According to data released today by the Mississippi Department of Education, over 25% of Tippah County third graders did not pass a required reading test to advance to the 4th grade.
The students have two more chances to pass the test, one that was administered last week and one later this summer, to be able to move on to the 4th grade.
“This year’s assessment is a new beginning because the passing score has been raised one level to move closer to measuring proficiency,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education.
The LBPA requires that students who do not pass the 3rd Grade Reading Assessment be retained in 3rd grade, unless the student meets the good cause exemptions specified in the law. Exemptions apply to certain students with disabilities, students learning English or students who have been previously retained. Local school districts determine which of their students who did not pass qualify for one of the good cause exemptions for promotion to 4th grade. The law requires schools to provide intensive reading intervention services to students retained in the 3rd grade and to students promoted to 4th grade with a good cause exemption.
30.8% of North Tippah students did not meet the criteria that the state considers passing. 33.3% at Chalybeate, 32.4% at Walnut and 27.9% at Falkner. In South Tippah, those considered not passing are 22.5%. That is 14.8% at Blue Mountain, 17.2% at Pine Grove and 27.1% at Ripley Elementary. You can see the full data here.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
