Mississippi Dept. of Education releases accountability grades under more stringent cut scores

Mississippi Dept. Of Education releases.

Key points

• Corinth School district was not included since they administer the Cambridge assessment along with the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program.
• The new cut score standards were approved in November of 2025 and went into effect this school year.
• Three other districts of transformation – Okolona, Holmes County Consolidated, and Noxubee – all received a C.
• Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians receives $12 million in federal grants to expand economic development drivers.
• The number of students in Mississippi taking AP courses and passing the associated exams has doubled overall since 2013.

Mississippi Dept. Of Education releases accountability grades under more stringent cut scores. By: Jeremy Pittari – October 15, 2026.

Results show over 50% of Mississippi schools and districts scored a B or higher.

Assessment scores for public school districts and schools throughout show over 50% scored a B or higher under the newly established cut scores.

This was the first year that schools and districts were assessed on more stringent guidelines. It were mandated as part of state law. That law states when 75% of students score proficient or 65% of schools or districts score a B or higher the standards must be raised. Mississippi's schools reached the 65% threshold in 2023 when 71% of districts and 74% of schools reached the mark.

"Raising academic standards is required by state law because it is an essential part of ensuring Mississippi students and schools continue to improve academically each year, " State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans remarked.

Notably, the new cut score standards were approved in November of 2025 and went into effect this school year.

While high schools are scored on a 1, 000 point scale, schools and districts are scored on a point system, with elementary and middle schools ranked on a 700 point scale.

Of the Mississippi's 148 school districts, 20.9% (31 districts) scored an A, 29.7% (44) scored a B, 31.8% (47) received a C, and 14.2% (21) scored a D. Three school districts, or 2%, received an F.

One charter school and one public school did not have grades to report at press time.

"They have been approved by the State Board to utilize the Cambridge data in lieu of the MAAP, and we do not get that in until later in the year, so their accountability grade is assigned after all grades for other districts are assigned, " Chief Accountability Officer Dr. Paula Vanderford described.

According to It was, even though some schools performed the same or a bit higher on the assessment than the prior year, there were some that received lower grades due to the higher cut scores.

Yazoo City School District, a district of transformation due to continued low performance scores, received an F for the second consecutive year. Wilkinson County School District, another district of transformation for financial reasons, additionally scored an F this year.

Three other districts of transformation – Okolona, Holmes County Consolidated, and Noxubee – all received a C. Humphreys County, another district of transformation, scored a D.

"Improving districts that have faced challenges for many years takes time, and there are no quick fixes, " Evans remarked. "Holmes County Consolidated and Noxubee County school districts have shown what sustained effort can produce. I am confident that all Districts of Transformation will continue to create progress toward higher student outcomes over the long term." Concerning the Author(s).

Jeremy Pittari is a lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast. Born and raised in Slidell, La., he moved to South Mississippi in the early 90s. Jeremy earned an associate in arts from Pearl River Community College and went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's of arts in journalism. A week after Hurricane Katrina, he began an internship as a reporter with the community newspaper in Pearl River County. After graduation, he accepted a full-time position at that news outlet where he covered the recovery process post Katrina in Pearl River and Hancock Counties. For almost 17 years he wrote concerning local administration, education, law enforcement, crime, business and a variety of other topics. Email Jeremy: [email protected].

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For now, mississippi Dept. Of Education releases accountability grades under more stringent cut scores remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.