The 15 school districts which earned A’s this year will receive a visit from the Mississippi Department of Education to recognize their achievement.

The department announced its second annual “Celebration of Excellence” tour on Monday. State Superintendent Carey Wright will visit each school district over the next two months to thank the districts for their hard work, according to a news release.

“These school districts who achieved the state’s highest rating deserve recognition. It takes hard work and commitment by administrators, teachers, parents and community members to ensure that students receive a high-quality education,” Wright said in the release. “Ultimately, the students benefit because they are better able to pursue their goals in life.”

The state Department of Education released its annual accountability ratings for the 2016-17 school year on Oct. 19. This year, 15 school districts received an A, 43 received a B, 43 received a C, 36 received a D and 9 received an F. Schools and districts were allowed to keep a higher grade if they received a lower rating under the new baseline cut scores the board approved in August.

Elementary and middle schools earned their grade based on a 700 point scale that measured performance and proficiency in reading, math, and science for all students and low-performing students.

High schools were graded on a 1,000 point scale which factored growth and proficiency in reading, math, science and U. S. History, graduation rates, college and career readiness, and participation and performance in special courses such as advanced placement and international baccalaureate into their accountability rating.

The tour schedule is listed below:

Nov. 6:

  • Petal Public School District, 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
  • Lamar County School District, 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Poplarville School District, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 7:

  • Booneville School District, 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Union County School District, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 8:

  • DeSoto County School District, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
  • Oxford Public School District, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 11:

  • Ocean Springs School District, 1:30 p.m to 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 12:

  • Biloxi Public School District 8:30 a.m to 9:15 p.m.
  • Long Beach School District, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Dec. 13:

  • Madison County School District, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
  • Clinton Public School District 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
  • Pearl Public School District, 1:30 p.m to 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 15:

  • Enterprise School District, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
  • Newton County Schools, 11:00 a.m to 11:45 a.m.

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Kayleigh Skinner joined the Mississippi Today team in January 2017 as an education and legislative reporter and advanced to a senior staff member in her four years with the company. Skinner most recently served as deputy managing editor before assuming the role of managing editor. Kayleigh has a bachelor’s in journalism from the School of Journalism and New Media from the University of Mississippi. Before joining Mississippi Today, Kayleigh worked at The Hechinger Report, Chalkbeat Tennessee, and The Commercial Appeal. She has appeared on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC Newsday Radio to discuss her reporting.