OSD Students Score Above State Averages in English, Math

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Oxford School District performed well in the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program state test last school year; however, Superintendent Bradley Roberson said the district will continue to push for excellence.

Most grades scored double digits above the state average in reading proficiency. Third grade was 9.2 percent higher than the state average and English 2 was 9 percent greater than the state average.

The state average for the percent of students proficient (scoring a 4 or 5 on the test) was about 43 percent. In the OSD, most grades were above 80 percent.

“I am confident that we will continue to see those state percentages rise,” Roberson said Monday during the OSD Board of Trustee meeting.

In math proficiency, the OSD still scored higher than the state average there was not as much separation between the state and the OSD scores.

Two grades scored significantly above the state average – third grade scored 17.4 percent above the state average and fourth grade, scored 21.2 percent above the state average. The rest of the grades fell between 5.4 and 8.4 percent above the state average.

Two grades in the OSD were in the top 10 highest scoring for all Mississippi school districts. The seventh-grade ELA was the ninth highest and the eighth-grade ELA scored the 10^th highest.

“As Covid still lingered and interrupted school, we had a level of success I think we can proud of,” Roberson said. “However, while the overwhelming districts across Mississippi would be ecstatic to have the scores we just produced, we should be far from satisfied.”

Roberson said that districts that the OSD normally competes with for top scores outperformed the OSD last school year in student proficiency in the core subjects.

“We as a district fell outside of the top 10 in the core subjects,” he said. “But our team is confident that we’ve instituted changes this school year that will have a positive impact on student achievement and we can’t wait to see the fruits of that labor at the end of the 2022/2023 school year.”

A more detailed look at the state test results will be available in October when the state publishes districts’ accountability results.