Education officials in Mississippi are raising the standard of education success for public schools.
The State Board of Education voted on Thursday to move forward with a new “A-F” performance level cut for the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System. The new criterion will be used to assign grades to schools and districts for the 2025-26 school year. Grades for the current school year will set a new standard for measuring the performance of schools and districts, and the state will not compare this year’s grades with those of previous school years.
The state’s decision follows regulations that standards for student, school, and district performance increase when proficiency rates exceed 75% or when 65% of schools or districts earn a grade of “B” or higher. Schools and districts met this target in 2023, which prompted the Mississippi Department of Education to start the process for resetting accountability standards.
The standard-setting process included ongoing work with the Accountability Task Force and the formation of a special standard-setting committee facilitated by the Center for Assessment, officials report. The committee was made up of district leaders, members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate, legislative and gubernatorial staff, policy organization staff, and members of the Commission on School Accreditation, along with the State Board of Education.
Officials said committee members engaged in multiple rounds of review to establish minimum performance thresholds, or cut scores, that indicate what overall score is necessary to achieve the “A-F” grades. They used performance level descriptors and impact data to inform their recommendations. The process for establishing the new standards was based on established research methods and involved judgments from experts, education leaders, and policymakers.
“It is essential for states to continually raise expectations to ensure student achievement continues to improve,” Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education, said. “The new standards are attainable goals, and as we meet them, we will raise the bar higher. States that do not increase their expectations see declines in student achievement. As Mississippi continues our educational marathon, we need to keep pushing toward higher goals.”
Mississippi’s accountability grades are designed to help teachers, school leaders, parents, and communities know how well their local schools and districts are performing. Schools and districts earn points for each component in the accountability system. These include:
- Student proficiency and growth rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades 3-8 and high school English II and Algebra I
- Growth of the lowest performing 25% of students in ELA and mathematics
- Science proficiency in grades 5, 8, and high school Biology
- English Learners progress toward becoming proficient in the English language
- Performance on the ACT, SAT, ACT WorkKeys, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
- Student performance in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement, dual credit/dual enrollment courses, and career and technical education programs
- Industry certifications, diploma endorsements, and on-time and five-year graduates
- Four-year graduation rate
The accountability system awards up to 700 points for elementary and middle schools. High schools and districts can earn up to 1,000 points.
The new performance level cuts represent increases from the current standards. For example, the cut score for an “A” grade for elementary and middle schools will increase from 442 to 457 points, while for high schools, it will increase from 754 to 769 points. According to evaluation results from the standard-setting committee, 100% of members endorsed the process for establishing cut score recommendations.
“The standard setting process ensures that our accountability system continues to challenge schools and districts to improve student achievement, while providing a valid and reliable measure of performance,” Dr. Evans said. “The new standards reflect Mississippi’s commitment to raising the bar for student success.”
