MDE delays official release of school ratings

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi’s state Board of Education has delayed A to F ratings for schools and districts until October, citing discontent with the proposed ratings.

The unapproved numbers show more school districts would fall than would improve, even though test scores and high school graduation rates improved statewide.

Board member Johnny Franklin of Bolton spearheaded the delay Thursday, saying he hadn’t had enough time to study information and had heard too many concerns.

The board is approving a move to reset the high school grading scale. Officials say that’s necessary because grades last year were inflated by problems relating to the state’s transition between standardized tests.

Although the number of A-rated districts would increase and B-rated would fall by only one, the number of F-rated districts would increase from nine to 23.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

BELOW ARE THE PROJECTED RATINGS BUT NOT OFFICIAL

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Department of Education has projected but not officially approved 2017-18 ratings on an A to F scale for the state’s school districts and charter schools. The state says ratings for the Corinth school district, the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Mississippi School for the Blind should be considered unofficial. The grade each district received in 2016-17 is listed next to the district’s name.

A RATED (18 districts)

Enterprise: A

Petal: A

Ocean Springs: A

Oxford: A

Clinton: A

Biloxi: A

Booneville: A

Lamar County: A

Union County

Long Beach: A

Rankin County: B

Lafayette County: B

Pass Christian: B

Madison County: A

DeSoto County: A

Pontotoc: B

North Tippah: C

Tishomingo County: B

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B RATED (42 districts)

Prentiss County: B

Harrison County: B

Amory: B

Jackson County: B

Lowndes County: B

Pearl River County: B

Pearl: A

Newton County: A

George County: B

Grenada: B

Tupelo: B

Union: A

Webster County: B

Gulfport: B

Poplarville: A

Alcorn County: B

Stone County: B

Houston: B

Franklin County: C

Neshoba County: C

Monroe County: B

West Jasper: B

New Albany: B

Jones County: B

South Panola: C

Hancock County: B

Lauderdale County: B

Richton: B

Pascagoula-Gautier: B

Greene County: B

North Pike: C

Winona: B

Nettleton: C

Itawamba County: B

Senatobia: C

Forrest County Agricultural: B

Pontotoc County: B

Columbia: C

Smith County: C

Kosciusko: B

Baldwyn: B

South Tippah: B

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C RATED (37 districts, 1 charter school)

Bay St. Louis-Waveland: B

Starkville-Oktibbeha: C

Lincoln County: B

Louisville: C

Forrest County: B

Chickasaw County: D

Picayune: C

Choctaw County: C

Hinds County: C

Lee County: B

Tate County: C

Attala County: C

Calhoun County: C

Coahoma Early College: B

Scott County: C

Marion County: B

Okolona: D

West Point: C

Quitman County: D

Water Valley: C

Lawrence County: C

Tunica County: D

Benton County: B

Lumberton: D

Corinth: No grade last year. Current grade unofficial.

Newton: C

Western Line: C

Cleveland: D

Copiah County: C

Marshall County: C

Brookhaven: C

Aberdeen: C

North Panola: D

Leflore County: F

Yazoo County: C

Hollandale: C

Leland: D

Reimagine Prep Charter: D

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D RATED ( 27 districts, 1 charter school)

Wayne County: D

Covington County: D

Claiborne County: D

Carroll County: C

Quitman: D

Montgomery County: D

East Jasper: C

Columbus: D

Moss Point: D

Natchez-Adams: D

Kemper County: D

Jefferson Davis County: C

Holly Springs: C

Simpson County: C

Coffeeville: C

Canton: D

Leake County: C

West Tallahatchie: C

Perry County: C

Greenwood: C

Wilkinson County: F

Vicksburg Warren: D

Hattiesburg: D

Walthall County: D

Greenville: F

Forest: D

McComb: D

Smilow Prep Charter School: D

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F RATED (20 districts, 2 special schools, 1 charter school)

South Pike: D

Laurel: D

South Delta: C

Durant: D

Holmes County: F

Hazlehurst: D

Philadelphia: C

East Tallahatchie: D

Sunflower County: F

Meridian: D

Jackson: F

Amite County: D

Noxubee County: F

Coahoma County: D

Jefferson County: C

North Bolivar: D

Humphreys County: F

Clarksdale: D

Yazoo City: D

West Bolivar: C

MS School For The Blind: No grade last year. Current grade unofficial.

MS School For The Deaf: No grade last year. Current grade unofficial.

Midtown Public Charter: F

Source: Mississippi Department of Education.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)