For the third straight year, the Lamar County School District earned an A grade in the accountability results for the 2018-19 school year released by the state Department of Education.
The results placed Lamar County as the ninth-ranked district in the state. Oak Grove High School placed the district’s high school with an A grade of 790 points. Sumrall (746) and Purvis (685) high schools each earned a “B” grade, while Lumberton had a “C.”
Superintendent Tess Smith said she was not surprised by the results.
Lamar County Schools Superintendent Tess Smith
“We review data as it comes to us, so I really cannot identify any surprise,” she said, noting the success of the Oak Grove schools. “All of our OG schools are ranked ‘A.’ We are very impressed with the performance of OGHS as they were named the sixth high school in the state.”
Smith said the rating reinforced the hard work by the district.
“As I wrote in an email to staff, I have stated many times that we are way more than any letter or number that could be assigned to us,” she said. “But it is very nice to be able to give due credit to you all. I fully believe that regardless of your role in this district, you contribute to our success, but better than that, you contribute to the success of our students!”
In the lower grades (700 point schools), Lamar County schools that earned an A grade were Sumrall Elementary (483 points), Oak Grove Lower Elementary (480), Oak Grove Primary (480), Oak Grove Upper Elementary (475), and Oak Grove Middle (470). With a “B” grade were Sumrall Middle, Baxterville, Purvis Lower Elementary (415), Purvis Middle (414), Purvis Upper Elementary (398), while Lumberton Middle (290) and Lumberton Elementary (274) received D grades.
Almost 75 percent of schools and 70 percent of districts rated “C” or higher in accountability grades, showing a three-year trend of continuous school and district improvement.
The state set a goal in 2016 that all schools and districts be rated C or higher. Since that time, the percentage of schools meeting this goal has risen from 62.4 percent in 2016 to 73.5 percent in 2019. The percentage of districts achieving the goal has increased from 62.2 percent to 69.7 percent.
Over the same period, the number of schools and districts earning an A has more than doubled, with A-rated schools jumping from 88 to 196, and A-rated districts increasing from 14 to 31.
Among the 140 districts and five charter schools, 46 increased their letter grade from 2017-18 to 2018-19. Among the state’s 877 schools, 258 increased their letter grade from last year.
“Mississippi schools and districts are achieving at higher levels each year, and their grades demonstrate how well they are serving the children in their classrooms,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “I am extremely proud of our students and their families and every teacher, staff member, and leader who work hard every day in our schools and districts across the state. Together, families, communities, and educators are preparing students to be successful in college, the workforce, and life.”
The percentage of schools and districts rated D or F dropped significantly since 2016, from 37.6 percent to 26.2 percent for schools, and 37.8 percent to 29.0 percent for districts.
Mississippi’s A-F accountability system evaluates how well schools and districts are performing each year. Accountability grades are based, in part, on how well students perform and progress from year to year on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) tests for English language arts (ELA) and Mathematics. These tests are aligned to the Mississippi College and Career Ready Standards and are administered annually to students in grades 3-8 and high school. Overall, students showed statistically significant gains in both ELA and Mathematics from 2017-18 to 2018-19.
“Student achievement on MAAP reached an all-time high in 2018-19 because teachers are challenging students to achieve at a higher level,” Wright said. “I am a firm believer that students can and will achieve more when they are challenged and supported by great teachers who help them meet higher expectations.”
