NATCHEZ — Only two of Mississippi’s public school districts are ranked as “Star” on the new accountability rating system released today.

The system rates schools on a seven-tier system including, Failing, At risk of failing, Low performing, Academic watch, Successful, High performing and Star.

The system replaces the old Level 1-5 rating system and is intended to be much more difficult. It compares students to the national average, not the state one.

Thirty-four of the state’s 799 schools are Star schools.

Click on the following link to download a graph explaining how rankings are determined

Accountabilty graph

Eight Mississippi districts and 53 schools are Failing. Forty-five districts, including the Natchez-Adams School District, are At risk of failing.

The labels are calculated based on student performance on the Mississippi Curriculum Test 2, test score growth from one year to the next and graduation rates.

The new system cannot be compared to the old system, state education officials have said. A Level 5 school on the old system does not equal a Star school now.

“These are apples and oranges,” said Kris Kaase, deputy superintendent for instructional programs and services for the state. “They are based on different curriculum standards, different assessments and a different accountability system.”

Schools ranked Failing will go through an evaluation process with the state department of education. Information will be presented to the school and community and a corrective action plan must be written.

Schools in the At risk of failing category for two years in a row must follow the same procedure.

Kaase said for a school to move from a low-ranking one to a high-ranking one, many instructional changes will need to occur.

“You should see classrooms a lot different than you did see them,” he said. “You should see whole-group instruction, small group instruction and maybe even one-on-one instruction in the same class.”

The standard of achievement required to move from one accountability label to the next will steadily increase during the next four years.