Hattiesburg Public School District has lost its only top-ranked Level 5 school, two Forrest County Schools have dropped significantly and one of the Oak Grove quartet fell back to a Level 4.
Educators across the Pine Belt say they're not pleased with the unofficial accountability scores released Thursday by the state Department of Education -except for Petal Public School District Superintendent James Hutto, whose district maintained its across-the-board Level 5, or superior-performing, rankings for the fourth year in a row.
"We were blessed," Hutto said. "It kind of all begins with your teachers and your community. We have great principals and great community support, but when it all boils down, teachers are the ones that have to close the classroom door and teach."
A school's level is based on student achievement but may be augmented if a school's students have met targets for increased performance.
In Hattiesburg, Lillie Burney Elementary earned a Level 4, or exemplary, ranking -just a few points shy of the Level 5 rating its students earned last year. None of the district's schools increased in rank -Hattiesburg High dropped from successful Level 3 to under-performing Level 2, as did Rowan Elementary, Hawkins Elementary and Woodley Elementary.
"These levels are not good. They are terrible and we're not happy with them at all," Hattiesburg Superintendent Annie Wimbish said. "We're not going to settle with that. It's totally unacceptable."
The drops weren't totally unexpected, the superintendent said.
"That is why we have made some major curriculum changes, added staff development, and intervention -and we have changed some administrators," she said. "It breaks my heart to lose my Level 5 at Burney."
Wimbish pointed to prolonged illness-related absences by principals at Hattiesburg High and Lillie Burney as contributing factors to the schools' declining levels.
"I don't anticipate any Level 2s (in the 2007-08 school year)," she said. "It is not acceptable, and we're not happy - but I hope parents and the public are as disappointed as we are and ask what they can do to help the schools."
In Lamar County, Baxterville Elementary, Purvis High and Purvis Middle schools dropped from Level 4 to Level 3, and Purvis Elementary sank to Level 4, as did Sumrall Middle and High.
Oak Grove Lower Elementary became a Level 4 -the other Oak Grove schools are all Level 5.
"We are very disappointed," Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Adams said. "I could tell you a number of factors we feel like could have caused it, but the bottom line is the test scores fell ... but with disappointment comes resolve."
The state Department of Education allowed many Pine Belt schools that lost teaching time after Hurricane Katrina, like Purvis Middle and Elementary, to retain 2004-05 levels.
Forrest County Schools saw significant declines -North Forrest High School retained its Level 3 ranking and North Forrest Attendance Center kept its Level 4, but other schools didn't fare as well.
Earl Travillion Attendance Center dropped from Level 4 to Level 2, and Dixie Attendance Center fell from Level 5 to Level 3. South Forrest and Rawls Springs also lost a level each, rating Level 4 and Level 3 respectively.
Forrest County Superintendent Kay Clay said she's concerned about such declines, and is implementing tactics like increased staff development and may look at school organizational structure.
Forrest County Agricultural High School lost its Level 5 ranking by one point, Superintendent Kyle Nobles said.
"Other than English 2 multiple choice, practically 100 percent of our kids passed the test," Nobles said. "That's what really concerns me - I want our kids to pass the test and be able to graduate."
Hattiesburg Public School District parent Earnestine White said she's disappointed at the lower levels but said she's not ready to give up on the city's schools.
"I want to stay there through good times and bad times and see how everything's going to be," she said.
White said she's encouraged by new principals at several of the district's schools - she has children at Thames, N.R. Burger and Hattiesburg High -particularly by new high school principal Robert Sanders.
"He's out walking the halls and the yard, he's getting on their level a little bit," she said. "I'm looking for it to be a better school, though we're just getting started."
Local Level 5
·Petal High School
·Petal Middle School
·W.L. Smith Elementary School
·Oak Grove High School
·Oak Grove Middle School
·Oak Grove Upper Elementary School
·Sumrall Elementary School
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