There is a good reason the smile typically seen on Tate County School Superintendent Alee’ Dixon’s face is a little wider these days.
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released its first accountability ratings for public schools since before the COVID-19 pandemic began and the Tate County School District made tremendous strides by jumping a full letter grade and earning a “B” for the 2021-22 school year.
“I am beyond humbled and proud of the work of our students, teachers, and all staff who worked tirelessly through unprecedented obstacles at each turn to ensure growth,” Dixon said. “I am thankful each one is working together to achieve team excellence in Tate County Schools.”
It's the first time since the 2018-19 school year that new grades have been assigned to Mississippi schools. The Tate County School District received an overall “C” rating that year, a score TCSD held since the district came out conservatorship in 2013-14.
Within the district in 2021-22, Coldwater Elementary School raised its grade from an F to a C, Strayhorn High School went from a D to a B, and Coldwater High School lifted its rating from a D to a C.
East Tate Elementary (B), Independence High (C) and Strayhorn Elementary (B) all maintained their pre-COVID grades.
TCSD’s improved grade is largely due to the progress students made during the 2021-22 school year rebounding after achievement declined during the pandemic. The accountability system relies heavily on growth, which is the amount of progress students make from one year to the next. Therefore, it may be challenging to maintain the grades that improved considerably in the 2021-22 school year.
“We attribute this growth to the dedication of our teachers and students during the pandemic,” Dixon said. “We are proud of the work they accomplished. There is room for much improvement within Tate County School District, and our teachers and students are ready to meet the challenge.”
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. The 2021-22 school and district grades were impacted by key factors involving student achievement decline in 2020-21, testing waivers, and one-year adjustments to the accountability system.
Though overall grades appear to have improved since 2019, state officials advise caution when interpreting score changes between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 school years. Substantial shifts in performance may be temporarily influenced by factors associated with pandemic disruptions.
“The pandemic not only disrupted teaching and learning, but it also impacted the state’s accountability system that evaluates the effectiveness of schools and districts,” said Dr. Kim Benton, State Superintendent of Education, interim. “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.”
Statewide student assessment data make up a large part of accountability grades. In 2021-22, the overall percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced mostly returned to pre-pandemic rates; however, the percentage of students scoring in the bottom two achievement levels increased. The state assessment system has five levels, minimal, basic, passing, proficient and advanced.
The calculation of the state’s A-F accountability grades relies heavily on the amount of progress students make in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics from one year to the next, particularly the lowest performing 25% of students.
Overall, students statewide made significant progress between 2020-21 and 2021-22, as schools focused on accelerating learning after the first year of the pandemic. In addition, the passing requirements for high school Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History assessments were waived in 2020-21, which will affect the graduation rate until all students who tested under the waivers graduate.
