Pope tops state in kindergarten test

Pope School was the highest performing school in the state for Scale Score Average with a score of 811 on the spring exam according to a news release of results from the Mississippi Department of Education on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. Batesville Elementary School and the South Panola School District as a whole also recorded notable gains.
North Panola District also made strides with that district ranking fourth in the Greatest Scale Score Gain. Como Elementary was ranked ninth school with the Greatest Scale Score Gain. The district-wide average went from 441 in the fall test to 718 in the spring test. Como School scores went from 425 to 715.
Kindergartners at North Panola and South Panola took the STAR Early Literacy exam in the fall and spring of the 2016-17 school year.
Pope also ranked fourth in the state among schools with the Greatest Scale Score Gain with a total gain of 300, moving from a score of 511 in the fall to 811 in the spring.
“I am so proud of our students and staff, not just at Pope, but throughout our great district.  This is just another indicator of the greatness of our schools, community, and support system.  Thank you all for helping make it possible,” Pope School Principal Jay Cossey said in an email to other administrators and school board trustees.
Additionally, SPSD overall ranked eighth in the state with the Greatest Scale Score Gain with a total gain of 263 – moving from a score of 484 in the fall to 747 in the spring.
BES scored 479 in the fall and 734 in the spring for a Scale Score Gain of 255, which ranked the school in the top 10 percent of schools with the greatest gain.
“We were very pleased with the results shown by Batesville Elementary School and Pope School students on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment,” Tim Wilder, SPSD Superintendent, said. “The results are a direct reflection of the hard work and effort put forth by the students, parents, teachers and administrators at each of those schools.”
Other Panola County Elementary Schools taking the test showed gains as follows: Crenshaw Elementary,442-728; Greenhill Elementary, 458-717; Batesville Elementary, 479-734.