Unofficial Mississippi district and school accountability grades released, Desoto County receives an A

The unofficial Mississippi district and school accountability grades for 2021-2022 have been released, with DeSoto County School District receiving an A and 772 points.

The grades are based on how students performed during the 2021-2022 school year and the academic growth they have made since the 2020-2021 school year. A performance rating of A ,B, C, D and F is assigned for each school and district, based in part on statewide assessments and end-of-course subject assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History.

This is the first time letter grades for districts and schools have been given since before the pandemic. The 2020-2021 accountability measures did not include new letter grades, due to assessments not being administered in 2019-2020. DeSoto County scored an A with 675 points in the 2018-2019 accountability results, the last time a grade was given.

On a school level, elementary and middle schools can earn up to 700 points. High schools and districts as a whole can earn up to 1,000 points. Each school is also given a letter grade.

Half of the eight DeSoto County High Schools received A's this year. Two DeSoto high schools, Lewisburg High School and Hernando High School, were in the top 10 highest performing 1000-point schools, with 814 and 813 points out of 1000, respectively. The lowest performing DeSoto County high school is Horn Lake High School, which scored a C with 615 points.

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Lewisburg Primary, a DeSoto County kindergarten and first grade school, is the second highest scoring 700 school in the state, scoring 622 points and an A. Lewisburg Elementary School also scored high, ranking fourth in the state with 616 points and an A.

Accountability grades will become official Thursday, when the Mississippi State Board of Education approves the results during its monthly board meeting.

Gina Butkovich covers DeSoto County, storytelling and general news. She can reached at 901/232-6714 or gina.butkovich@commercialappeal.com