Mississippi's 2022 state test results return to pre-pandemic levels
Aug. 18—TUPELO — Mississippi students, as a whole, tested as well on the most recent round of state tests as they did prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the Mississippi Department of Education released the 2021-22 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), revealing that students overall seem to be on track to recover from any academic lapses caused by the pandemic.
Overall, the percentage of students scoring either proficient or advanced — the two top levels on the MAAP — reached an all-time high of 42.2% in ELA and 55.9% in science. The statewide average mathematics score was 47.3%, just shy of the pre-pandemic rate of 47.4%. Science assessment scores exceeded pre-pandemic levels and reached an all-time high of 55.9% proficient and advanced.
Mississippi administered a new U.S. History assessment in 2020-21, and the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced increased from 47.4% in 2020-21 to 69.3% in 2021-22.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, student achievement had increased from the first administration of MAAP in 2016 through 2019. Overall student achievement declined in Mississippi and nationally during the 2020-21 school year because of pandemic-related obstacles to teaching and learning.
"The 2021-22 assessment results provide clear and indisputable evidence of the resilience of our students and educators and their ability to recover from the disruptions to learning," said Kim Benton, interim state superintendent of education. "We are confident Mississippi educators and school leaders across the state will continue to build upon this progress by setting high expectations and working to ensure every student in every school overcomes the setbacks of the pandemic and is successful."
MAAP measures students' knowledge, skills and academic growth from elementary through high school. The scores released Thursday include third through eighth grade mathematics and English language arts (ELA), fifth through eighth science and high school end-of-course assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History.
Each student receives a scale score and a performance level between 1 and 5 — (1 — Minimal, 2 — Basic, 3 — Pass, 4 — Proficient, or 5 — Advanced).
A-F accountability grades for the 2021-22 school year will be released at the Mississippi State Board of Education meeting on Sept. 29.
Tupelo Public School District
The Tupelo Public School District's overall mathematics and ELA scores were both well above the state averages for the 2021-22 school year, increasing for the second consecutive year.
Tupelo's overall proficiency level for math was 58.4%, 11.1 points higher than the state average of 47.3%. TPSD's proficiency level in math is up 12.3 points from 46.1% during the 2020-21 school year.
The district's overall proficiency level for ELA was 49.8%, 7.6 points higher than the state average of 42.2%. TPSD's proficiency level in ELA is up 8.1 points from 41.7% during the 2020-21 school year.
"The Board of Trustees and administrative team for the Tupelo Public School District celebrate the successes of our schools," TPSD superintendent Dr. Rob Picou said. "Our teachers, support staff, and students have worked incredibly hard coming out of the pandemic to achieve amazing results. There is always improvement to celebrate and room for improvement in every school."
While celebrating the success of this year's scores, Picou said the school district will continue its trajectory of success by recommitting to internal accountability this school year.
"The assessments represent external accountability, and that's just one test at the end of the year on one day," Picou said. "We need 180 days of internal accountability where we hold ourselves accountable to the highest level of professionalism and expectations — ourselves and our students."
Here's a breakdown of the scores by grade:
TPSD math scores
—
54.3% proficient in third grade vs. 49.5% statewide
— 53.8% proficient in fourth grade vs. 45.5% statewide
— 46.9% proficient in fifth grade vs. 36.6% statewide
— 59.4% proficient in sixth grade vs. 45.2% statewide
— 64.4% proficient in seventh grade vs. 46.1% statewide
— 52% proficient in eighth grade vs. 44.8% statewide
— 78.2% proficient in Algebra I vs. 64.9% statewide
TPSD ELA scores
—
44% proficient in third grade vs. 46.4% statewide
— 45.9% proficient in fourth grade ELA vs. 43.8% statewide
— 56.1% proficient in fifth grade ELA vs. 46.5% statewide
— 49.1% proficient in sixth grade ELA vs. 41% statewide
— 50.2% proficient in seventh grade ELA vs. 38.3% statewide
— 46.5% proficient in eighth grade ELA vs. 36.3% statewide
— 56.7% proficient in English II vs. 44% statewide
Lee County School District
The Lee County School District's overall mathematics and ELA scores fell below the state average for the 2021-22 school year after scoring above average in math and equal in ELA the previous year.
Lee County's overall proficiency level for math was 44.3%, 3 points lower than the state average of 47.3%. Despite being lower than the state average, LCSD's proficiency level in math did rise 7 points from 37.3% during the 2020-21 school year.
The district's overall proficiency level for ELA was 40.3%, 1.9 points lower than the state average of 42.2%. Despite being lower than the state average, LCSD's proficiency level in ELA rose 5.5 points from 34.8% during the 2020-21 school year.
"We're not quite back to what we were pre-pandemic in language arts or math, but we did show significant growth," LCSD Superintendent Coke Magee said. "We're continuing to move in the right direction from there, almost back to pre-pandemic numbers."
The district continues to address student learning loss with in-school and after-school tutoring, and it held summer camps the past two years with a third planned after the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year.
Magee said his district will continue evaluating its curriculum, making improvements in pinpointed areas where students need additional help.
He's thankful for the work students, teachers and administrators have done to bounce back from two difficult school years during the height of the pandemic. Magee is optimistic that LCSD will continue to see improvements in test scores each year.
"I look for us to continue to see that improvement, continue to see that growth that we have seen, which will get us back to where we want to be," Magee said.
Here's a breakdown of the scores by grade:
LCSD math scores
— 42.4% proficient in third grade vs. 49.5% statewide
— 41.6% proficient in fourth grade vs. 45.5% statewide
— 32.8% proficient in fifth grade vs. 36.6% statewide
— 39% proficient in sixth grade vs. 45.2% statewide
— 49.6% proficient in seventh grade vs. 46.1% statewide
— 48.4% proficient in eighth grade vs. 44.8% statewide
— 56.6% proficient in Algebra I vs. 64.9% statewide
LCSD ELA scores
— 45.3% proficient in third grade vs. 46.4% statewide
— 41.7% proficient in fourth grade vs. 43.8% statewide
— 46.3% proficient in fifth grade vs. 46.5% statewide
— 39.4% proficient in sixth grade vs. 41% statewide
— 35% proficient in seventh grade vs. 38.3% statewide
— 35.5% proficient in eighth grade vs. 36.3% statewide
— 39.2% proficient in English II vs. 44% statewide
