Nonprofit Mississippi News Despite the fact that special schools are required to follow federal law, officials gave them unofficial A-F grades on Thursday. This was despite the fact that their accountability system doesn’t accurately measure them. Initial delays by the State Board of Education in granting accountability scores for the 2017-18 school years to the Corinth School district, Mississippi School for the Blind and Mississippi School for the Deaf were cited as a reason for delaying the decision. Annual ratings are based on several factors, including proficiency levels and progress in subjects tested on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program. This is the state test that most schools use in Mississippi. Mississippi’s version of the Every Student Succeeds Act was implemented earlier this year. This federal law requires that every school be assigned a grade. Corinth sued the state to stop the release of these grades. Corinth claimed that the district’s informal C-rating was inaccurate and misleading. Other special schools did not receive grades in the past. Since 2016, Corinth is a “District of Innovation,” which means that the Mississippi Department of Education allows it to have flexibility in its instruction. The district uses the Cambridge Assessment International Education-based curriculum and Cambridge assessments in place of MAAP. Corinth worked with MDE prior to the adoption of the ESSA plan to create an alternative accountability model. This would meet the requirement that all schools receive a grade, but Corinth would be measured by the Cambridge curriculum instead of MAAP. MDE said that the federal flexibility waiver would not be applicable to Mississippi. The district had hoped to use it. Following the meeting, Corinth Superintendent Lee Childress expressed disappointment at the board’s decision. Childress stated that “We had not done much with the MAAP assessments, because we were operating on the assumption that the Cambridge assessments would determine what we would get graded on.” “We don’t believe that it accurately reflects the achievement and growth in our school districts. Board member Johnny Franklin was the only one to vote against the confirmation of grades. He expressed concern that the board’s decision might discourage other districts from applying at innovation status. Franklin stated that the state board and Department (of Education), entered into an agreement to Corinth School District, which gave Corinth school district flexibility under state law. Now, Franklin says, “oops, all of that’s off” when ESSA states there is flexibility. Jason Dean, the chair of the board, acknowledged that the district was performing well in other measures of academic success — Childress stated that the average ACT score for the district is 20.9 — but the federal law obliges the board to follow it. Dean stated that the district is doing different things and that it’s working. “Unfortunately, they became involved in an accountability problem that has converged with federal government changes. “We’re trying to figure out how to make it right and, oh by God, follow the law. Which is what we have do.” Below are the unofficial grades. All schools will be awarded official grades in the 2019-20 school year. * Mississippi School for the Deaf : F Mississippi School for the Blind : F F Harrison County Child Development Centre : F F * Pascagoula–Gautier School District Extraordinary School : F F * Corinth Schools District: C