ultimately lead to state takeover and wholesale teacher and administrator cuts, Mosley needed to channel most of her time to raising state test scores.
Starkville High School experienced a similar turnaround as AMS, jumping from 159 to 177.
Along with the success of AMS and SHS, Henderson Elementary raised its QDI from 136 to 144 while Ward Stewart increased from 142 to 148.
Starkville High School experienced a similar turnaround as AMS, jumping from 159 to 177.
QDI from 136 to 144 while Ward Stewart increased from 142 to 148.
“We know a lot of people had to work very hard to make this happen,” SSD Board President James Coble said. “We appreciate the progress they’ve made.”
Oktibbeha
The Oktibbeha County School District had just one school meet growth status and raise its QDI, according to the MDE.
West Oktibbeha Elementary posted a QDI of 147 and was the highest-performing school in the district. West Oktibbeha High School and East Oktibbeha Elementary were labeled low performing with QDI scores of 104 and 101, respectively.
East Oktibbeha High School was deemed a failing school with a 96.
OCSD Superintendent James Covington said West Oktibbeha Elementary’s QDI increased while other schools stayed about the same.
“A lot of gains were made on the practice assessments but we didn’t get the same gains on the actual test,” Covington said. “We’re going to spend more time to make sure our practice tests are more in line with the MCT.”
Covington said the discrepancy between West Oktibbeha Elementary and the other schools, particularly East Oktibbeha Elementary is because the dynamics of the two schools are different. He pointed to an in-school tutoring program at West Oktibbeha as primary reason West tested better.
“We’re looking to implement that at all of our schools,” Covington said. “We spent four all-day sessions this summer where we spent time revising and coming up with pa
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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