A local school district ranked the best in the state, according to scores released by the Mississippi Department of Education Tuesday. Long Beach School District earned 803 of 1,000 points in the state placing them at the top of the heap.
“There are not enough words to express our gratitude and thanks to our hard-working and dedicated principals, teachers, students, staff and supportive community in Long Beach,” said Long Beach Superintendent Talia Lock.
Mississippi’s schools and districts are graded on an A-F scale. The grades are part of the state’s accountability system, which helps teachers, school leaders, parents and communities know how well their local schools and districts are serving their students.
Federal law requires all states to assess students annually in ELA and Mathematics in grades 3-8 and once during high school. Mississippi law requires schools and districts to earn annual A-F grades based on student performance and growth.
Mississippi’s accountability system includes the following components:
Student proficiency and growth rates in ELA and Mathematics in grades 3-8
Growth of the lowest performing 25% of students in ELA and Mathematics
Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8
English Learner progress toward becoming proficient in the English language
Performance on the ACT and high school Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History assessments
Student participation and performance in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement and dual credit/dual enrollment courses
Four-year graduation rate
Top performers
Of the 11 top high schools in the state, four of them are local: West Harrison, Ocean Springs, Long Beach and Poplarville high schools. West Harrison High School ranked as the best high school in the state.
“Decisions Determine Destinations. It is the center point of Hurricane Pride. West Harrison’s motto is ‘Strive for Excellence’ because excellence IS the expectation for all students, teachers and staff entering the Eye of the Storm,” said WHHS Principal Michael Weaver. “What an honor it is to take the reins of West Harrison at this time of such a momentous achievement. The teachers, counselors, staff, and most of all, our dynamic students at West Harrison are second to none, and our scores are proof of it. West Harrison prides itself on the academic success of our students and our teachers’ ownership of data.”
West Harrison was one of 14 of the district’s schools to earn an A. The list includes 10th-ranked D’Iberville High School, Woolmarket and Pineville elementary schools, which came in 11th and 20th place respectively.
Four of the highest performing high schools are local ones. Courtesy of the Mississippi DOE
Long Beach may have competition in the future as other local districts continue to outperform other districts. Ocean Springs was the third highest performer and Pass Christian ranked ninth in the state.
Long Beach School District was the top performing district in the state for 2021-2022. Also in the top 10 were Ocean Springs and Pass Christian. Courtesy of the Mississippi DOE
George County and Pascagoula Gautier school districts each earned A’s in the current assessment, an improvement of the past six years of B’s.
With the exception of Biloxi Junior High’s B, all of the Biloxi Public School District earned A’s. The district’s 724 points ranked it 12th in the state.
Two South Mississippi school districts dropped a letter grade from previous assessments. Hancock County dropped from an A to a B this year; and Picayune fell from a B to a C.
Pearl River County continued its streak of B’s. The district has earned a B in the last five assessments.
The rest of the school districts along the Coast maintained the A’s earned in previous years. The DOE expected as much because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and advised caution when comparing this year’s scores to previous performances.
Assessments were not administered in 2019-2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant there were no recent assessment to compare this year’s scores or ways to accurately measure progress.
“The pandemic not only disrupted teaching and learning, it also impacted the state’s accountability system that evaluates the effectiveness of schools and districts,” said Kim Benton, interim state superintendent of education. “While we are encouraged by the tremendous growth, it is especially important this year to look at all the components that make up each school and district grade to get a complete picture of student growth and achievement.”
Hancock County celebrated achievements in several subjects. East Hancock Elementary ranked seventh in the state for third grade English Language Arts and 10th in fifth grade math. Hancock High School ranked seventh in Algebra I. The district was third overall in Algebra I.
Four of Hancock’s schools (East Hancock Elementary, Hancock North Central Elementary, West Hancock Elementary and Hancock High School) earned A’s. South Hancock Elementary earned a B and Hancock Middle School earned a D.
Rhett Ladner, interim superintendent for Hancock County, congratulated those who received A ratings, but recognized room for improvement.
“The fact of the matter is that we are not where we would like to be,” Ladner said. “We have proven to be an A district in the past and we will strive to make all of our schools A schools, providing our students with the best educational experience they each deserve and helping each of them experience academic success.”
Most improved
For the first time in years, the Moss Point Separate School District reached state-level goals, earning an accountability grade of C for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Moss Point’s bump came from measured improvement at Moss Point Kreole Primary School and Moss Point Escatawpa Upper Elementary. Each school improved from failing grades in previous years to D’s in 2021-2022.
At Kreole, math proficiency rose from 11.5% in 2020-2021 to 30.9% in 2021-2022.
Escatawpa’s math proficiency rose from 12.1% in 2020-2021 to 19.6% the following year.
The Jackson County School District celebrated posting its highest state accountability ranking in the district’s history, ranking 15th for 2021-2022.
“I’m very happy for our students, parents, and school staff. These groups work very hard, and our accountability score is one outcome from all of the hard work,” said Superintendent John Strycker. “This grade represents our administrative scoreboard just like a scoreboard at a ball game. I’m happy for our Board of Education and leadership team as well.”
Three Harrison County schools joined the ranks of the A class: D’Iberville High, Harrison Central Elementary and Crossroads Elementary. Crossroads made the largest leap, from a C in 2019 to this year’s A.
In addition to improving its ranking, D’Iberville High School a 92% proficiency score on the Algebra I state assessment and raised its graduation rate to 91.5%.
“The teachers here have surpassed all expectations, and the students are simply phenomenal,” said D’Iberville High Principal Cheryl Broadus. “This day is a testament to what hard work and a never ceasing quest for excellence can accomplish. It is truly the proudest day of my professional life.”
Here are the 2021-2022 grades for local districts.
All of the school districts in South Mississippi passed the 2021-2022 state accountability assessments Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Education
Here are the 2021-2022 grades for local high schools.
All of the high schools in South Mississippi earned passing grades for the 2021-2022 school year. Courtesy of Mississippi Department of Education.
Here are the 2021-2022 grades for local primary, elementary and middle schools.
Here are the 2021-2022 grades for primary, elementary and middle schools from Bay St. Louis Waveland to Hancock County. Courtesy of Mississippi DOE
Here are the grades for primary, elementary and middle schools from Harrison County to Ocean Springs. Courtesy of the Mississippi DOE
Here are the grades for primary, elementary and middle school assessments from Pascagoula Gautier to Stone County. Courtesy of Mississippi DOE
Here are the district grades for the past few years
School District
2022 grade
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Bay Waveland
A
A
NA
A
C
B
B
Biloxi
A
A
NA
A
A
A
B
George County
A
B
NA
B
B
B
B
Gulfport
A
A
NA
A
B
B
B
Hancock County
B
A
NA
A
B
B
B
Harrison County
A
A
NA
A
B
B
B
Jackson County
A
A
NA
A
B
B
A
Long Beach
A
A
NA
A
A
A
A
Moss Point
C
D
NA
D
D
D
D
Ocean Springs
A
A
NA
A
A
A
A
Pascagoula Gautier
A
B
NA
B
B
B
B
Pass Christian
A
A
NA
A
A
B
A
Pearl River County
B
B
NA
B
B
B
B
Picayune
C
B
NA
B
C
C
B
Poplarville
A
A
NA
A
B
A
B
Stone County
A
A
NA
A
B
B
B
How it works
Elementary and middle schools are graded on seven categories at 100 points each for a maximum total of 700. The high schools have 11 categories with a mix of 100 and 50 points for a maximum total of 1,000. For schools that do not test science, the composite score is based on the 700-point scale.
The accountability model was created by legislators, administrators, the MDE and business and policy leaders.
And for schools that do well, there is some value to the letter grade.
MDE said the School Recognition Program provides public recognition and financial awards to schools that have sustained high student performance or schools that demonstrate substantial improvement in student performance.
Schools can qualify for the award if they maintain an A or B grade or move up a letter grade.
There are also some benefits available for D and F schools. According to the MDE, “schools that earn a grade of D or F are identified for additional assistance and support through the MDE, including professional development, supplemental academic services, reading coaches, and other support.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 12:35 PM.
Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.
