Mississippi
Education expert says Mississippi testing irregularities don’t negate ‘Mississippi miracle’
![Education expert says Mississippi testing irregularities don’t negate ‘Mississippi miracle’ Education expert says Mississippi testing irregularities don’t negate ‘Mississippi miracle’](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2023/09/06/PJAM/70779915007-tcl-marshall-01.jpg?auto=webp&crop=2099,1187,x0,y83&format=pjpg&width=1200)
As the Mississippi Department of Education investigates irregularities recently found in the spring 2023 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program test results, an expert on standardized testing said such irregularities are not that uncommon, and he does not believe the incident negates the so-called “Mississippi Miracle” in education.
“I would be careful to say it (cheating) is common,” said Stephen Pruitt, who is currently the sixth president of the Southern Regional Education Board, a nonprofit that works with states to improve all levels of public education though helping policymakers and educators make decisions by providing data and resources.
“Have there been instances of it (cheating)? Yes,” Pruitt said. “Have there been documented, proven cases of cheating? Yes. Is it pervasive? Absolutely not. States are doing more and more to follow up on those types of issues.”
Last week, the MDE released findings of an investigation into spring 2023 testing irregularities that resulted in 934 MAAP invalidations due to “testing irregularities” found in five Mississippi school districts and 12 schools — including seven Jackson Public Schools.
Pruitt, a career educator for over 20 years, started as a high school chemistry teacher in Fayette County, Georgia, then worked his way through various positions to become the associate deputy superintendent for assessment and accountability, which made him in charge of all standardized testing conducted in Georgia.
He also served as the former commissioner of education in Kentucky and is now a board member for the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.
“I lean a little bit more toward that assessment background, and I enjoy that conversation,” Pruitt said. “We actually built several assessments when I was there (in Kentucky), and I always had to deal with the issues around security. I’ve had experience from everything from writing assessments, to evaluating assessments, to administering them, to the contractual aspects of it.”
Pruitt said as states do more to ensure security with administering assessments more instances of irregularities come to light.
Jackie Sampsell, Mississippi’s state assessment coordinator, declined to comment for this article, citing the MDE’s ongoing investigation.
How do the MAAP invalidations affect the ‘Mississippi Miracle?’
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In recent months, Mississippi has gained national attention for the state’s improvements in testing scores, specifically because the state went from being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022. The state also reported record results in MAAP testing scores in the subjects of mathematics, English language arts, science and U.S. History.
The improvements have come to be known as the “Mississippi Miracle,” though some critics write it off as a “statistical illusion.”
Pruitt said the MAAP invalidations have not impacted the “miracle,” because Mississippi’s student scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress have also validated improvements.
NAEP is a federally administered assessment — the only national assessment taken in all states — given to students in fourth, eighth and 12th grades to assess their reading and math skills. Every four years it’s done in science as well. NAEP assessments are given to a random sampling of students from each state, so as not to allow only the “best” students to participate.
Pruitt said he is confident in the validity of the NAEPS test results because of the level of security for the federally administered tests.
“NAEP is under a lot of security,” Pruitt said. “In fact with NAEP you actually have to bring people in to administer the assessment from the outside. It is really tightly managed so that there is not that breach of security.”
Pruitt said outside administrators can also be brought in for state assessments if there is a question of integrity for a certain school.
Pruitt has made presentations to other states about the “Mississippi Miracle,” focusing on the increase in reading and math scores at the fourth-grade level.
In 2009, Mississippi’s average scores in the NAEP reading assessment was 22%, while the national average was 32%. Starting in 2013, Mississippi’s scores started increasing and by 2019 landed at 29%. A slight dip occurred in 2020 and 2021, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but by 2022 the reading scores were 31%. That is just 1% lower than the national average of 32%.
The same goes for fourth-grade math scores. In 2009, Mississippi scored 22%, while the national average was 38%. By 2019, Mississippi had increased to just under the national average of 38%. A slight drop again due to the pandemic, but in 2022 Mississippi’s NAEP math assessments scored a 32% compared to the current national average, which is 35%.
“When you look at the NAEP assessments, that actually validated the increase in scores in the state assessments,” Pruitt said. “So, I don’t think it should take the shine off the polish. I think that certainly MDE and Jackson are doing the right thing in pursuing the investigation, but we shouldn’t let the alleged acts of a few tarnish the hard work that’s gone in for the many.”
Previous widespread cheating
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The last time Pruitt saw widespread cheating on state assessments was during the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal in 2009 in which 44 out of 56 schools were caught cheating on assessments and 178 educators were implicated in changing answers with 35 being indicted on criminal charges.
Pruitt said the Atlanta scandal was “frankly way bigger” than the Mississippi MAAP invalidations, so you can’t compare the two. Only 934 MAAP assessments have been invalidated compared to the 578,515 tests administered in Mississippi in spring 2023. The invalidated tests represent less than two-tenths of 1% of the administered MAAP tests.
To deter cheating or instances of testing irregularities, Pruitt said it’s important to educate teachers and those administering the tests to know the rules of what they can and can’t do. States usually don’t have the staff to be able to send assessment coordinators to every school, so it’s up to the teachers at a given school to make sure the assessments are being taken truthfully.
Pruitt said he was cautious to equate every irregularity as downright cheating. An irregularity could occur because of an event happening in the middle of a test, such as a fire drill, or a teacher forgetting to read a page of the instructions. Educators are required to report any such disturbance or mishap if it happens during the administering of the standardized tests.
“I would really caution you to not equate irregularity with cheating because sometimes those irregularities are where districts honestly say, ‘Look we had this anomaly happen, and we are reporting it to you just in case,’” Pruitt said. “There’s a big difference between irregularities as a broader sense versus being able to determine cheating.”
After a Jackson Public Schools’ internal investigation, the district took “personnel actions with 43 staff members — including terminations, suspensions and letters of reprimand.” Pruitt would not comment on whether the action taken by the district was proof there was cheating, saying he would have to take a look at the data and evidence before passing judgment on the issue.
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Mississippi
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan
![Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/08/PKNS/75130225007-usatsi-24184754.jpg?auto=webp&crop=4080,2296,x0,y294&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Cam Skattebo slammed Mississippi State on the football field on Saturday night and also took another jab afterward in his postgame press conference.
The Arizona State running back, following a 30-23 Sun Devils win at Mountain America Stadium, took exception to MSU only utilizing three defenders on the line of scrimmage. The results were damning.
Arizona State (2-0) rushed for 346 yards. It was the most allowed by Mississippi State (1-1) in a game since Arkansas in 2016. Skattebo’s 262 rushing yards on 33 carries were the second-most in ASU history.
“They couldn’t stop us in that three-down front,” Skattebo said when asked what made ASU’s run game successful. “Honestly, we all felt disrespected with them in a three-down front. You can’t come in here and put five guys in the box and expect to stop six. I don’t know. We took that a little disrespectful, and we rushed for what over 300 yards? Something around there. It is what it is.”
Skattebo, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior, also led Arizona State with 35 receiving yards on three catches.
“I knew these dudes were big and heavy,” he said. “We knew going into the game they weren’t as physical as most other teams but they’re heavy. So when they hit you, it hurts, no matter how hard they’re coming — 300 pounds at 10 miles per hour or 16 miles per hour hurts the same. I just kept my feet moving.”
Mississippi State trailed 30-3 in the third quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to cut the score to 30-23 with 5:27 to play. The Bulldogs never touched the ball again, with the Sun Devils running out the clock on 12 plays.
Skattebo had a game-sealing 39-yard rush that allowed ASU to kneel down.
“Until the end, we had our ups and downs there, but that was fun,” he said. “You can ask these guys up front, bullying dudes, grown men that are 300 pounds, that’s fun to us. That’s fun to the front-five, the front-seven and the running back. The quarterback probably hates it. He probably likes watching, but he didn’t complain one time the whole game.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Why Mississippi State football loss to Arizona State revealed a strong Jeff Lebby culture
![Why Mississippi State football loss to Arizona State revealed a strong Jeff Lebby culture Why Mississippi State football loss to Arizona State revealed a strong Jeff Lebby culture](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/08/PKNS/75130223007-usatsi-24184733.jpg?auto=webp&crop=3382,1904,x0,y239&format=pjpg&width=1200)
It was 11:10 p.m. Saturday in Starkville when Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt barreled into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game.
At that point, it would’ve been fair for Mississippi State football fans to call it a night. The Bulldogs (1-1) trailed 27-3 at ASU in the final minute of the second quarter. They were dominated in just about every statistical category. New coach Jeff Lebby looked like he was headed toward his first loss, and an embarrassing one.
And even if you gave the second half a chance, eyes just a crack open, that wasn’t encouraging either. Arizona State (2-0) took the opening drive of the third quarter for a field goal while eating 8 minutes, 27 seconds of game time. That just about decided the game before Mississippi State touched the ball in the second half.
Wrong.
Instead, MSU scored touchdowns on three of its next four drives and cut the score to 30-23 with 5:27 to play. The defense, which was torched for 346 rushing yards, needed one more stop to let the offense try to tie it. It would’ve been the largest comeback in program history.
Mississippi State’s path to a bowl game seems murkier than it was a week ago. But in the long-term, there’s still encouragement after the 30-23 loss.
“Our guys battled in an incredible way in the second half, and we’re going to hold on to that,” Lebby said in his postgame radio interview. “We’re going to find ways to get back in the building, get back to work and be able to walk into Davis Wade (Stadium) with a ton of confidence and ready to go win a football game.”
The encouragement from Mississippi State’s comeback effort
Lebby said after beating Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in Week 1 that there is an abundance of teachable moments in wins, just like losses.
There is plenty to point to after losing to Arizona State.
Mississippi State came out incredibly flat. The Sun Devils scored on their first five possessions. The MSU offense had one field goal, two punts, a fumble returned for a touchdown and a turnover-on-downs in the first half. MSU had -13 rushing yards in the first half.
There were concerns entering the game about the travel distance, late kickoff and high temperature. But let’s be real, Mississippi State was playing so poorly at the start that it was hard to judge if those were factors.
“I got to do a better job getting these guys ready to go play out of the gate,” Lebby said. “I thought our energy, our effort and our emotion was really good, but then we did not play clean there in the first quarter, so that part was frustrating.”
The Bulldogs outscored the Sun Devils 20-0 in the final quarter and a half. It was a surprise. Arizona State was rolling. Mississippi State was not.
MORE: Introducing Sam Sklar, the Clarion Ledger’s new Mississippi State beat reporter
For Lebby, a first-time head coach at any level, let it be a learning moment for him. It was his first time getting pinned in a corner. The Bulldogs adjusted correctly in the second half like good coaches do.
The rushing offense and defense both need to improve. Badly. Quarterback Blake Shapen has been impressive in his first two Mississippi State games and the wide receiver room is deep and talented as ever, but they can’t be the only answer.
That’s just for this season.
Mississippi State has its first tally in the loss column. But it isn’t a strike against Lebby leading the future of the program.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Arizona State football turns heads with ‘unreal’ uniforms vs Mississippi State
![Arizona State football turns heads with ‘unreal’ uniforms vs Mississippi State Arizona State football turns heads with ‘unreal’ uniforms vs Mississippi State](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/07/PPHX/75127214007-asuuniformms.png?auto=webp&crop=450,254,x0,y9&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Sam Leavitt leads ASU to convincing victory in 1st career start
Leavitt and the Sun Devils cruised past visiting Wyoming 48-7 on Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium.
The Arizona State football team elevated its play on the field in its 48-7 win over Wyoming in Week 1.
It is elevating its uniform game for Week 2 against Mississippi State.
ASU football is wearing a gold alternate jersey against the Bulldogs at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Saturday night.
The jersey includes maroon “Arizona State” lettering and maroon numbering, along with a noticeable Big 12 logo.
The Sun Devil football team unveiled the uniform last month, with Athletic Director Graham Rossini posting that “you’ll see this on the field early this season.”
On Thursday, ASU football announced that it would be wearing the uniform against Mississippi State with a video that said “Modern shine, with a classic design.”
On Friday, it posted another look at the uniform.
More: Arizona State vs Mississippi State live score updates, analysis for college football game
ASU vs Mississippi State schedule, TV: How to watch college football game
Promising look: Arizona State football’s 2024 win prediction doubles after Week 1 victory over Wyoming
Social media reacted favorably overall to ASU football’s uniform vs Mississippi State:
Do you like the look for ASU football?
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Looking promising: Arizona State football makes huge leap in college football ranking, Big 12 power rankings
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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