NATCHEZ — One day after state test scores were released, Superintendent Frederick Hill said he is not surprised by the Natchez-Adams School District’s performance.

Hill said the district had expected the test scores to be lower this year based on assessment data the district collected. Other states also went through dips when they adopted Common Core standards, Hill said.

“We’re no different than any other school district,” Hill said.

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) preliminary 2014-2015 math and English language arts scores for grades three through eight were made public Thursday. In Natchez, students’ scores fell below the state averages for meeting or exceeding expectations in each grade tested.

The Mississippi Department of Education leaders said they expected students’ scores to drop statewide with the implementation of the new standards. The new test, was more rigorous than ones in the past, MDE leaders said.

Hill agreed.

“The Common Core standards went deeper into different levels of understanding,” Hill said.

He said teachers did a good job last year given it was the first year and are getting better. Teachers will continue to get professional development and coaching to help them teach the standards more in the future, Hill said.

“We’re just not there, but just because we’re not at the state average does not mean our schools are not improving,” Hill said.

The tests, Hill said, are also only 3 out of 10 standards used to grade schools. Other standards include graduation rate and proficiency in subjects including science and U.S. history. The actual grades won’t come out until at least January.

Because 2014-2015 was the first year for the test, the state averages are, at the moment, the only standards to judge by, Hill said.

“That’s only one measure of how we’re performing,” Hill said.

Hill said much room for growth exists, but since it’s PARCC’s first year the district does not yet know how the scores compared to last year.

The test for the 2013-2014 year had four levels, rather than PARCC’s five. Hill said it’s possible to get an idea of where students who placed in the top level or the bottom level are right now, but not necessarily the middle three levels.

This year the Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) is being used instead of PARCC, but both are, for the most part, based on the same standards.

“Teachers have a better grasp now that they have a good solid year of teaching it behind them and students have a good solid year of exposure to Common Core standards,” Hill said.