The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program measures proficiency in math and English language arts. The tests weren’t given last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But test results show a decline from 2019. Math fell 12 points from 47 percent to 35. English saw a drop of 6 points from nearly 42 percent to 35 percent. State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright.
“When you think about what happened to our nation in shutting down and children shutting down and for six weeks and for six weeks or more there was no activity whatsoever and I think the districts pivoted and did the very best that they could and I think that’s gone on last year and continues,” said Wright.
Wright says they will focus on professional development for teachers. She also says they’re hiring more math coaches and have already sent some to school districts to target areas such as special education, literacy and school improvement.
“So everybody is out in the schools looking at the data to design programs and to fit the needs of the children at that specific school site,” said Wright.
Ronnie McGehee, executive director of the Mississippi Association of School Administrators isn’t surprised. He says it was predicted nationally and there’s funding to help learning loss.
“We got funds through the recovery acts and the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds for some learning loss and districts I know are being prescriptive about how they target individual students and classrooms to close that gap back to where we were,” said McGehee.
McGehee says the student testing participation rate was nearly 97 percent which is good. He adds officials will include the social and emotional needs of students as part of the learning process.
