State Board of Education approves new A-F performance level cuts for Mississippi Statewide Accountability System for 2025-26 school year

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: November 20, 2025

State Board of Education approves new A-F performance level cuts for Mississippi Statewide Accountability System for 2025-26 school year

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) voted today to approve new A-F performance level cuts for the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System. The new thresholds for grades will be used to assign grades to schools and districts for the 2025-26 school year. Grades for the current school year will set a new baseline for measuring the performance of schools and districts and cannot be compared to grades for previous school years.

The SBE’s decision follows state law requirements that standards for student, school and district performance increase when proficiency rates exceed 75% or when 65% of schools or districts earn a grade of “B” or higher. Schools and districts met this target in 2023, which prompted the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to start the process for resetting accountability standards.

The standard setting process included ongoing work with the Accountability Task Force and the formation of a special standard setting committee facilitated by the Center for Assessment. The committee participated in a comprehensive standard setting process that involved describing performance levels and recommending cut scores. The committee was made up of district leaders, members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate, legislative and gubernatorial staff, policy organization staff, and members of the Commission on School Accreditation (CSA) and State Board of Education.

The committee members engaged in multiple rounds of review to establish minimum performance thresholds, or cut scores, that indicate what overall score is necessary to achieve the A-F grades. They used performance level descriptors and impact data to inform their recommendations.

The process for establishing the new standards was based on established research methods and involved judgments from experts, education leaders, and policymakers. The approach prioritized both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced information to ensure the standards credibly reflect the state’s vision for the accountability system.

“It is essential for states to continually raise expectations to ensure student achievement continues to improve,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “The new standards are attainable goals, and as we meet them, we will raise the bar higher. States that do not increase their expectations see declines in student achievement. As Mississippi continues our educational marathon, we need to keep pushing toward higher goals.”

Mississippi’s accountability grades are designed to help teachers, school leaders, parents and communities know how well their local schools and districts serve their students. Schools and districts earn points for each component in the accountability system. The components are based on state and federal law and State Board policy, and include:

• Student proficiency and growth rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades 3-8 and high school English II and Algebra I
• Growth of the lowest performing 25% of students in ELA and mathematics
• Science proficiency in grades 5, 8 and high school Biology
• English Learner progress toward becoming proficient in the English language
• Performance on the ACT, SAT, ACT WorkKeys or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
• Student performance in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement, dual credit/dual enrollment courses and career and technical education programs
• Industry certifications, diploma endorsements and on-time and five-year graduates
• Four-year graduation rate

The accountability system awards up to 700 points for elementary and middle schools. High schools and districts can earn up to 1,000 points.

The new performance level cuts represent increases from the current standards. For example, the cut score for an “A” grade for elementary and middle schools (700-point schools) will increase from 442 to 457 points, while for high schools (1000-point schools) it will increase from 754 to 769 points.

According to evaluation results from the standard setting committee, 100% of members endorsed the process for establishing cut score recommendations.

“The standard setting process ensures that our accountability system continues to challenge schools and districts to improve student achievement, while providing a valid and reliable measure of performance,” Dr. Evans said. “The new standards reflect Mississippi’s commitment to raising the bar for student success.”

Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.

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Jean Cook, APR
Chief of Communication
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org

Shanderia Minor
Public Information Officer
601-359-3515
sminor@mdek12.org