MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representatives Dortch, Clarke, Bell (65th), Sykes, Banks, Calhoun, Dixon, Gibbs (72nd)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING DAVIS MAGNET IB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR BEING RATED AS THE NUMBER ONE PERFORMING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, Davis Magnet IB Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, has been rated as the number one performing elementary school in the state according to the 2017 accountability ratings, an outstanding achievement for both the school and for the State of Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, with the average score in both reading and math on state assessments hovering near 40 percent for Mississippi elementary students, Davis' outstanding 82 percent of students scoring proficient or above in both subjects on state assessments is overwhelmingly exceptional, and it was also one of three elementary schools in its district to receive an "A" rating; and
WHEREAS, Principal Kathleen Grigsby stated that the school does not celebrate honor roll because the expectation is that its students are already honor roll students, and Davis is one of 534 elementary schools in the country to implement this rigorous program, which helps students grasp the material by placing an emphasis on encouraging them to ask questions; and
WHEREAS, the school's success derives from its internationally inspired curriculum, with the IB in the school's title standing for International Baccalaureate, and through the IB program's global citizen approach, students are learning Spanish because a global citizen is expected to be bilingual; and
WHEREAS, the IB model uses a transdiciplinary approach, where teachers have the ultimate goal of connecting a unit's theme across different subject areas, and instead of approaching a skill, like language, only through rote memorization or compartmentalization, the content is explored through questions; and
WHEREAS, students at Davis sit for an assessment three times a year called STAR that gauges their reading and math levels, and after each assessment, individual growth goals are set for each student, and helping students who struggle is a team effort that starts with the classroom teachers, and the school's support staff play an integral role as well; and
WHEREAS, in addition to being dedicated to academic excellence, Principal Grigsby is committed to getting students on the road as much as possible, and fifth graders visit colleges around the state, and because Davis has students from each of Jackson's wards, the school aims to offer the trips at a nominal cost; and
WHEREAS, Davis Magnet IB Elementary School is currently named after Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, and on October 18, 2017, the school announced at a Jackson Public Schools board meeting that a campaign to change the school's namesake had resulted in the students choosing to rename their campus in honor of President Barack Obama, with the change going into effect for the 2019 school year; and
WHEREAS, Principal Grigsby noted that Davis is currently accepting applications for the next school year, and the waiting list is presently at 350, and both students and teachers are working hard with hopes that the first school in Mississippi to be named after the nation's first African-American president will also continue to be the number one performer in the state next year; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to commend outstanding academic institutions that are committed to supporting their students as they strive to achieve academic excellence, especially those such as Davis Magnet IB Elementary School:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Davis Magnet IB Elementary School for being rated as the number one performing elementary school in the State of Mississippi.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Davis Magnet IB Elementary School and Principal Kathleen Grigsby and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.