The new school year is off to a good start in this area, thanksto standardized test score results released Friday by the StateDepartment of Education.

Lincoln County, Brookhaven and Lawrence County all received goodreports. The DAILY LEADER will begin detailing scores in specificsubject areas and classes later this week.

The Mississippi Curriculum Test has been taken by students inthe second through eighth grades for years. New focus is on thescores now because they are tied to the No Child Left Behind Actand individual school accreditation through the MississippiAccountability System. Accreditation that was once given at thedistrict level will now be given at the school level. That meanseach school will be held accountable for how well its studentsperform.

Some very good news has already emerged from the test scores.West Lincoln Attendance Center topped the state in its seventhgrade reading program, with 93 percent of the students scoring atthe proficient or advanced levels. West Lincoln also excelled inthe second grade math test. West Lincoln and and Bogue Chitto weretwo of only 32 of the state’s 448 schools to achieve 100 percent instudents scoring within the proficient and advanced categories.

In the city school district, Brookhaven scores improved in everycategory although some areas are below state average.

There is a lot of information yet to be gleaned from the testscores, but one fact we do already know. Great educationalopportunities await students in the local school districts.