Like many districts in the area, the North Bolivar School District in Shelby has been reviewing preliminary scores from this past year’s state tests.

“Our data right now is preliminary,” said Superintendent Ronzy Humphrey. “We did receive official data from the state.”

Humphrey explained that the Mississippi Department of Education releases raw data from the state tests in the form of a spread sheet.

“The spread sheet shows minimum, basic, proficient and advanced (scores) with a projected QDI,” said Bobbie Moore, the district’s technology and curriculum coordinator.

A QDI is a Quality Distribution Index score given out by the state. By calculating average state test scores and several other factors, schools across the state receive a QDI that signifies how successful each school is.

When this raw data is handed out to districts, certain things are not factored into the scores.

For example, in the raw data, transfer students’ scores are included. In the official test scores and QDIs that will be released by MDE this fall, transfer students’ scores will not be included.

“Any student that comes in after November, their scores are sent to the school they came from,” said Moore.

Whether or not schools have met their projected growth for the school year will also be factored into the official QDIs this fall.

“The state calculates growth,” said Humphrey. “We do not know growth yet.”

However, the district administration is hoping for positive results.

“From the looks of it, Brooks did an excellent job,” said Humphrey. “Shelby Middle School has done a good job (from the looks of it).

“The scores are still under embargo,” Humphey continued, noting the actual scores could not be released yet.

For the last several months, Humphrey has noted that students in the district are doing well.

This is according to practice state tests given out and nine weeks tests that are scored the same way.

On the final nine weeks tests this past school year, Moore revealed that Brooks had 72 percent of its students scoring in the proficient and advanced levels.

Shelby Middle School had 78 percent scoring proficient and advanced.

Broad Street High School had 47 percent scoring proficient and advanced.

For the 2008-2009 school year, North Bolivar School District’s schools ranked at a variety of success levels.

Broad Street High School was determined to be “at risk of failing” with a QDI of 128. The school did not meet its growth requirement.

Shelby Middle School was determined to be under “academic watch” with a QDI of 122. The school met its growth requirement.

Brooks Elementary School was labeled “successful” with a QDI of 157. The school met its growth requirement.

Complete scores and calculated QDIs will be released by the Mississippi Department of Education after the 2010-2011 school year begins.