Oxford, MS - The Mississippi Department of Education released the new district accountability scores for the 2023-2024 school year. Lafayette County School District (LCSD) maintains its “A” rating with the 13th highest score in the state.
The district scored 738 points overall in the new model that caps the points system at 100 and no longer awards bonus points. With its sustained high score, LCSD remains one of two districts in North Mississippi within the top 15 scores in the state. Lafayette Middle School (LMS) increased by 73 points to score an “A” rating. All four schools in the district are now all A-rated schools.
“After the previous historic year, we wanted to focus on consistency; maintaining the same level of excellence in our classrooms. We studied and visited many districts known for their continued high scores, and we learned and implemented some techniques in our curriculum and classroom. We are happy to know the effort is paying off,” said Superintendent Jay Foster.
The district’s proficiency scores were key to maintaining the high classification. LCSD saw gains in proficiency in all four areas: reading, math, history, and science. Math growth also saw an increase to 81.8 from 79.9. Notably, third-grade and fourth-grade math scores ranked 4th and 10th in the state respectively. Algebra 1 scores ranked the high school at 15th in the state, up from 22nd the previous year.
“Last year, I spoke about a district-wide effort to increase our proficiency level and focus on individual growth. We are happy to see the collaboration from building to building, grade to grade be reflected in the outcome of the goals we set,” added Foster.
The elementary schools and middle schools remained consistent and in several cases saw great gains in several areas. The eighth graders were high performers and went from 20th in ELA to 2nd in the state, climbed from the 44th spot in Math to claim 7th in the state, and 13th in science. The third graders also had significant success in the 3rd grade reading gate going from 53rd to 38th in the ranking.
Assistant Superintendent Patrick Robinson said, “We saw a lot of movement in proficiency. Students are jumping levels, and that’s movement in the right direction.”
To continue with the student-focused curriculum, the district is using research and data to set goals for students.
“We are focused on district-wide literacy and want to ensure a good foundation based on research to create strong readers. Our goal in reading proficiency at the elementary level is to focus on student and classroom instruction to benefit all students,” added Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Ryals.
Student-focused education and growth is evident at the secondary level as LCSD continues to see success from the CTE programs and College and Career preparation.
“Our CTE programs had a 100% pass rate for the NCCER this past year and our College and Career Readiness (CCR) programs are helping increase ACT scores. We saw a two-point gain in that part of the accountability model. We are focusing on the individual student and a well-rounded education, “ added Patrick Robinson, Assistant Superintendent.
The district plans to celebrate these new achievements with a campus-wide celebration on the night of October 25, 2024, during the halftime of the Lafayette football game.
