MS Department of Education tours A-rated school districts

LOWNDES/MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Department of Education has begun its “Celebration of Excellence” Tour for A-Rated schools and districts.

Those accomplishments aren’t too far from home as Lowndes County and the Amory City School Districts both earned A-Ratings for the 2018-2019 school year.

Receiving an education may play a vital role in a child’s life, but the quality of education is just as important.

Across the state, school districts are being recognized for providing their students with just that.

Educators at Mississippi schools want better grades for the work they do with students.

On Wednesday, Mississippi Department of Education Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright met with school districts who have earned an A rating. 

“It’s great for the community to see what a great job the schools and districts are doing for these children and it’s great for the children to hear about this and put it into perspective for them,” said Dr. Wright. 

Wright said throughout Mississippi, the number of school districts earning an A-rating has doubled, going from 14 to 31.

“Mississippi has done exceptionally well. We are totally in the nation’s eye right now where education is concerned because we’ve done so well, ” said Wright. 

Lowndes County School District Superintendent Lynn Wright said his educators and students have worked very to receive an A.

“They put out so much time and effort and the administrators in the schools that spend tireless hours working to make sure that we are providing students with everything that they need,” said Wright. 

“Everybody is growing, everybody is getting better. The bar keeps raising, and we keep meeting the challenges and if that happens, then we are going to continue to grow as a state,” said Amory School District Superintendent Key Byars. 

Dr. Wright said students across the state have made a gradual progression, scoring higher on state testing. 

“It’s been drastic, I mean we had gains for every four years on our statewide assessments. Our kindergarten collaborative, those kids are coming out of pre-K or outperforming all of their kindergartners, I mean we really have a lot going on. We’re also still pushing the literacy and mathematics in terms of you can’t let up on that. It’s what else can we do for children to ensure we are expanding opportunities for them, “said Wright. 

Dr. Wright said The Mississippi Department of Education will continue to work towards student success and produce more A-rated school districts.