Raising the Bar: Understanding Mississippi’s Higher Accountability Standards

Mississippi has raised the bar for school and district academic performance. Starting with the 2025-26 school year, schools and districts must meet higher standards to earn each A-F letter grade. The Mississippi Department of Education has developed resources to help district leaders, families, community members, and media understand what has changed and why, and what to look for when school and district grades are released in fall 2026.

Resources

1. Fact Sheet About Raising the Bar: Concise summary of the most important facts about the accountability changes and what they mean for schools and districts. Suitable for use as a fact sheet, in presentations, or as the basis for community communications.
2. Understanding the Mississippi Accountability System: Detailed overview of how the accountability system works, what is included in school and district grades, and how grades are calculated. Developed for education stakeholders who want a deeper understanding of the system.
3. History of Accountability Adjustments: Timeline and summary of the state and federal requirements and policy decisions that led to changes in accountability standards from 2013 through 2026.
4. News Release: MDE’s spring 2026 news release about the accountability changes, available for districts to reference when drafting local communications.
5. Video: Districts may share this video on their web site or social media channels to help communities understand the accountability changes before grades are released in fall 2026.