Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Mississippi's graduation rate rose to 73.7 percent in 2011, according to the state Department of Education. That moves Mississippi, which has one of that nation's lowest graduation rates, closer to the national average of above 75 percent.

Wednesday, the Mississippi Department of Education released information on the state's high school graduation, dropout and Mississippi Curriculum Test, or MCT2, scores. In addition to the falling dropout rate, Mississippi students also improved on the MCT2, given to third through eighth graders in language arts and mathematics.

The state implemented the MCT2 in the 2007-2008 school year to assess the state's more rigorous curriculum standards for language arts and mathematics. During the most recent school year, language arts scores increased across each grade with the seventh grade scores with six points over the 2011 score.

Dr. Lynn House, interim state superintendent of education, said of the test results: "If these scores demonstrate anything, it’s that our students will continue to meet the challenges we are presenting them with each year.”