Kindergarten readiness scores drop in MS. Here’s the data for Coast school districts.
The Mississippi Department of Education released fall 2021 kindergarten readiness scores Friday, and many Coast school districts saw averages higher than the state average.
Overall, however, scores dropped when compared to the data from 2019. MDE did not publicly report results of the 2020 state test because of concerns with comparability of data due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, school districts were given more flexibility and allowed remote testing.
The average scale score for kindergartners tested in Mississippi was 487 in 2021. In 2019, the average was 502.
The MDE uses a score of 530, or 70% mastery, as a benchmark for the readiness assessment.
“A score of 530 indicates a student can identify most letters of the alphabet and match most letters to their sounds,” the MDE said in a press release. “Students are beginning to “read” picture books and are building their vocabulary, listening skills and understanding of print.”
The statewide average for students scoring 530 or above on the 2021 assessment was 31.79%, down from 36.56% in 2019.
“The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment is further proof of the pandemic’s impact on students in the state,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Mississippi’s kindergarten teachers are outstanding. Yearly, their hard work leads to significant gains for the state’s youngest students, and I anticipate seeing those gains when students are retested in spring 2022.”
Many Coast districts soared above the statewide averages for scale score and scores of 530 or above. Pass Christian schools performed the best, with an average score of 517. Biloxi schools had the most students who scored 530 or above, followed by Ocean Springs.
Here’s a look at the data for Coast schools.
Bay St. Louis-Waveland
Scale score average: 501
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 35.29%
Number of students tested: 136
Biloxi
Scale score average: 506
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 42.52%
Number of students tested: 468
Gulfport
Scale score average: 481
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 32.05%
Number of students tested: 546
Hancock County
Scale score average: 481
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 27.97%
Number of students tested: 311
Harrison County
Scale score average: 497
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 35.35%
Number of students tested: 1,106
Jackson County
Scale score average: 496
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 32.76%
Number of students tested: 644
Long Beach
Scale score average: 497
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 34.76%
Number of students tested: 210
Moss Point
Scale score average: 468
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 24.14%
Number of students tested: 116
Ocean Springs
Scale score average: 508
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 40.75%
Number of students tested: 427
Pascagoula-Gautier
Scale score average: 480
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 30.02%
Number of students tested: 513
Pass Christian
Scale score average: 517
Students who scored greater than or equal to 530: 39.62%
Number of students tested: 106
Click here for the full statewide results.
