The Mississippi Department of Education has released the ratings for school performance on the MCT2 and Subject Area Test administered to students in the spring of 2009 and the results may not be what parents and educators expected.

Schools that found themselves at the top of the rankings in the old accountability system that rated on a Level 1-5 scale may find themselves under “Academic Watch” under the state’s new system that assigns a performance label of “Star School,” “High Performing ,” “Successful,” “Academic Watch,” “At-Risk of Failing,” “Low Performing” or “Failing.”

Such is the case of West Jones Elementary School in the Jones County School District. West Jones, the district’s highest performing elementary school, is considered “Academic Watch” for not meeting growth projections.

While the old accountability system focused on academic achievement, the new system includes an achievement component, a growth component and a graduation/dropout component. MDA took these steps to move the state toward national average performance.

Ken Thompson, a member of the MDA’s Accountability and Integration Task Force, explained that “under the old accountability system, the comparison was to the state. To reach the highest level — ‘Level 5’ or ‘Superior Performing’ — the school had to be among the best in the state.

“Under the new accountability system, the comparison is to the nation,” he said. “To reach the highest level — ‘Star School’ — the school district has to be among the best in the nation. It is like the difference between a state championship caliber and a national championship caliber team.”

Each school earns a Quality of Distribution Index (QDI) score based on the number of students who achieved minimal, basic, proficient or advanced on the state tests. The Mississippi Statewide Accountability System uses the school’s QDI, growth projections and graduation rate or high school completion index (HSCI) to determine what label a school receives.

The Jones County School District received a “Successful “ rating for the district’s student performance on the MCT2 and Subject Area Test administered to students in the spring of 2009.

Steve Thrash, school superintendent noted, “I am pleased that all of our schools received a QDI score that qualifies them for successful or high performing. However, the new model also uses growth and high school completion data that caused some of our schools to be labeled ‘Academic Watch.’

“A good example is that our highest performing elementary school, West Jones Elementary, is considered ‘Academic Watch’ due to not meeting growth projections,” said Thrash. “South Jones High School would have been labeled ‘High Performing’ if they had a higher graduation rate.”

Thrash said he is pleased that the district’s QDI of 158 exceeded the state QDI average of 149, but the district is not going to settle for being just above the state average.

“We will continue to work diligently to implement new instructional methods and resources into the classroom in an effort to reach our fullest potential,” said Thrash.

The Perry County School District also received a “Successful” rating. School superintendent Dr. Gregory S. Dearman said all but one of the district’s six schools received a “Successful” rating. The school that didn’t rate successful is rated “Academic Watch.”

“We met our growth requirement,” added Dearman. “Our goal is to show growth for our students every year”

Richton School District, also in Perry County, earned a “High Performance Rating.” Superintendent Kyle Nobles noted that “Richton Elementary School is ‘High Performing’ and Richton Junior/Senior High is ‘Academic Watch.’

“Richton High School missed a ‘Successful’ rating by one point, we will be working very hard to improve on our ratings overall,” Nobles said.

Dearman pinpointed that Mississippi has the hardest accountability model of any state in the nation. He said state educators need to take a serious look at how they are testing students.

“The language tests are too long for the amount of reading that is required,” said Dearman. “Some students take all day to complete it.

“Practice tests are available online through the Mississippi Department of Education and people should take a look at them,” he added. “A seventh or eighth grader has to take an 83 question test for language that has a lot of reading in it.

“Imagine trying to keep a junior high student focused for the amount of time required to complete this test, not to mention fatigue from the reading requirement,” said Dearman. “I believe we could give a shorter test to accomplish what we need.”