Schools in Mississippi are now being rated, not just against each other, but against all public schools nationwide, and 34 Mississippi schools received a top rating this year.

One of them was right here in Lauderdale County; another was in Clarke County.

Southeast Lauderdale High School and Enterprise High School received a rating of "Star School" for their 2008-2009 test scores, meaning students there performed as well on the tests as students at top-scoring schools around the country.

The ratings were released by the Mississippi Department of Education on Monday. With the new system, MDE has done away with the level 1-5 rankings, and now rates schools using seven different labels.

From best to worst, those labels are: Star School, High Performing, Successful, Academic Watch, Low Performing, At-Risk of Failing, and Failing.

Lauderdale County Superintendent Randy Hodges was excited with the results.

"Our students have always proven they can compete with the best in the state and now we know we can compete with the best in the nation," Hodges said. "You can't say enough about Southeast High School and the work their teachers, administrators, students, parents, everyone have done. The test was much more difficult this year and they are to be commended. It's obvious everyone worked together to make that happen and they should be proud."

In the Meridian Public School District, two schools received a failing rating for the 2008-2009 school year, but both of them — Kate Griffin Jr. High School and Witherspoon Elementary — are now closed.

Kate Griffin was closed after ninth graders were moved to Meridian High School and the system of assigning students from grades 6-8 was changed and because of problems with the very old school building. Witherspoon also had a very old building and was closed because of the building conditions.

Charlie Kent, MPSD Superintendent of Schools, said the district is working hard to improve the quality of education and has already begun to implement a comprehensive plan from the administrative level down to individual classrooms.

"Each school now has an improvement plan," Kent said. "We know where we stand. We know what we have to do, and each teacher knows what they have to do."

In Kemper County, Kemper County High and West Kemper Elementary were listed as failing schools. The growth requirements also were not met for either of this schools, according to the results.

In the Lauderdale County School District, most schools did well, with three receiving a rating of "High Performing" and another three rated "Successful." Two schools, Northeast Lauderdale Middle School and Southeast Lauderdale Middle School, received a rating of "Academic Watch."

Schools in the Meridian Public School District received mostly low ratings. Poplar Springs Elementary School, with a rating of "Successful," did best. Parkview Elementary and Magnolia Middle School each received a rating of "Academic Watch," while all other schools that are currently open were rated "At-Risk of Failing."

Meridian High School was not rated for 2008-2009 because of major changes in the school structure, but will be rated for this school year.

One of the primary steps that MPSD is taking to improve test scores is identifying students who need extra help and making sure they get that help, according to school officials.

All of the schools have an after school program for those students, Kent said, and Meridian High School also has a before school program and a Saturday school program.

Kent said the students who need extra help have already been identified.

"Everybody is working together," Kent said. "We were not pleased with the ratings in the district, and now we're working to get better ratings next year."

"Our teachers were working really hard (last year)," he added, "but we had a few things that were missing... We've identified the problem, now we just have to work on it."

The ratings are based strictly on test scores, and do not take into account graduation rates or growth, although separate ratings for growth were released along with the ratings for test scores Monday.

Schools are rated for growth with a label of "Met" or "Not Met." In the Meridian Public School District, only one school met MDE growth standards. In the Lauderdale County Public School District, six schools met the requirements, while three did not.

Enterprise Middle School rated as high performing and Enterprise Elementary rated as successful. The elementary school was the only one to not meet growth requirements.