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The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released accountability grades for the 2024-25 school year, which show 80.1% of schools and 87.2% of districts earned a grade of C or higher. This represents a decrease from the 2023-24 school year, when 85.7% of schools and 93.9% of districts earned a C or higher.
Simpson County School District received an overall grade of “C.”
| ID# | District Name | Grade | Total Points | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | History Proficiency | Science Proficiency | Reading Growth | Math Growth | Reading Low Growth | Math Low Growth | EL Progress | Acceleration | College and Career Readiness | Participation Rate | Graduation Rate |
| 6400 | Simpson County School District | C | 551 | 31.3 | 39 | 46.9 | 44.3 | 49.4 | 55.8 | 49.6 | 48.9 | 41.6 | 65.3 | 30.6 | >=95% | 84.1 |
Magee Middle School received a grade of “F.” Magee Elementary and Mendenhall Elementary Schools both received a grade of “D,” while Simpson Central School received a “C.”
| ID# | District Name | School Name | Grade | Total Points | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | Science Proficiency | Reading Growth | Math Growth | Reading Low Growth | Math Low Growth | EL Progress | Participation Rate |
| 6400-020 | Simpson County School District | Simpson Central School | C | 337 | 37.2 | 52.5 | 57.8 | 47.9 | 63.8 | 39.2 | 38.4 | N/A | >=95% |
| 6400-006 | Simpson County School District | Magee Elementary School | D | 320 | 34.1 | 35.1 | 47.9 | 42.1 | 62.3 | 28.8 | 50.7 | 34.5 | >=95% |
| 6400-012 | Simpson County School District | Mendenhall Elementary School | D | 318 | 36.7 | 32.2 | 56.4 | 58.1 | 38 | 62.5 | 33.6 | N/A | >=95% |
| 6400-010 | Simpson County School District | Magee Middle School | F | 261 | 22.3 | 38.8 | 33.7 | 43.4 | 46.2 | 44 | 32.4 | N/A | >=95% |
Mendenhall High School also received a “C,” while Magee High School received a “D.”
| ID# | District Name | School Name | Grade | Total Points | Adjusted Score† | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | History Proficiency | Science Proficiency | Reading Growth | Math Growth | Reading Low Growth | Math Low Growth | EL Progress | Acceleration | College and Career Readiness | Participation Rate | Graduation Rate |
| 6400-014 | Simpson County School District | Mendenhall High School | C | 578 | 621 | 24.9 | 40.4 | 55.4 | 39.6 | 52.4 | 62.1 | 56.1 | 67.9 | N/A | 65.7 | 34.4 | >=95% | 88.1 |
| 6400-008 | Simpson County School District | Magee High School | D | 565 | N/A | 29.2 | 31.1 | 35.4 | 38.7 | 46.7 | 86.4 | 47.1 | 85.3 | N/A | 64.7 | 26.1 | >=95% | 78.3 |
Smith County Schools received the following grades:
| ID# | District Name | School Name | Grade | Total Points | Adjusted Score† | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | History Proficiency | Science Proficiency | Reading Growth | Math Growth | Reading Low Growth | Math Low Growth | EL Progress | Acceleration | College and Career Readiness | Participation Rate | Graduation Rate |
| 6500-004 | Smith County School District | Mize Attendance Center | A | 720 | 767 | 54.2 | 70 | 86.3 | 73.5 | 63.3 | 80.2 | 60.7 | 60.1 | N/A | 80 | 79.3 | >=95% | 86.2 |
| 6500-008 | Smith County School District | Raleigh High School | B | 698 | 732 | 48.6 | 64.3 | 70.6 | 65.9 | 68.6 | 72.9 | 62.7 | 54.9 | N/A | 75.8 | 53.6 | >=95% | 96.5 |
| 6500-012 | Smith County School District | Taylorsville Attendance Center | D | 500 | 518 | 23.6 | 32.8 | 69.8 | 31 | 44.3 | 51.1 | 43.4 | 50 | N/A | 61.7 | 71.3 | >=95% | 68.8 |
| ID# | District Name | School Name | Grade | Total Points | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | Science Proficiency | Reading Growth | Math Growth | Reading Low Growth | Math Low Growth | EL Progress | Participation Rate |
| 6500-010 | Smith County School District | Raleigh Elementary School | C | 328 | 48.6 | 50.3 | 69.8 | 47.8 | 51.1 | 34.5 | 25.4 | N/A | >=95% |
In 2016, the Mississippi State Board of Education set a goal that all schools and districts be rated C or higher. At that time, 62% of both schools and districts met this standard.
Statewide student assessment data make up a large part of accountability grades. The 2024-25 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) results, released on August 21, 2025, showed both increases and decreases in proficiency rates across all grades and subjects.
“While Mississippi has made historic progress over the past decade, the areas of declining achievement demand our immediate attention,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “The accountability grades provide important data to guide our work moving forward. Mississippi students have proven they can achieve at higher levels, and we owe it to them to continue challenging and supporting them so every graduate is prepared for lifelong success.”
Mississippi’s accountability grades are designed to help teachers, school leaders, parents and communities know how well their local schools and districts serve their students. The components are based on state and federal law and State Board policy. For the 2024-25 school year, those components include:
- Student proficiency and growth rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades 3-8
- Growth of the lowest performing 25% of students in ELA and mathematics
- Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8
- English Learner progress toward becoming proficient in the English language
- Performance on the ACT, ACT WorkKeys and high school assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History
- Student performance in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement, career and technical education programs and dual credit/dual enrollment courses
- Four-year graduation rate
The MDE has been working with stakeholders and technical experts over the past year to update the accountability system to raise the bar for school and district performance and to increase the ways to measure college and career readiness. Starting in 2025-26, the accountability model will include the following changes:
- Expanded college and career readiness measures including industry certifications, military readiness, diploma endorsements, and on-time and five-year graduates
- The elimination of the high school U.S. History assessment
- Increased standards for the assignment of A-F grades. These standards will be finalized in late fall and will be used in addition to the current point system for earning accountability grades.
“We will maintain rigorous academic standards through new minimum proficiency targets while we expand recognition for graduation achievements and industry certifications that lead directly to good-paying jobs,” Dr. Evans said. “This balanced approach will ensure we are measuring what matters most for each student’s individual path to success.”
State law allows charter schools to apply to open in areas where the school district is rated D or F. Nine districts earned a D or F grade in 2024-25. All but one of the state’s seven existing charter schools that received grades in 2024-25 were rated D or F.
All four Districts of Transformation under state leadership saw a drop in letter grade in 2024-25 after making improvements in previous school years:
| Districts of Transformation Performance |
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“Transforming districts that have struggled for years is complex work that does not happen overnight,” Dr. Evans said. “While we are disappointed to see declines in our Districts of Transformation this year, we cannot lose sight of the significant progress these communities have made. The MDE is committed to the long-term work of building sustainable systems that supports consistent and sustained student achievement.”
State-level plans to address student achievement include seeking legislative funds for an adolescent literacy initiative for grades 4-8 and a math initiative for grades 2-6, encouraging more districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials, and supporting the implementation of literacy instruction based on the science of reading (SOR).
The MDE is also working with stakeholders to create a new Strategic Plan for PreK-12 Education in Mississippi, scheduled for release in early 2026.
Mississippi’s education progress over the past decade has been recognized nationally. Results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed Mississippi fourth-graders ranked 9th for reading and 16th for math scores, while making the nation’s largest gains since 2013. In 2025, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book ranked Mississippi 16th in the nation for education, compared to 48th in 2014.
Mississippi credits the rise in student achievement to the implementation of higher academic standards and statewide support to teachers to help students reach higher standards. Other factors include the effective implementation of laws and policies that developed or strengthened early childhood education, literacy instruction, school and district accountability, and advanced learning opportunities for high school students.
“The foundation we have built over the past decade remains strong,” Dr. Evans said. “Higher academic standards, targeted support for teachers, and a strong accountability system have improved student achievement in Mississippi over the long term. This year’s results do not change our commitment to these proven strategies.”
Resources
School- and district-level accountability results: mdek12.org/publicreporting/accountability
Understanding the Mississippi Accountability Grading System for Schools and Districts
The Mississippi Succeeds Report Card, includes additional information about the performance of schools and districts, will display official accountability results after Mississippi State Board of Education approval on Sept. 25, 2025: msrc.mdek12.org
Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.