Communications

Mississippi Education Quick Facts

• Mississippi has 152 school districts, serving nearly 500,000 students and employing over 32,000 teachers.
  
  
• In 2006-07, over 88 % of our schools are rated successful and above under the Mississippi Accountability System, with over 51% classified as Exemplary or Superior-Performing.
  
  
• In 2006-07, 79% of our schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements in all three areas under No Child Left Behind guidelines. We've been making incremental progress in bringing student achievement up and greater progress in closing the achievement gap.
  
  
• While Mississippi falls near the bottom in straight achievement on NAEP tests, we have made significant improvement in grades 4 and 8 mathematics over a 15-year period. Mississippi was one of only ten states that scored higher in 2007 than in 2005 in grade 4 reading and grade 8 reading.
  
  
• In both grade 4 and grade 8 math, the gains from 1992 to 2005 outpaced the nation. In grade 4, Mississippi gained 25 points, which was the third largest gain among participating states over that period. In grade 8, Mississippi gained 16 points, which was the sixth largest gain among participating states. The scores in both grade 4 and grade 8 also improved in 2007, though less than the national gain. (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2006: The State Report Card on Higher Education.)
  
  
• Sixty-six percent of grade 12 students take at least one upper level math course, which aligns Mississippi with the top states that yield that same percentage. (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2006: The State Report Card on Higher Education.)
  
  
• The percentage of reduced and free-lunch students in grade 8 who perform well on national assessments in math has more than tripled in the past nine years. (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2006: The State Report Card on Higher Education.)
  
  
• Mississippi consistently performs well in the proportion of high school students enrolled up upper level science courses at 39%. (Council of Chief State School Officers. (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring up 2006: The State Report Card on Higher Educaiton.)
  
  
• Since 1996, the proportion of Mississippi graduating seniors taking the ACT college entrance examinations has increased by 28%. (ACT, Inc. ACT Average Composite Scores by State, 1994-2005; Act 2007 National and State ACT Scores.)
  
  
• There are three overarching goals to be met for Mississippi's State Dropout Prevention Plan:
  
  Goal I: To increase the graduation rate for 9-12 cohort classes on a systematic basis to 85% by the 2018-2019 school year as mandated by Mississippi Code § 37-13-80. The Office of Dropout Prevention is also responsible for establishing graduation rate benchmarks for each two-year period from the 2008-2009 school year through the 2018-2019 school year, to serve as guidelines for the graduation rate increase.
  
  The 4-year cohort graduation rate for 2004-2005 is 61.1%. In order to attain the 85% goal by 2018-2019, the following two-year benchmarks are established:
  
  Benchmark 1 - 2008-2009 63%
  Benchmark 2 - 2010-2011 66%
  Benchmark 3 - 2012-2013 71%
  Benchmark 4 - 2014-2015 77%
  Benchmark 5 - 2016-2017 81%
  Benchmark 6 - 2018-2019 85%
  
  Goal II: By 2012-2013, initiatives instituted by the Office of Dropout Prevention will reduce the state dropout rate by 50%.
  
  With a current state 9-12 dropout rate of 26.6%, in order to reduce the dropout rate by 50% by 2012-2013, the following annual benchmarks are established:
  
  Benchmark 1 - 2008-2009 25%
  Benchmark 2 - 2009-2010 22%
  Benchmark 3 - 2010-2011 18%
  Benchmark 4 - 2011-2012 15%
  Benchmark 5 - 2012-2013 13%
  
  Goal III: By 2012-2013, initiatives instituted by the Office of Dropout Prevention will reduce the statewide truancy rate by 50%.
  
  With a current state truancy rate of 31.8%, in order to reduce the truancy rate by 50% by 2012-2013, the following benchmarks are established:
  
  Benchmark 1 - 2008-2009 30%
  Benchmark 2 - 2009-2010 28%
  Benchmark 3 - 201 0-2012 23%
  Benchmark 4 - 2012-2013 19%
  Benchmark 5 - 2013-2014 16%
  
  This framework will be used to assist in the development of local district plans, and to measure the effectiveness of these plans.
  
  
• The MDE has undertaken a systematic process in the work of dropout prevention and in the development of a strategic dropout prevention plan. The State Dropout Prevention Plan seeks to accomplish three overarching goals:
  
  1) to increase the graduation rate to 85% by 2018-2019;
  
  2) to reduce the state dropout rate by 50% by 2012-2013; and
  
  3) to reduce the statewide truancy rate by 50% by 2012-2013. The current dropout rate is 26.6% or 11,169 students.
  
  
• Mississippi ranks sixth in the nation in the total number of Nationally Board Certified Teachers, with 2,685. (www.nbpts.org)
  
  
• Mississippi spent only $7,352 in total revenue per student in 2005, compared to the national average of $9,926 for the same period. Mississippi spent only $3,967 in state revenue per student in 2005, compared to the national average of $4,666 for the same period. (www.schoolmatters.com)
  
  

• Mississippi ranked 45th in the nation for its average teacher salary in 2004-05, which was $38,212, up 5.5% from the previous year. (www.aft.org)

  Selected Statistics
  2006-2007

  School Districts:	152
  Agricultural High Schools	3
  County Unit Districts	68
  Separate School Districts	81
  Total	152

  Students:	494,135
  Total Elementary Students	309,798
  Total Secondary Students	184,337
  Total	494,135

  Staff:	77,858
  Teachers	33,494
  Other Certified Staff	10,768
  Non-Certified Staff	33,596
  Total	77,858

  Schools:	1,058
  Elementary	433
  Secondary	122
  Elementary & Secondary Combined	338
  Vocational	90
  Alternative	62
  Special Schools	13
  Total	1,058