There was some encouraging news which came from a report  on the Middle School of Poplarville Accountability Progress results.

Middle School of Poplarville Principal Heidi Dillon reported to the Poplarville School Board of Trustees the accountability results, which show significant improvements in the educational levels of all students, especially those with disabilities.

“We have been having to target those students because they have not been achieving as well as other subsets,” Dillon said.

She said that overall testing had brought the school up a letter grade for each of the past three years receiving a “D” in 2015, a “C” in 2016, and a “B” in 2017.

“In 2017, the tests predicted our proficiency scores for reading would be 39 and our math would be 50,” Dillon said. “We actually attained a 40.8 and a 52.”

She added that last year the predictions were 40 for reading and 48 for math.

“The last tests we took show us to be at 50 in reading and 62 in math,” Dillon said.

“Our goal for this year is an ‘A,’” she told the Board. “We are shooting for five more points in reading and three more in math.”

Referring to students with disabilities, Dillon said in 2016 those students increased their skill scores by six points while the overall student population increased by 11.

“We are growing all of our kids, but our students with disabilities … if you look at our scores from this year, they have already doubled from six points to 12 points,” she said.