In year three of the MAAP, most of Mississippi’s test scores continue to rise

The tests, which were first administered in 2015-2016, assess student performance in English Language Arts and math in third- through eighth-grade, as well as English II and Algebra I. Students score in five categories from a low of Level 1 up to a high of Level 5.

Overall, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations on ELA assessments increased from 36.7 percent in 2016-17 to 39.8 percent in 2017-18, and from 38.6 percent to 43.9 percent in math. Mississippi’s plan for improving student achievement calls for 70 percent of all students to be proficient in both subjects by 2025.

“One of the trends that you’re seeing is fewer kids scoring in Level 1 and 2 and more kids scoring in Level 4 or 5. Eventually you want to eliminate all the scores in Levels 1, 2 and 3,” state superintendent of education Carey Wright said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “The continued improvement that we’re seeing is due to teachers now developing a much better comfort level with teaching the standards.”

Fifth grade ELA, sixth grade ELA and English II were the only subjects in which the percentage of students scoring Level 4 or 5, the proficient or advanced categories, did not increase from 2016-17. Students scoring at Level 3 demonstrate a general mastery of the knowledge and skills required for success in the grade. Students scoring a level 1 or 2 need more assistance in learning the content and are in need of greater supports.

The same three Northeast Mississippi districts – Booneville, Oxford and Union County – were among the top 10 highest-scoring districts in both ELA and math.

“If you have a class of 25 students, you have 25 different reading levels, 25 different math levels and 25 different learning styles. The more that you can differentiate the way you address learning, the better off your district is,” Booneville superintendent Todd English said. “Straight teaching the test is impossible because the test is dynamic. We teach the problem solving concepts that we need for the test.”

Union County owes its success to collaboration between its teachers and an ability to absorb the previous year’s results to construct the next year’s curriculum.

“If we have one teacher who is doing one thing well, we’re going to meet with them and find what’s working. Nobody is trying to say, ‘I’m the best.’ We’re going to be the best as a team,” Union County testing coordinator Ronnie Boyd said. “The most important thing is using last year’s data to find how to improve. We find the areas we need to work on and make those adjustments.”

Chickasaw County and Okolona were in the top 10 most improved districts for ELA. Tishomingo County, Lafayette, North Tippah and Aberdeen were in the top 10 most improved districts for math scores.

Pick up a copy of Friday’s Daily Journal to see charts with the test scores from all Northeast Mississippi schools and districts.