Mississippi Department of Education Accountability Standards
Accountability standards are changing in Mississippi. This means higher school and district academic performance will be required beginning in the 2025-26 Academic Year, and will begin the implementation of the new baseline performance scores. These accountability scores are given to school districts in an A-F letter grade. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) states, "grades for 2025-26 cannot be compared to previous years. As a result of the higher standards to earn each grade, many schools and districts may receive a lower letter grade than they earned in 2024-25, even if their students performed the same or better on state assessments." MDE asked communities, parents, and local leaders to analyze the individual components that make up a school or district's score for a complete evaluation of performance, rather than looking only at a letter grade.
State law requires increased accountability standards when 75% of students are proficient or when 65% of schools or districts earn a grade of "B" or higher. That milestone was reached in 2023.
“Mississippi students and schools have made extraordinary progress, and that progress is exactly why state law requires us to raise the bar,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “The 2025-26 grades will set a new starting point from which we will measure the continued growth of our students and schools for years to come.”
MDE has provided resources for parents, community members, and school district stakeholders to understand the changes. Links are listed below.
Understanding the Accountability System
History of Accountability Adjustments
State assessment results for the 2025-26 school year will be released in August 2026. Accountability grades will be released in fall 2026.