Third graders in LCSD slightly over, in TPSD slightly under statewide reading-assessment pass rates

ADDIE DAVIS, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·4 min read
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Students in Tupelo and Lee County placed near the statewide average in reading ability, according to results of the first round of Mississippi third grade reading assessments.

The Mississippi Department of Education announced on May 16 that 75.7% of the 31,787 third graders tested passed the initial administration of the third grade reading assessment given for the 2023-24 school year. This was nearly the same as the initial pass rate in 2022-23 of 76.3% when 31,623 third graders took the assessment, and higher than the 2019 initial pass rate of 74.5%.

In the LCSD, 77.1% of third graders passed the 2024 assessment, compared to an initial pass rate of 79.5% in spring 2023. In the TPSD, 75.2% passed the 2024 assessment, compared to an initial pass rate of 74.3% in spring 2023.

The Literacy Based Promotion Act (LBPA) — passed in 2013 and amended in 2016 — promotes reading skills for students in kindergarten through third grade. It requires all third grade Mississippi public school students to score “Level 3” or higher on the reading portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program — English Language Arts (MAAP-ELA) test in order to progress to fourth grade. Students who don’t pass can also receive “good cause exemptions,” which allows students learning English or who have disabilities to move on to fourth grade even without passing the reading assessment.

TPSD and LCSD administer the MAAP-ELA test in April. Students who fail the first test were retested May 6-10. The second retest window will be June 17-28. After the final retests for the 2022-23 school year, the state average pass rate was 85%, the LCSD’s rate was 89.3%, and the TPSD’s rate was 85%.

While the LCSD pass rate average was slightly higher than the state average, there were wider differences in scores between different schools. Mooreville Elementary School saw an 86.1% pass rate this year, compared to 85.7% last year. Saltillo Elementary School saw an 83.3% pass rate this year, compared to 84.5% last year. Shannon Elementary School saw a 67.1% pass rate this year, compared to 69.9% last year. And Verona Elementary School saw a 53.5% pass rate this year, compared to 63.9% last year.

“I think we did a good job this year,” LCSD superintendent Coke Magee said. “I’m pleased with the work of our administrators and teachers, appreciative of the partnership with the parents and the communities as we continue to find ways to help our students excel and reach their reading goals.”

Magee said there are plans to meet with district curricula teams this summer to determine any areas in LCSD curricula that need improvement.

“We’re going to continue to look for ways to improve our instruction,” Magee said.

Magee is already in meetings with Verona’s administration, making plans for next year. Verona saw a more than 10% drop in reading assessment pass rates between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

LCSD students who didn’t pass the assessment are receiving intervention instruction to help them reach the targeted reading levels.

The TPSD schools’ pass rates were more tightly clustered. Lawhon Elementary School saw a 70.3% pass rate this year, compared to 70.7% last year. Lawndale Elementary School saw a 77.6% pass rate this year, compared to 70% last year. Pierce Street Elementary School saw a 74.6% pass rate this year, compared to 72.8% last year. And Rankin Elementary School saw a 79.3% pass rate this year, compared to 84.5% last year.

“We’re very proud of our students, and the work that they did, and we’re very proud of our teachers,” TPSD Deputy Superintendent Kim Britton told the Daily Journal. Britton is in charge of TPSD’s elementary school curricula, testing and accountability and instructional coaches, among other things.

“We are always working on improving our instruction and our instructional practices,” Britton said. “That’s just part of our culture.”

TPSD shifted third grade curricula in the 2023-24 school year away from test preparation and toward more practical reading skills, Britton said. That the third graders’ reading-assessment pass rates remained steady was an excellent sign.

Those students who did not pass the initial assessment are receiving targeted reading instruction, TPSD superintendent Rob Picou said.

Picou also spoke about how proud he was of the district’s instructional staff and instructional support team, and all the work they put in to ensure Tupelo students grow into skilled readers.