The education field in Mississippi recently received some good news, as test results from the 2021-2022 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program – released August 18 by the Mississippi Department of Education – show that student achievement is exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels in the areas of English Language Arts and science, and almost tying that level in mathematics.
The MAAP measures students’ knowledge, skills and academic growth from elementary through high school. Student progress is measured from annual assessments in grades 3 through 8 mathematics and ELA; grades 5 and 8 science; and in end-of-course assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History.
The following is a list of results from the five districts in the Pine Belt News coverage area: the Petal School District, the Lamar County School District, the Forrest County School District, Forrest County Agricultural High School and the Hattiesburg Public School District. The numbers show the percentage of students who are proficient and/or advanced in that category.
PETAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
- Grade 3 ELA (Petal Elementary School): 62.2 percent
- Grade 4 ELA (Petal Elementary School): 65.9 percent
- Grade 5 ELA (Petal Upper Elementary School): 66.8 percent
- Grade 6 ELA (Petal Upper Elementary School): 57.8 percent
- Grade 7 ELA (Petal Middle School): 54.8 percent
- Grade 8 ELA (Petal Middle School): 55.7 percent
- English II (Petal High School): 58.1 percent
- Grade 3 Math (Petal Upper Elementary School): 66.6 percent
- Grade 4 Math: (Petal Elementary School): 75.2 percent
- Grade 5 Math: (Petal Upper Elementary School): 70.9 percent
- Grade 6 Math (Petal Upper Elementary School): 71.2 percent
- Grade 7 Math (Petal Middle School): 70 percent
- Grade 8 Math (Petal Middle School): 76.5 percent
- Algebra I (Petal High School): 80.7 percent
- Grade 5 Science (Petal Upper Elementary School): 78.4 percent
- Grade 8 Science (Petal Middle School): 76.3 percent
- Biology (Petal High School): 75.4 percent
- U.S. History (Petal High School): 86.1 percent
“Through all the challenges that we have had to endure over the last three years regarding COVID, absenteeism and everything else, I’m very proud that since the pandemic … we have grown in proficiency,” superintendent Matt Dillon said. “For example, for the 2019-20 school year, we didn’t have test results because of COVID; then we had test results in the 2020-21 school year, and then this past year, we grew in all four areas: ELA, math, science and history.
“Also, I’m proud that the Petal School District is one of only three school districts that ranked in the overall Top 10, based on proficiency in all four categories. So that’s important, that we have that consistency, that we’re not just relying on one subject – we’re collectively good in all four categories, and we’re meeting those proficiency levels.”
LAMAR COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
- Grade 3 ELA (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Oak Grove Lower Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 58.6 percent
- Grade 4 ELA: (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 54.9 percent
- Grade 5 ELA (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Upper Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School: 55.6 percent
- Grade 6 ELA (Baxterville School, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 50.4 percent
- Grade 7 ELA (Baxterville School, Lumberton High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 52.6 percent
- Grade 8 ELA (Baxterville School, Lumberton High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 44.6 percent
- English II (Lumberton High School, Oak Grove High School, Purvis High School, Sumrall High School): 56.6 percent
- Grade 3 Math (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Lower Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 64.8 percent
- Grade 4 Math (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Upper Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 49.6 percent
- Grade 5 Math (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Upper Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 46.5 percent
- Grade 6 Math (Baxterville School, Lumberton Elementary School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 55.1 percent
- Grade 7 Math (Baxterville School, Lumberton High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 68.6 percent
- Grade 8 Math (Baxterville School, Lumberton High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 53.2 percent
- Algebra I (Lumberton High School, Oak Grove High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis High School, Sumrall High School, Sumrall Middle School): 78.2 percent
- Grade 5 Science (Baxterville School, Longleaf Elementary, Lumberton Elementary, Oak Grove Upper Elementary, Purvis Upper Elementary, Sumrall Elementary School): 63.2 percent
- Grade 8 Science (Baxterville School, Lumberton High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Sumrall Middle School): 50.8 percent
- Biology (Lumberton High School, Oak Grove High School, Purvis High School, Sumrall High School): 69.3 percent
- U.S. History (Lumberton High School, Oak Grove High School, Purvis High School, Sumrall High School): 85.7 percent
“From a district standpoint, I’m very pleased with where we are with our scores that we attained on (this) test, given the fact that we fought COVID last year, especially earlier in the year with the delta variant,” superintendent Steven Hampton said. “It shows a commitment of our instructional staff, our teachers, our faculty, to make sure that our students are learning at the high level.”
FORREST COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
- Grade 3 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 46 percent
- Grade 4 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 50 percent
- Grade 5 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 52.9 percent
- Grade 6 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 48.5 percent
- Grade 7 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest High School, South Forrest Attendance Center): 38.4 percent
- Grade 8 ELA (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest High School, South Forrest Attendance Center): 46.1 percent
- English II (North Forrest High School): 41.8 percent
- Grade 3 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 55 percent
- Grade 4 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 46.4 percent
- Grade 5 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 39.8 percent
- Grade 6 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 48.8 percent
- Grade 7 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest High School, South Forrest Attendance Center): 55.9 percent
- Grade 8 Math (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest High School, South Forrest Attendance Center): 55.9 percent
- Algebra I (North Forrest High School): 70.6 percent
- Grade 5 Science (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest Attendance Center, Rawls Springs Attendance Center, South Forrest Attendance Center): 58.7 percent
- Grade 8 Science (Dixie Attendance Center, Earl Travillion Attendance Center, North Forrest High School, South Forrest Attendance Center): 58.9 percent
- Biology (North Forrest High School): 63.6 percent
- U.S. History (North Forrest High School): 76.6 percent
“There was some overall data we felt like we were pleased with,” superintendent Brian Freeman said. “If anything else, we certainly see some areas we’ve got to continue to work on, but considering what we dealt with, with COVID and everything else, we saw some spots we were very, very excited about.
“If you look at the overall data, some of our science scores were extremely high; we had some language arts areas that were extremely high in some of our schools.”
FORREST COUNTY AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL
- English II: 43.2 percent
- Algebra I: 67.6 percent
- Biology: 54.7 percent
- U.S. History: 75.7 percent
HATTIESBURG PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
- Grade 3 ELA (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 49.3 percent
- Grade 4 ELA (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 44.1 percent
- Grade 5 ELA (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 49.4 percent
- Grade 6 ELA (Hattiesburg Steam Academy): 27.3 percent
- Grade 7 ELA (N.R. Burger Middle School): 31.3 percent
- Grade 8 ELA (N.R. Burger Middle School): 24.9 percent
- English II (Hattiesburg High School): 36.3 percent
- Grade 3 Math (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 57.1 percent
- Grade 4 Math (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 46 percent
- Grade 5 Math (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 25.1
- Grade 6 Math (Hattiesburg Steam Academy): 40.7 percent
- Grade 7 Math (N.R. Burger Middle School): 32.1 percent
- Grade 8 Math (N.R. Burger Middle School): 50.6 percent
- Algebra I (Hattiesburg High School): 74 percent
- Grade 5 Science (Grace Christian Elementary School, Hawkins Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Thames Elementary School, Woodley Elementary School): 68.1 percent
- Grade 8 Science (N.R. Burger Middle School): 42.1 percent
- Biology (Hattiesburg High School): 51.8 percent
- U.S. History (Hattiesburg High School): 66.8 percent
“Like many schools across the nation, our students and staff faced multiple challenges as we recovered from the global pandemic,” superintendent Robert Williams said. “Those challenges ranged from varying learning modes, increased absences, and fear of the unknown.
“Nevertheless, our staff and students met those challenges with a positive attitude and a willingness to make every day better than yesterday, exemplifying what it truly means to be ‘Burg Built.’ We are extremely proud of the work of our students, staff, parents and community.”
