OSSD 3RD GRADE READING GATE SCORES AMONG BEST IN THE STATE, #1 ON COAST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 9, 2022  -  11:00 A.M.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss (OSSD) -- The Mississippi Department of Education has released the initial results of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) Third Grade Reading Summative Assessment, and Ocean Springs School District ranks #2 in the state of Mississippi and #1 on the gulf coast with a 90.8 percent passing rate.

The test has been in place since 2013 and requires third-graders to pass prior to being advanced to fourth grade. Students must score a 3 or higher on the test to be promoted. The test covers skills mastered in elementary school, such as paraphrasing, figurative language, identifying main ideas, and determining the author’s point of view. Among the top schools on the coast was Oak Park Elementary, with a pass rate of 92.5 percent.

“These students were not taught their foundational skills in the traditional manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic ending their in-person first grade school year early,” Dr. Jennifer Pope, Principal of Oak Park Elementary said. “Upon our return to in-person learning, we had to create intensive, individualized strategies to ensure the progress of our students was not interrupted.”

These test results serve as the first scores that will be counted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. MDE elected not to require passing the MAAP test as a precursor to advancing to the 4th grade in the spring of 2020 & 2021. 

“All of our teachers and district support staff worked together from 2nd to 3rd grade to ensure vertical alignment and a seamless transition for our students,” said Melissa Vick, a third grade teacher at Oak Park. “Parents and students had the same goal, and it was a very collaborative effort. It is so exciting to see the hard work of so many pay off and to see that these students never skipped a beat.”

Magnolia Park Elementary also finished as one of the top schools in the state with a 90.2 percent passing rate, followed by Pecan Park Elementary with an 89.7 percent passing rate. Collectively, OSSD finished #2 in the state and #1 on the coast with an average pass rate of 90.8 percent. Among other tactics, OSSD has implemented summer enrichment programming for students in primary grades to address deficits that may have occurred due to the pandemic or other circumstances.

ABOUT OSSD: Ocean Springs School District is home to more than 7,000 dedicated students and educators. It is the mission of the Ocean Springs School District to teach our students essential content and strategies that will enable them to apply knowledge beyond their school experience and to have a positive impact on society.