New accountability data released last week reveals thatBrookhaven and Lincoln County schools collectively and individuallyhave some work to do in comparison to their peers across thenation.

Under the new accountability standards, school districts andschools are evaluated under a system that better compares themunder academic performance indicators nationwide and under morerigorous testing implemented at the state level. The upside is thatstudents, parents, teachers and administrators can be assured thathigh-performing schools in their areas are among the best in thenation, rather than being evaluated under systems that could varyfrom state to state.

Both the Brookhaven and Lincoln County school districts werelabeled as “academic watch,” the fourth rung on a ladder topped by”star,” “high performing,” “successful,” “academic watch,” “at riskof failing,” and “failing.” Most of the state’s 152 schooldistricts, including all in our surrounding area, were labeled aseither “academic watch” or “at risk of failing.”

While the local districts as a whole were deemed less thansuccessful, there were some individual bright spots among theirschools. Particularly in the city school district, the results showwhere past efforts are paying off and where additional educationalefforts are needed.

Brookhaven school administrators have in recent years put greatemphasis on early education by working to reduce student-to-teacherratios and striving to ensure students are reading on grade levelby the fourth grade. Brookhaven Elementary School’s classificationas “high performing” suggests those efforts are producingresults.

On the other end of the grade spectrum, Brookhaven High Schoolhas long been recognized as being among the state’s leaders inCarnegie Units, or course offerings available. Its “successful”label confirms that BHS students are being exposed to educationalopportunties they need to compete with others their age in theU.S.

In the middle, for whatever reasons, is where it appears thecity educational train has ventured a little off track. The factthat Lipsey Middle School was labeled as “academic watch” andAlexander Junior High School as a more troubling “at risk offailure” illustrates that the middle grades need the same amount ofattention as the lower and upper grades have received.

In the county school district, where students attend the sameschool from first grade to 12th, areas of needed attention seem alittle more difficult to spot. West Lincoln ranked as “highperforming” and Enterprise was deemed “successful,” while both LoydStar and Bogue Chitto were labeled as “academic watch.”

The familiar phrase is that if you’re standing still, you’refalling behind. Brookhaven and Lincoln County schools are notstanding still, but the new accountability standards will demandthat they pick up the pace if they want to be labeled favorably inrelation to other districts and schools in not only Mississippi butthe United States overall.