Academic standards changing in Mississippi schools - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

This new school year will mean tougher courses and more rigorous tests for many Mississippi students. Mississippi is among 46 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards. The higher standards should help Mississippi children compete with students all over the world.

While most school districts in Mississippi are gradually introducing Common Core State Standards into their classrooms, it's a different story in Gulfport. The district implemented the program in all grade levels last school year.

"It's been a lot of fun. It's been scary. It's been difficult as we work to develop capacity of the superintendent, the teacher, and the principal. But it's what's right for children," said Gulfport Schools Superintendent Glen East.

Common Core requires students to master difficult skills at an earlier age. For instance, what students once learned in first grade is now being taught in kindergarten.

"They're learning letters and sounds earlier now. So kindergarten, the focus on the last couple of years has been moving toward teaching them how to read," said kindergarten teacher Angela Chambliss.

And students can't just memorize an answer to a question. They must learn to think differently.

"In History, for example, we always said that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Well, the Indians were here. What about the Vikings? Did they not show up a little before? So it makes students begin to think and problem solve at a deeper level," said East.

Eventually, Mississippi students will be taking the same type of tests taken by students in other states.

"In Gulfport, we believe that it's going to help, because we're no longer comparing ourselves to our neighbor Biloxi or Pass Christian or Harrison County," said East. "We're comparing ourselves to the world. How do we compare with children in Singapore or Finland or Canada?"

By raising the academic bar, educators hope to raise Mississippi from being last in education.

"Most of our schools do a pretty good job on the coast now, but we're still 50 in this country. So we better do something to make sure we can compete internationally," said East.

Common Core will be fully implemented in all Mississippi schools during the 2014-2015 school year. That's when the state will replace the MCT-2 tests with the PARCC assessment, the same test that will be taken by students in more than 25 states.

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