WV School District Maintains B Rating
JACKSON – The Mississippi Department of Education has released 2025 accountability results showing that approximately 70 percent of school districts statewide experienced a decrease in points compared to 2024.
This year marks the first time that the state has used the company, DRC (Data Recognition Corporation), for the English Language Arts (ELA) and Math assessments, which together make up the majority of the accountability points. DRC has previously administered the Science and U.S. History assessments, but 2025 marks the first year that all tested areas have been delivered by the same vendor.
This year also represents the first time since the current accountability model was adopted—excluding the year immediately following COVID—that the statewide average percentage of students scoring Proficient or Advanced dropped in every single tested category.
“Whenever a state transitions to a new testing company for core subjects like ELA and Math, there is typically a one-year adjustment period as students, teachers, and schools become familiar with new item types and scoring systems,” said Drew Pitcock, Superintendent of Water Valley School District. “States such as Louisiana and Tennessee experienced similar statewide score decreases when switching vendors, and their scores stabilized in subsequent years. We are confident Mississippi will see the same trend.”
Despite this statewide trend, Water Valley School District maintained its strong standing with an overall B rating:
• Water Valley High School held its High Performing rating, a B rating.
• Davidson Elementary School retained its Successful rating, a C rating.
“These results show that our teachers and students continue to rise to the challenge,” Pitcock said. “Maintaining these ratings in a year of statewide declines is proof of their resilience and dedication.”
The Mississippi Department of Education has also announced that the state accountability model will undergo a significant update this year, including increased cut scores that will make it more difficult for schools to achieve each rating. This is the first cut score adjustment since 2017, and districts across the state are preparing to meet these higher expectations.
