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JPS keeps C rating; leaders outline "Project 75" strategy to boost early literacy and acceleration
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Green and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cormack told the Jackson Public Schools board the district maintained a C accountability rating and presented a districtwide improvement plan focused on acceleration, balanced writing assessment and a culture of observation to raise proficiency, especially in early grades.
Superintendent Dr. Green told the Jackson Public Schools board on Monday that the district has "maintained its C rating" under Mississippi's accountability system and laid out a multi-pronged improvement plan aimed at raising student proficiency across grade levels.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cormack presented MAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) results and said the district will pursue three instructional priorities he called the ABCs: acceleration (daily access to grade-level content), balanced assessment in writing, and a culture of observation and feedback. "Project 75" was cited repeatedly as a targeted strategy to improve third-grade literacy and accelerate recovery for students affected by disrupted early learning during the pandemic.
The presentation identified areas of relative strength and decline: algebra I proficiency has improved substantially over three years to above 40% proficient in some cohorts, while science and middle-grade ELA showed dips that the administration attributes in part to staffing challenges. Dr. Cormack noted an expanding English-learner population ("grown by 257% over the last decade") and said the district will scale supports and ELD-aligned instruction accordingly.
Board members pressed for clarity on how accountability measures will change and how to compare year-to-year results. Trustee (speaker 3) asked for follow-up briefings on the revised metrics; Dr. Green acknowledged that some state changes (including removing the US History assessment from the accountability mix and a pending increase in cut scores) were not final and committed to returning with detailed analysis once state guidance is finalized.
The administration emphasized specific operational steps: focused professional learning for writing and science, leadership labs and learning walks scheduled this month, expanded after-school programs for second and third grades to shore up early literacy, and continued data-sharing with principals to target interventions. The board asked the administration to continue providing benchmark updates and to explain how projected changes in state scoring will affect reported proficiency.
Next steps: the administration will bring an approval for the district'run after-school program for second and third graders at a future meeting and will return with a briefing on year-over-year comparability when the state finalizes assessment rules and cut scores.
