DCS receives an “A” grade in state accountability scores
Photo: Lewisburg High School received an “A” grade in the unofficial state accountability scores and scored the highest among DeSoto County Schools high schools. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has put together its first accountability grades for state public schools since before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Unofficial ratings Tuesday were released and on Thursday, the MDE will review the results with the schools before making those results official.
According to Tuesday’s unofficial grades, the DeSoto County School District (DCS) received an “A” grade as a district. DCS finished 13th in the state with total points of 722. Long Beach was the number one school in the state with 803 points.
Points are awarded in a number of categories. Those categories are: proficiency in reading, math, history, and science; growth in reading and math; EL progress; acceleration; college and career readiness; participation rate; and graduation rate.
In the unofficial report out Tuesday, DeSoto County “A” graded high schools were: Lewisburg High School; Hernando High School; DeSoto Central High School; and Center Hill High School.
“B” graded high schools were: Olive Branch High School; Lake Cormorant High School and Southaven High School.
Horn Lake High School was the lowest graded DCS high school with a “C” grade in the unofficial report.
Other “A” graded schools in DeSoto County were: Lewisburg Primary, Lewisburg Elementary, Lewisburg Intermediate, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Oak Grove Central Elementary, Hernando Elementary, Hernando Hills Elementary, Hernando Middle, Lewisburg Middle, DeSoto Central Primary, Overpark Elementary, Center Hill Elementary, DeSoto Central Elementary, DeSoto Central Middle, Center Hill Middle, Lake Cormorant Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary, Olive Branch Elementary, and Walls Elementary.
During a Commission on School Accreditation (CSA) meeting on Tuesday, the unofficial results were presented publicly. Those accountability grades will become official when the State Board of Education meets for its monthly meeting on Thursday.
In a news release, the Mississippi Department of Education stated, “Approximately 81 percent of schools and 87 percent of districts will be rated “C” or higher for the 2021-22 school year. Though overall grades appear to have improved since 2019, state officials advise caution when interpreting score changes between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 school years. In particular, substantial shifts in performance may be temporarily influenced by factors associated with pandemic disruptions.”
The complete report, including grades and scores in the different areas for all of the state’s schools, are found on the Mississippi Department of Education website.
