Editor’s note: Some of the Quality Distribution Index scores printed in today’s article about Natchez-Adams School District’s accountability status were incorrect. Morgantown Elementary’s QDI improved to 105, up from last year’s 104. Robert Lewis Middle School scored a QDI of 112, down from last year’s 118. Natchez High’s scored a QDI of 114, down from last year’s 117. The Democrat regrets the error and is happy to set the record straight.

NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School District test scores improved in some areas this year, but not enough to move the district away from the state label “at risk of failing.”

The rating is the sixth of a state-issued seven-tier rating system that ranks Mississippi public schools in alignment with the rest of the nation.

Other categories include star, high performing, successful, academic watch, low performing and failing.

Of the 152 districts in the state, three were labeled star, six were labeled failing and 31 other districts were labeled at risk of failing.

The rating system — now in its second year — replaced the level 1-5 system previously in place.

Individual schools also received ratings. Morgantown Elementary, Robert Lewis Middle School and Natchez High School scores were ranked at risk of failing.

McLaurin Elementary jumped three tiers in one year from at risk of failing to successful.

McLaurin Principal Alice Morrison said hard work, school unity and a “30-days-until-testing” academic crackdown helped improve student achievement.

Superintendent Anthony Morris attributed McLaurin’s success to the staff and faculty at the school.

But he said receiving the label at risk of failing lets the district know more work needs to be done to bring Natchez schools up to par.

“Anything below successful is saying (we have to) work at a pace where we can continue to improve,” Morris said.

The rankings are based on three factors — test score performance, graduation rates and a growth target measuring the improvement students make on state tests.

The district did not show enough change to lift it out of the at risk of failing status, but district test scores did improve slightly from last year.

Test score performance is judged based on a formula called a Quality Distribution Index.

The district’s QDI improved to 115, up from last year’s 114.

Scores at McLaurin improved to a QDI of 134, up from last year’s 119. Morgantown improved to 105, up from 104.

Robert Lewis and Natchez High scored lower QDIs this year than in 2009. Robert Lewis’s score went from 118 to 112. Natchez High’s score went from 117 to 114.

The QDI is calculated based on a formula that awards the district points for each student scoring basic, proficient or advanced on their state tests.

NASD Curriculum Director Charlotte Franklin said the performance of special education students is included in the district and school’s results.

The Natchez schools have a higher number of special education students than other districts its size, according to Mississippi Department of Education data.

The growth model is an estimate of students’ current performance based on their past performance.

Only McLaurin met its growth benchmark provided by the state.

The district as a whole did not meet its growth benchmark.

Natchez High’s High School Completion Index — based in part on graduation rates — improved from last year’s 137.8 to 164.

The HSCI is calculated for students five years after entering ninth grade and recognizes credentials other than a standard diploma, such as an occupational diploma or GED.

Morris credits overall efforts of the district and high school in taking measures to prevent dropouts.

The graduation rate went from 67.8 in 2009 to this year’s 67.7.

Jefferson and Wilkinson counties were both ranked at risk of failing for the second year in a row. Franklin County is ranked on academic watch.

Approximately half of the school districts in the Mississippi were labeled successful and above. Last year, 40 percent were considered successful and above.

Morris said accountability status labels have mostly negative connotations.

“Only three (out of seven) of the labels are positive,” Morris said.

Improvement efforts

Franklin said the district was able to calculate its own QDI for each school in the district, so the administration has known where each school stood since the summer.

She said the district began planning and adding measures during the summer to ensure improvement in instruction and in student achievement.

Robert Lewis Middle School and Morgantown are both operating under a state-approved improvement plan.

As improvement schools, these schools have access to supplemental education services paid for by federal Title I funds.

The services function as tutoring programs, targeting low-performing students before or after school.

Morris said parents choose which service their child will receive from a list of providers, including a program called Learning Curve and Achievement Academy.

Franklin said other new improvement measures include a program called Teacher Academics, which provides professional development on using research-based strategies for teaching and assessing core subjects. Administrators had similar training through a program called Administrators Institute.

In addition, faculty, staff and administration attended a two-day district-wide professional development session before school started.

Morgantown Principal Fred Marsalis said one strategy Morgantown will continue to implement this year, which was also used last year, is departmentalized teaching planning periods.

Every teacher has one class period off-duty to plan their curriculum, and by coordinating the planning periods by department, Marsalis said teachers can work together.

Marsalis said departmental planning periods also generate a creative exchange of ideas.

Robert Lewis Principal Sekufele Lewanika said one new measure to push for improvement was to restructure classes so students are in “houses.” In the housing system, students move around to different classrooms less and receive more consistent, individualized attention.

The district also filled new federally funded positions geared toward the specific purpose of school improvement.

On the administrative level, a school improvement coordinator acts as a liaison between the administration and the schools in need of improvement.

Natchez High also has two content specialists, whose job is to focus on a specific core subject in need of improvement.

Instructional facilitators at Robert Lewis and Morgantown have the job to provide support and aid in teaching methods, and often observe classrooms looking for weaknesses and strengths in faculty members.