Changes made to Mississippi’s public school accountability model will reset how districts are graded this year, raising the bar for schools to earn higher ratings.
Though they welcomed the higher standards, some area superintendents say the new model – particularly the short timeframe districts have to adjust to the new standards – raises concerns.
“We want to be the best we can be for our students. … We’ll be better because of these new rankings. We’ll shoot to achieve higher,” said Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison. “But just giving us a year turnaround to make these changes, that’s difficult.”
The legislature created Mississippi’s accountability system, which assigns schools and district letter grades based on student achievement, in 2013. Student achievement is measured by performance on statewide assessments, performance in advanced and career technical courses and graduation rates, among other factors.
In November, the State Board of Education voted to adjust some components of the system and raise performance level cut-offs between letter grades, meaning schools and districts must earn a higher number of points to meet the threshold for each letter grade. The change was prompted by state law requirements for performance standards to rise when 65% of schools or districts earn a B or higher, a target that the state exceeded in 2023.
Additionally, some accountability components were changed. The U.S. History assessment required for high school juniors was eliminated, and the Mississippi Readiness Index was introduced to measure students readiness for what comes after high school.
The index awards points for student performance on the ACT, ACT WorkKeys and Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, as well as in Advanced Placement, dual credit and dual enrollment courses. It also includes industry certifications and academic diploma endorsements.
For the 2024-2025 school year, LCSD maintained an overall A rating for a seventh consecutive year. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District also maintained an A for a second straight year. Columbus Municipal School District, however, dropped from a B to a C for 2024-2025.
That being said, grades for the current academic year, which will likely be announced in September, will set a new baseline for accountability scores, meaning they cannot be directly compared to previous years.
Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Craig Chapman said Mississippi Department of Education has phased in changes to standards in the past, sometimes giving districts a grace period to adjust. This time, he said, districts are being held to the new standards immediately.
“This is something that was approved and passed down in November, and we’re expected to perform in April and May, and hopefully see results that are in our favor,” he said. “But we’re not going to make excuses for it. The principals and everyone, we’ve talked about what this is going to look like, and we’ve already taken our data and we’re constantly measuring against the new accountability scores.”
With higher standards in place and the pressure of a short turnaround, Allison expects to see lower scores across the state.
“It’s important to understand that everybody’s score is going to drop,” Allison said. “… Our goal will still be to be an A because we think that portrays what we do in the district.”
‘Handle it all at once’
SOCSD Superintendent Tony McGee, on the other hand, took no issue with the lack of adjustment time.
“Change is always difficult no matter when it’s given to you,” he wrote in an email to The Dispatch. “We know accountability is needed to ensure we are doing the best for our students, and … we welcome higher standards. If change is coming, sometimes I’ve found it’s just as well to handle it all at once.”
He expects the biggest impact SOCSD will see outside of the new cut scores lie with college and career-readiness points, awarded through the Mississippi Readiness Index.
McGee said the district has already started providing opportunities for students to “push themselves” ahead of graduation, both in academics and in career technical pursuits, and administrators have looked to align younger grades with that expectation as well.
“We are working with our boys and girls to make sure they are achieving the highest outcomes for graduation,” he said. “We welcome the opportunity to graduate students with more distinguished honors that will positively impact their next steps.”
While LCSD provides opportunities for students to earn diploma endorsements, Allison noted students in workforce-focused pathways may be less likely to prioritize performance on college-readiness exams, like the ACT.
“A lot of our population, they’re not even worried about a distinguished endorsement because they know they want to go to the (career technical center),” Allison said. “The other part of that is, we’re punishing districts because … we want them to graduate (students), but if they don’t graduate with this (diploma endorsement), they’re not worth as much in accountability.”
Getting the word out
Chapman said accountability changes have already prompted adjustments in CMSD, where administrators are targeting higher proficiency through targeted instruction, stronger professional development and high-dosage tutoring.
Even so, he expects to field concerns from parents once scores are released for this academic year.
“It’s a tall task for us,” he said. “I just feel that once … the community starts seeing the results from the assessments, it’s going to raise more concerns.”
On a broader level, Allison worries about how lower scores across the board might affect perception of public school districts.
“There’s so much scrutiny on public schools, I feel like, with school choice and other things,” he said. “… If I’m thinking of it from a state perspective, it’s almost like we’re giving the other side – people that are anti-public schools – more data to say public schools aren’t as effective.”
Shanderia Minor, public information officer for MDE, said State Superintendent Lance Evans has been meeting with leadership from districts across the state.
“So those folks are well-aware of the changes, and I’m sure in those different meetings they’ve had plenty of discussions about it,” she said.
As for parents’ understanding, MDE on Wednesday released a toolkit for school and district leaders that includes key facts about the changes made in November, as well as detailed background on how the system works.
Each superintendent said area districts are working to get the information out to their communities in hopes of getting the word out about changes to the model.
“We’re working closely with MDE and the resources they offer to develop good communication that will help our parents and community understand the accountability changes when that time comes,” McGee said. “For now, we’re focused on continuing our work in the classroom to help students succeed.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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