State Schools Average “C” rating Under New Standards

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – After a new test and a recalibrated grading system, the typical Mississippi public school and school district rates a C under the state’s A-to-F grading system.

The 2015-2016 grades, released Thursday by the Mississippi Department of Education, 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.

Nine districts statewide are beating the odds and improving their grades, usually thanks to strong growth in student test scores. Such growth accounts for 40 percent of a district’s grade.

Among districts rated F is 28,000-student Jackson, the state’s second largest. After their first year, Mississippi’s first two charter schools rate as D and F, respectively.