State reading scores up across Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Mississippi schools dispel the “uneducated” stereotype for statewide education.

Yesterday, the Department of Education released its updated English Assessment Scores, and for another year the state’s reading levels are up.

They’ve been consistent the last few years, and the credit is being given where it’s due; the teachers.

The updated reading results for third graders are out, and MDE shows another year of a rise in the ratings.

Superintendents like Glen Beard for Choctaw County Schools gave praise to the teachers.

“Nothing beats good ol’ fashioned hard work in teaching, and that’s what our teachers are doing and I think you’re seeing that across the state for the most part,” said Beard.

The state’s passing percentage rose from 92%-93.2%

District by district, many of our area schools performed above that.

One of them, at 94.7%: Choctaw County.

“Three or four years, we’ve been in the top five in the state,” said Beard. “Two of our schools, Weir Elementary and French Camp Elementary, have both been in the top five out of all elementary schools.”

This is good for students because third grade is ‘make-it-or-break-it’ for a chance at performing in the classroom beyond elementary.

“Statistics show us if they’re not on grade level by third grade, the gap just gets further and further,” Beard confirmed.

Beard says in the past, upticks like this are sometimes short-lived.

“It seems like every time our Mississippi Schools start making strides in the right direction, we get a change in the test or they kind of change the game on us a little bit, so it’s like we’re shooting at targets that are moving in the dark,” said Beard.

But with these same efforts from teachers, Beard says success can still be a reality in the future.

“Our success is strictly based on how well our teachers have been prepared for the school year,” said Beard. “They do tremendous amounts of works during the summer and just spend a lot of time preparing for those classes and just do a great job of setting the bar high for those students and helping push their students to get over that bar.”

You can see each school district result here.