For the first time in its brief existence, the Sunflower County Consolidated School District has earned the label as a Successful district, according to unofficial projections issued this week by the Mississippi Department of Education.
“We did it,” said SCCSD Superintendent Miskia Davis. “We were just so excited. Tears were flowing.”
The district has earned a C letter grade, which is Successful.
There are currently no failing schools within the district, and eight out of 12 schools are Successful or higher, Davis said.
Davis said the jump from an F a year ago to a C this year is the result of “intense remediation and intervention,” primarily with low-performing students in areas like reading and math.
“We put a lot of energy in our low-performing children,” Davis said.
While the number of proficient students within the district is on the rise, Davis said that most of the growth came from lower performing students.
“We’re happy and elated our students can say they go to schools that are not failing,” Davis said.
Compared to surrounding Delta communities, Sunflower County stands with few who achieved a C or better. Cleveland, Greenwood and Tunica County are all C districts.
In terms of proficiency, SCCSD currently has 24.3% in Reading, 33.4% in Math, 40.6% in History and 45.2% in Science, with 49.1% Reading Growth and 63.2% Math Growth from last year, the unofficial data from MDE said.
Here are a few highlights from SCCSD’s performance in the 2018-19 grading period.
SCCSD is 5th in the state for district growth
Gentry High School is 10th in the state for high school growth
SCCSD has zero failing schools for the first time
66% (8-out-of-12) schools are rated Successful or higher
SCCSD is No. 1 in third grade reading among Delta districts and is in the Top 5- districts in the state for third grade reading
SCCSD is No. 1 in growth among consolidated school districts
SCCSD is No. 1 in growth among Delta districts
SCCSD is No. 9 out of all Delta districts (compared to No. 17-out-of-23 last year)
SCCSD is ranked in the top 100 districts in the state (compared to being 17th lowest last year)
Work To Be Done
SCCSD is now a Successful district in the eyes of MDE, but its superintendent says this is not the end result, but rather the beginning.
“Even though we are a C, we left points on the table that can take us to the next level in years to come,” Davis said this week.
As mentioned, the district went to great lengths to intervene with students when it came to math over the past two years.
“We’re not there yet with reading and math,” Davis said. “When we start reaching these goals, our proficiency numbers will increase.”
Another area of concern is college readiness.
ACT scores have historically been low for the district, and those tests are still a struggle for county high school students, according to MDE’s data release this week.
“ACT has been a thorn in our side,” Davis said.
While the district is in the top 50 in the state in terms of third grade test pass rates, Davis said a new focus will be placed on ACT readiness.
Davis said the key to the district jumping from a low C to a high C or low B next year will be continuing the program that was started two years ago when she took over the system.
She credits the administrators and teachers in each school for buying into that program.
“Successful districts are comprised of successful schools and teachers create successful schools,” she said.
