Clinton among top districts on 3rd grade reading scores
Clinton Public School District
Dr. Tim Martin, Superintendent
(601) 924-7533
Media contact: Sandi Beason, APR
CLINTON — Clinton’s third-graders scored among the top 10 statewide on the reading state test.
“In third grade, students begin to make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn,” said Dr. Tim Martin, superintendent of schools. “Research shows that if they are unsuccessful, they will have difficulty understanding grade-level material and will be at risk of falling further behind each year.”
The Literacy-Based Promotion Act requires third-graders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to fourth grade. This year the minimum benchmark to pass the test was raised, resulting in a dip in scores statewide. Statewide, 74.5% of third-graders met the higher bar. Northside is one of 94 schools in Mississippi with at least 85% of students passing the test on the first attempt.
In Clinton, 88% of third-graders passed the state mandated literacy test on their first attempt. Of the children who did not pass the test, 17 had good cause exemptions based on learning disabilities or other special needs, putting the district percentage at 92%.
Northside earlier this month administered a retest for students who did not pass the first time and results are not yet available. Students who do not pass this retest will have one additional opportunity to take the test in July.
“Our teachers are working with these students to prepare them for success, and we fully believe that after two retests 95-plus percent of our students will pass,” Martin said.