Oxford schools get A grade, Lafayette B in latest rating: Complete Mississippi schools report card

Published 9:50 am Thursday, October 20, 2016

Staff and Wire Report

The Mississippi Department of Education released 2015-16 ratings on an A to F scale for the state’s school districts and charter schools Thursday and Oxford Schools scored the highest A rating.

“We are very proud of our students, teachers, administrators and all district staff who support our efforts. A 13-percent gain in mathematics proficiency and an over 6-percent gain in English Language Arts proficiency highlight our improvement in student achievement,” said OSD Superintendant Brian Harvey this morning. “Our ACT, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment scores also played a large role in our success. However, even though we received the most points on the accountability model, we realize that we still have many students who are struggling and we are working to bring all students to proficiency so that they can achieve their full potential.”

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Lafayette County Schools also scored well, with a B rating, but not well enough said Superintendant Adam Pugh.

“We won’t be happy until we’re an A,” he said this morning. “It’s the first time for a new test. We’re going to keep working hard and getting better.”

This year’s grades are not strictly comparable to last year’s because of several factors, including a new standardized test and a recalibration of the scoring system.

Also, under a waiver system, schools that received a lower grade in 2014-15 than in either of the two previous years could keep the higher grade. The waivers were allowed because the state changed teaching standards and tests in those years.

The 2015-2016 grades are the first in several years that count for everyone. For two years in a row, schools or districts got waivers to use higher grades earned earlier because of changing state teaching standards and tests.

The Corinth district did not receive a rating because it uses an alternate curriculum. Its rating will be released in November.

The grade each Mississippi school district received in 2014-15 is listed next to the district’s name.

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A RATED (14 districts)

Oxford: A

Long Beach: A

Forrest Agricultural: B

Ocean Springs: A

Jackson County: B

Petal: A

Rankin County: A

Union: A

Desoto County: A

Pass Christian: A

Madison County: A

Booneville: A

Enterprise: A

Clinton: A

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B RATED (39 districts)

Biloxi: A

Gulfport: B

Lamar County: A

Prentiss County: B

Union County: B

New Albany: B

Pontotoc: A

Lafayette County: B

Pearl: B

Hancock County: B

Newton County: B

Alcorn County: B

Tupelo: B

Stone County: B

Bay St Louis-Waveland: B

Pearl River County: B

Lauderdale County: B

Baldwyn: C

Itawamba County: B

Senatobia: B

Harrison County: B

Pontotoc County: B

Tishomingo County: B

Greene County: C

Forrest County: B

Lowndes County: B

Pascagoula-Gautier: B

Webster County: A

George County: B

Jones County: B

Poplarville: B

Neshoba County: B

Monroe County: B

South Tippah: B

Picayune: C

Franklin County: B

Scott County: B

Marion County: C

Columbia: B

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C RATED (36 districts)

Nettleton: C

Richton: C

Water Valley: C

Choctaw County: B

Kosciusko: A

Calhoun County: B

Amory: A

Smith County: B

Wayne County: C

Grenada: B

Lawrence County: C

Tate County: B

Hinds County: C

Lee County: C

Lincoln County: B

North Tippah: B

Holly Springs: C

West Jasper: B

Benton County: C

Attala County: C

Louisville: C

Coahoma County Agricultural: C

North Pike: B

Brookhaven: D

Houston: C

Starkville-Oktibbeha: C

Forest: C

Covington County: C

Marshall County: C

Tunica County: D

Aberdeen: D

Perry County: C

Philadelphia: C

Simpson County: C

Copiah County: C

Cleveland: C

_____

D RATED (35 districts, 1 charter school)

ReImagine Prep: first year, previously unrated

Yazoo County: C

Quitman: C

Winona: B

Hazlehurst: D

South Pike: C

Hollandale: C

Walthall County: C

West Point: C

North Bolivar: D

South Panola: C

Chickasaw County: C

McComb: D

Vicksburg Warren: D

Laurel: C

Columbus: D

Carroll County: C

Leake County: D

Newton: D

Leflore County: D

Lumberton: C

Hattiesburg: C

Coffeeville: C

Greenwood: D

Western Line: C

Meridian: D

West Bolivar: D

Durant: D

East Jasper: C

East Tallahatchie: C

South Delta: D

Sunflower County: D

Jefferson Davis County: C

North Panola: C

Moss Point: D

West Tallahatchie: D

_____

F RATED (19 districts, 1 charter school)

Midtown Public Charter: first year, previously unrated

Okolona: C

Yazoo City: D

Natchez-Adams: D

Holmes County: D

Canton: D

Jackson: D

Clarksdale: D

Greenville: D

Kemper County: C

Amite County: C

Wilkinson County: C

Quitman County: C

Humphreys County: D

Coahoma County: D

Claiborne County: C

Leland: D

Noxubee County: D

Montgomery County: C

Jefferson County: D

_____

UNRATED (1 district)

Corinth: A

Source: Mississippi Department of Education.

 

 

 

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.