The assessments will be used to shape future instruction as efforts to improve student achievement in Mississippi continue.
The state’s Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) scores have risen above pre-pandemic levels, indicating growth in Mississippi’s K-12 schools. Overall scores for the 2023-2024 school year show record achievement by Magnolia State students in key subject areas.
“The exciting news is that our students continue to show progress in 2022 and Mississippi is recovering very well and our performance rates remain on an upward trend since the pandemic,” Dr. Paula Vanderford, chief accountability officer for the Mississippi Department of Education, informed the board during Thursday’s meeting.
According to MDE, overall scores in English language and literature, mathematics and science reached record highs, while scores in U.S. history saw a slight decline.
MAAP tests are given to students in grades 3 through 8 and to high school students. Students in grades 3 through 8 are tested in English and math, while students in grades 5 and 8 are also tested on science. High school students receive final exams in Algebra I, English II, and U.S. History.
“These assessments are intended to inform parents about their children’s performance and drive instruction in the classroom,” Vanderford added.
For the 2023-2024 school year, overall results show that 56.3 percent of students scored proficient in math, 47.8 percent in English and 63.4 percent in science. These results are an all-time high for the state, Vanderford said.
The only decline was in U.S. History, where 70.9 percent of students scored proficient in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 71.4 percent of students in the 2022-2023 school year.
“Parents, students and teachers continue to make history in the classroom and help move our entire state forward,” Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. “Mississippi is getting stronger in virtually every area, and education is no exception. I am proud of the work our state has done to get us where we are today. We will continue to do everything we can to prepare Mississippi’s children for meaningful careers after they graduate from high school.”
In the 2018-19 school year—before the COVID pandemic—47.4 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in math. That figure dropped to 35.1 percent in 2021, at the height of the pandemic’s impact on schools. English language arts (ELA) scores showed a similar trend, peaking at 41.6 percent in 2019 and dropping to 34.9 percent in 2021. Science scores were 55.3 percent in 2019 and dropped to 50 percent in 2021.
The U.S. History performance assessment was administered for the first time in 2021, meaning that results from the previous school year cannot be compared to the 2021 performance score of 47.4 percent.
When looking at performance at class level, some deficiencies became apparent. For example, the mathematics grades of the 3rd and 4th grades deteriorated by 1.5 and 1.7 percentage points respectively.
Fifth-graders’ mathematics grades improved the most compared to the previous year, from 44.3 percent to 53.7 percent, an increase of 9.4 percentage points.
In ELA, scores decreased for 5th graders (-0.2%) and 6th graders (-0.5%), as well as English II EOC scores (-3.9%). The largest increase in ELA was among third graders, from 51.6 percent in the 2022-2023 school year to 57.7 percent last school year, an increase of 6.1 percent.
The results of the science exams showed that there were increases in performance in grades 5 (+6.9%) and 8 (+5.8%). However, there was a slight decrease (-0.4%) among students taking the EOC biology test compared to the previous school year.
“The continued gains in student achievement across Mississippi are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers and school leaders,” said Dr. Lance Evans, the state’s Secretary of Education. “Our focus now is to build greater momentum to ensure that all of our graduates are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that await them in college, their careers and life.”
— Article courtesy of Jeremy Pittari of the Magnolia Tribune —
