Pearl River County School District Board of Trustees received an update about the District’s success when compared to statewide testing averages during last week’s meeting.

Kim Alford, the District’s curriculum coordinator, said that in regard to Mississippi Kindergarten Assessment Support system, spring scales scores were second within the Gulf Coast region. PRC’s MKAS score was 747, compared to the state average of 710.

The third grade literacy average is on an increase compared to the previous year, but still not what they were compared to the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 rates, 99.5 percent and 95.9 percent respectively. Last year the literacy rates were 95 percent, compared to 2016-2017’s 93.6 percent. Statewide, the average last year was 93.2 percent.

District-wide, math proficiency was mostly above state average, except in fifth grade where it was 23.6 for PRC compared to 33.8 statewide, and seventh grade, 46.7 percent in PRC compared to 49.2 statewide. Results from all other grades show the District just above or significantly above the state average, including algebra where PRC scored 59.6 compared to the statewide average of 46.6 percent.

In the areas of science, only fifth grade PRC fell below the state average with 64.5 compared to the state average of 67.5 percent. Eighth grade science at PRC showed a proficiency score of 85.8 compared to the state average of 64 percent, and biology was also above the state average with 77.5 compared to 60.5 percent.

ACT scores in the District averaged at 19.2 for juniors, and 20.2 for seniors during 2018. The year prior they averaged at 20.2 and 19.2 respectively.

The District’s graduation rate is on the rise, and is above the state average. According to data presented at the meeting, last year the graduation rate was 87.9 percent, compared to the state average of 83 percent. Back in 2010, the District’s graduation rate was 69.9 percent.

In summary, Alford said that areas of concern include proficiency in reading and math and that areas doing well include science proficiency and the graduation rate.

Superintendent Alan Lumpkin said the goal will now be to increase proficiency in math from the average of 47.8 percent to 51 percent, reading proficiency from the average of 47.8 percent to 51 percent and the growth of the bottom percentile in math proficiency from 51 percent to 55 percent in statewide assessment by May of next year.